Laws of Learning

It’s amazing, coaches are directly responsible for literally hundreds of hours of learning. Our effectiveness depends a great deal on how well we apply our understanding of the learning process.

The “laws of learning” below provide valuable insight into the learning process that will assist in providing a rewarding experience to your team.

Law of Readiness. An athlete learns best when they are ready to learn – they will not learn much if they see no reason for what they’re are doing.  It’s imperative to provide a purpose and objectives for what you are doing on a daily basis. Posting and sharing your practice plans provides motivation to participate in the learning process.

Law of Exercise. Repetition, repetition, repetition.  Things that are most often repeated are best learned. This is the foundation for practice and drill. It’s nearly impossible to recall something we do or hear once. Athletes learn by applying what they’ve been taught so build in ample time for “drilling”. Remember that practice makes permanent, not perfect unless the task is taught correctly.

Law of Effect. Emotion runs the show! Learning is stronger when accompanied by feelings of satisfaction, pleasantness, or reward and weakened when associated with feelings of defeat, futility or confusion.  Negative motivation is an “oxy-moron”, it does not work in learning.  It does not mean that we need to set it up where our athletes succeed in every situation.  What’s important is that we engage our athletes and they feel like they are making progress.  Like I always say, “Fun – the closest physiological profile to the zone AND the appropriate “F” word in sports!”

Law of Primacy. This means that what ever is taught first, often becomes the strongest. “Unlearning” something is harder than learning it right the first time. For the coach, it means what you teach the first time, must be correct.  If your athletes have some “unlearning” to do, patiently start back at the beginning and relay the foundation piece by piece.

Law of Intensity. A real time, vivid learning experience teaches more than a routine or boring one. This is why athletes want to scrimmage rather than drill.  It’s true, they get more from the real thing than they do from a substitute.  Make your drills more like the real thing.  Simulate playing conditions and tempo whenever you can. Video tape and stat practice just like you would a competition – talk about creating a sense of urgency at practice!

Law of Recency. Things learned last will be best remembered. The opposite is also true. The longer your athletes are away from a skill or tactic, the harder it is to remember and implement. It’s important to bring practice sessions and competitions full circle.   Circle the team up and repeat, restate, or reemphasize the training and or competitive objectives. Leave your athletes with the important information they need to remember.

These six laws of learning are suitable for most learning situations. Keeping them in mind while planning practice helps to create an optimal learning atmosphere for your athletes.

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