Target & Component Skills

When selecting skills to teach, you must first clearly

identify all component skills that will influence an
athlete’s ability to perform the target skill successfully.
 The Stages of Skill Mastery
Most athletes Most coaches’ “expert blind spot”

Unconscious Conscious Conscious Unconscious

Incompetence Incompetence Competence Competence

Mental Stage Practice Stage Automatic Stage

Novice athletes Athletes can

Athletes can
don’t know what Athletes know that perform the skill
perform the skill,
they don’t know. they don’t know. like it’s second
but it takes effort.
nature.

(Ambrose, Bridges, DiPietro, Lovett & Norman, 2010)

 23 // USOC

Break It Down…And Down…And Down…

 24 // USOC

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDA3_5982h8&t=4s
 25 // USOC

Strategies

• Think of a skill that you are currently working on with

your athletes. Discuss the component skills needed to
successfully learn this skill.
Discu rd
u t. ss wi o
i t o differ
ent le
th Rec rself it.
ite coach vel o o u
y ch i n g
Wr i t t
. in e coa
p l a
E x eo n
m o f
Try a walk through. so side .
u t in g
o ch
c o a
 26 // USOC

4 Principles: Athlete Learning

Prior knowledge Skill mastery

can help or requires athletes
hinder athlete to learn
learning. component skills.

Combine
Athlete motivation
deliberate
directly influences
practice with
the learning
targeted specific
process.
feedback.
 27 // USOC

Deliberate Practice

Does practicing more =

better performance?
 28 // USOC

Deliberate Practice
 30 // USOC

Feedback:

• 2 Types:
• Athlete: Natural feedback that comes from doing the movement
• Coach: Your observation / video

X
What Type of Feedback Should You Give?

Corrective
X
 31 // USOC

Feedback: Less is More

How Much Feedback Should You Give?

0% 33% 50% 75% 100%

Basic Skills Highly Complex

Less equals more.

 32 // USOC

Feedback: Processing Negatives

Don’t think about an elephant.

SERIOUSLY,
DO NOT THINK
ABOUT AN ELEPHANT!
Focus on what you want your athletes TO DO,
not what you do not want them to do.
 35 // USOC

You’ll Never Hear “It’s Only Practice…”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG6isZibX3U&t=1s
Wooden’s 8 Principles of Practice Design
1. Fundamentals before creativity.
2. Use variety.
3. Teach new material at the start of practice.
4. Quick transitions between activities.
5. Increase complexity from practice to practice.
6. Conditioning for learning.
7. End on a positive note.
8. Avoid altering a plan during the lesson.
 37 // USOC

Just Remember…