Improving The Learning Process Using Behaviorist

Methods In Youth Soccer

Diana Chiciorea-Martinescu

Faculty OF Psychology, University of Bucharest

Cognitive Sciences, BA Program

Methods of Learning and Behavioral Change

Professor Lucian Ciolan

Assistant Professor Simona Iftimescu

November 22, 2022

 1. Abstract
As every human being is different, there is no universal recipe to apply to everyone; but patterns
can be found in other aspects of our lives. It’s a common mistake to analyze things from a single
perspective: a single theory, a particular situation, and only one cause. More than that, the social
environment plays a vital role in children’s cognitive development and interferes with the
educational process. The different coaching styles also matter. In this area, performance and
good results are much correlated with creativity. The technical coach vs. the creative coach will
always adopt different learning paths but not necessarily do to cut off the creativity or technical
abilities of a young player. But how can young children acquire knowledge to use them? Do they
creatively use them, or do they just repeat a learned behavior? Does the coach limit their
creativity, as they are learning by imitation? Different learning theories can be applied to other
aspects, and in different age stages, so it could be a mistake to stick to only one learning theory.
Still, comprehensive research and observations have proven that if different cognitivist theories
are mostly applied, it is more likely that the learning process to be improved. As we are talking
about a decision-making activity (Williams et al., 2006), it is obvious the presence of a conscious
learning theory that implies much flexibility. But as their cognitive capabilities are under
development at this age, we noticed the usefulness of behaviorism theories in fixing and
reinforcing knowledge. But as we are speaking about a team game, social theories of learning
and connectivism are driving good results. Actually, forming a zone of proximal development
inside the team is vital. Still, we have to consider the age analyzed and to understand how a
seven years old kid acquires his skills to play soccer.
We analyzed different aspects of learning behaviors during both training and game plays, and
this paper aims to show the implication of the behaviorist learning theory in youth soccer
acquiring skills. The perspectives were gathered from the coaches and the psychologist
observers, as well, into the field.

1. What Are The Targeted Objectives When Seeking Performance?

In sports, when seeking performance, students need 1. a good way of learning to achieve the
knowledge, 2. a method to memorize knowledge, and 3. the best skills for the executory
function. Besides that, we often debate if talent or hard-working matters most. But because we
stick with the age group of 4-7/8 years old, we will consider talent more important, as kids’ job is
actually to play, and they are doing it almost effortlessly. A good way of learning implies a
proper learning theory applied in the proper situation. Acquiring skills for a sport is a process
that demands desire, free will, and responsibility. The young learner has to understand very well
the whole process of recreating it during the games. It is a conscious process that involves many
cognitive abilities. It is easy to seek only for this and to totally eliminate some methods that can
set up unconscious. But even in this first step of learning, some exercises can be learned by
reinforcing a behavior or making associations.
The second step is crucial in this debate, as we are talking about memorizing but not so much
analyzing or reinterpreting the knowledge due to the early age. Here, imitation and MKO (more
knowledgeable other) theory are much involved. Of course, memory demands important
cognitive processes, but it can also be easily set up using reinforcement.
The last act should be the creative one: the execution and the putting in the action of what the
player has learned. The way he learned to do that is crucial in the way he is doing it. When
speaking about talent, we also speak not only about an inner motivation but a certain self-control
and an instinct. But here, timing and reaction speed are very important. Also, because we speak
about kids, refocusing is an issue, and it also needs to be regained rapidly. These are cognitive
processes by definition, but could we still use some unconscious learned behaviors to improve
performance?

2. What does Behaviorism Learning Theory Imply

Behaviorism is one of the oldest theories of learning, developed in the middle of the 19th century.
Pavlov observed his dog’s behavior after repeating a conditional stimulus: the dog associated the
stimuli with a certain behavior. Later on, operant conditioning involved benevolent behavior in
getting a certain reward. So, making associations is a way to acquire and apply knowledge faster,
and timing is essential in competitions.
In the executory step of playing soccer, players must have a good reaction time, good timing
with their mates, and efficient attention. All these can be trained and stimulated using classical
conditioning, with different stimuli the coach uses, such as body language, voice tone, or even
clothes. Operant conditioning is also present, as others’ joy and pleasure are also considered
good rewards. Also, fear, body control against freezing, and certain emotions can be trained to be
controlled using some stimuli.

3. Necessary Skills In Youth Soccer

To gain good results, self-control and good reaction time are crucial. Self-control can protect a
player from negative emotions like fear: the fear of a stronger opponent, the fear of criticism, the
fear of losing the ball, or the fear of losing the game itself. Fear itself is a learned behavior when
we speak about the fear of criticism or of losing a game. But the fear of a stronger opponent is
that kind of innate fear that helped us survive as a specie. Even if game plays are organized
under strict rules like respecting the age of players, there are certain situations when a player can
meet a stronger one. Naturally, because of the fear, he will stand out and lose the ball in order not
to be injured. Actually, the intervention of behavioral skills training (BST) to diminish injuries
was demonstrated if using (Quintero, 2018). But by using reinforcement in training, a kid can
develop less fear in this kind of situation. If he learns that even chased by a stronger opponent,
nothing bad can happen or that opponent is only tall but not necessarily strong, with the help of
the classical conditioning theory.

4. How Skills Can Be Acquired In Youth Soccer

1. Stimuli involved in training

If considering being in the preoperational phase, a seven years old player can perform simple
mental operations, understand singular exercises, and have only his egocentric perspective. This
is not a great help in performing a team sport. Constructivism is also much used in the learning
process here, as the main task is to use in the gameplay the exercises learned in training. There’s
no doubt that this is really necessary. But let’s zoom in a little bit on some small aspects that can
come with big results. Following this idea, the coach can reinforce a behavior using a conditional
stimulus. For instance, using body language or the clothes color to obtain certain reactions he
wants. So, for instance, if he wants to obtain a general alert state, he can train his students by
putting them in this kind of situation while wearing a certain t-shirt color or holding his hands in
a certain way. This way, he creates associations between certain stimuli and the desired reaction.
The great benefit of this is that, during the gameplay, he can generate faster the desired reaction,
he can stop it, or can maintain that state as long as he wants. Because controlling the behavior
can be challenging when working with 4-7 years old kids: they get easily distracted, and they get
harder refocus. But as at this age, kids are just exercising their first step into this sport and not
thinking tactile, behaviorist theory has been proven to work (Ertmer & Newby, 2013).
Why should this technique be considered better than the classical “shouting at them”? First, it
can generate a faster response. Second, shouting can come with negative emotions, especially in
kids. The voice can also distract and draw attention to it, especially because kids are curious
about everything.

2. Stimuli involved in game plays

During the game plays, the coach can successfully use the same stimuli from the training to
obtain some reactions from his players. What is special in this situation is that he must mix them
all the time to help players perform complex actions. Actually, he creates a certain way of
communication with them, but with better results.

3. Maintaining Attention and The Focus

When talking about 5-6-7-year-old kids, maintaining their focus is a big challenge. They can be
easily disrupted by everything: the noises around them, the voices of their parents, the other
players from the field, and even the coach talking with a team player. Maintaining them focused
is mainly correlated with attention. Using the spatial theory of attention, we can consider the ball
as being the spotlight. (Teoldo et al., 2017) So, the focus can remain on the spotlight, but still, the
player should be able to get other instructions from the coach.
For kids is not an easy task to remain focused, and their attention can be easily distracted. For
instance, their parents’ voices are very emotional stimuli for them and can gain their attention
effortlessly. Of course, parents think their encouragements or observations can help the player,
but the reality is that parents only offer a huge distraction and defocusing.
A way to use behaviorist methods in gaining the focus is to always use white or fluorescent color
t-shirts both in training and in the gameplay. During training, players can reinforce their ability
to focus on their playmates.

2. Other Learning Theory Involved In Youth Soccer Skills Acquisition:

Connectivism

When learning mechanisms imply that information must be processed and recreated, it means
that cognitive processes are involved. Cognitivism is a very extended learning theory with many
subdivisions. But the question is about when the brain is developed enough for such cognitive
operations. Is it a 7-year-old kid capable of understanding an exercise in the training and
recreating it in the gameplay? Can he apply the exercise in his own manner, or is he more likely
to imitate his coach’s moves? Well, even if we showed above the fact that imitation is crucial in
the youth soccer learning process, there are still some methods of acquiring skills that involve
some complex cognitive operations. Connectivism is one of them, and it is a quite new learning
theory. The basic idea is that students should make connections to better understand and learn.
It can easily be applied when teaching team sports, as the team is the core of the activity. Players
must understand the role of the others for a better understanding of their role. Considering the
Piagetian egocentric mode, toddlers are in this preoperational phase (Piaget, 1964), the
connectivism can be a real help in understanding their mates’ points of view. But the connection
with the coach is also important, and it is considered good practice having even a good physical
connection with the kids, like pats on the back, on their heads, or tieing the shoelaces. So, no
matter the theory applied, the’s a certitude: the relation with the coach must be great to seek a
good performance (Amorose, 2007; Horn, 2002).

1. Connectivist methods implied in youth soccer training

Training involves many exercises meant to be used in the gameplays. If a part of the learning
process of the exercise may fit better in a behaviorist method, putting it into practice involves
creativity, logic, and reorganization of the knowledge. The child must be able to take an exercise
learned in an isolated situation (during the training) and put it in a context (the gameplay). More
than that, he must be able to communicate with his mates, to pass the ball or to receive it.
Anticipating his mate’s moves is the desired endpoint in training. It is well known that at this
age, kids communicate very well using body language, gestures, and mimics. For this, it seems
that introvert coaches have better results in the group age of 4-7, while extrovert coaches explain
better to 7-13 old years kids.

6. Conclusions

Both observations from the field and the coach’s opinions agree on the fact that body language is
very important when training youth soccer. Another aspect is that imitating is the first step in the
process of acquiring skills. But imitating the coach’s movements doesn’t imply the fact that the
player’s creativity will vanish. More than this, using reinforced behavior can help them with
better focusing and executing the indications of the coach much faster.
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