Today, England entered it’s second lockdown of 2020, and at ProFormance training has gone back online. Whilst the first choice would be training live in person, that is not possible, so we will happily work with players via Zoom.
I heard one coach say, they wouldn’t train on Zoom, because it was repetitive. I was a bit lost because I thought that was the idea? 28 Days Of Development will help players develop their technical ability and repetition is a key part of that.
A skill is really learnt by adding layers of detail to the skill. Using repetition allows a player to add the detail step by step.
Repetition allows a player to fully understand the tasks they need to complete and allow a player to learn a skill in full. Zoom sessions allow a player to master new skills at their own pace. To develop a range of skills and practice them over and over again.
Repetition helps to improve speed, increases confidence, and will strengthen the connections in the brain that help you learn i.e. repetition grows and rewires the brain.
When you learn to read, to write, to ride a bike, drive a car, it is accepted that repetition of skills is the best way to learn. Putting in the hours until you pass your test. The brain does not work in a different way just for football. It does not need to be boring, of course not, it is fun, because it’s football and being interactive with Zoom will also let players have a social experience.
Using Zoom is also multidisciplinary, you can see it, you can hear it, you can do it yourself. In the Zoom session, repetition is a tool, to enable us to develop. It is a not a negative.
“If one cares about quality of learning, one should consciously design repetitive engagement into courses and daily teaching.“
Robert F. Bruner a University Professor at the University of Virginia.
Repetition in football training is common practice, we have seen it in action, at Ajax where players constantly repeat football actions, over and over again. We have seen in it action at Barcelona where tactical movements are repeated a set number of times to support learning. Repetition is a common learning tool in all settings, it’s time to open your mind to the benefits, not seek out the negatives.
As you can see above from the adapted ‘Forgetting Curve’ it has long been known that repetition of leaning over time will improve long term skill retention. To make that relevant to football, if you continue to repeat skills, over and over again, those skills will be retained as you develop through the age groups.
28 Days Of Development. Technique – Detail – Repetition.