Mark O’Sullivan

In this podcast, Mark O'Sullivan (Head of Youth Development for under 8-12 year olds) at AIK Ungdomsfotbolls) discusses his work in youth development at AIK as well as his PhD research with UK Coaching Senior Coach Developer Marianne DaviesDuring the conversation Mark discusses a variety of topics, including why learning is non-linear and what this means for coaching. The implications of non-linear development on athlete development frameworks, and why he wants ‘as many as possible, as long as possible in an as good environment as possible’ in the AIK youth academy.Some key points Mark covers are:How do we learn to ask better questions?What is our understanding of the learner and the learning process?Does the notion of the nonlinearity of learning challenge many of these ages and stages models?Whatever your role, if you're helping people to be active and improve, we're here for you. Visit UKCoaching.org to grow your coaching skills and be part of the community.

Mark O'Sullivan, Coach with AIK Football in Stockholm, discusses football interactions, practice design, affordances, and talent development. He challenges the coaching culture focused on biomechanics, emphasizing the importance of understanding interactions with the environment. The chapter also highlights the significance of clear messages in sports training and the impact of the podcast on coaching and PhD work.

Mark O'Sullivan, Associate Professor of Football at the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, transitioned from a DJ and music producer to a coach educator focused on non-linear approaches to skill acquisition. He discusses his ethnographic PhD research at AIK and critiques traditional coaching practices that prioritize micro-technique over player understanding. Mark emphasizes the significance of context in training, the importance of engaging parent coaches, and shaping players’ intentions through representative tasks and practice design. His insights challenge conventional coaching paradigms, advocating for a more relational, player-centric approach.