Coordinate a video game training session on the field by implementing 4 phases to the practice.
Mission
Design your training for players to overcome constraints, while using their skills and game understanding to reach an end goal. Conditions for such a practice can center around overloading or under-loading of players on different areas of the field.
Other conditions can influence players to make decisions during specific moments of the game.
- Individual Off the ball
- Individual On the ball
- Team with the ball
- Team without the ball
Missions do not have to involve decisions actions during game play. You can focus on the psycho-social areas. For example, how many teammates can you support during the game.
Your mission design needs to take into consideration the skills, abilities, and age of the players.
Skill Level
During each training activity, you need to manipulate variables to challenge your players at that level. In your design, you can adjust the following variables to
- Size and type of ball
- Playing time
- Number of players
- Available space
- The shape of the playing area
- Type of goals
During your game, when that problem has been solved or who solves it the most, that team gets to move up to the next level.
Power-up
Fundamental to on field gamification training is the opportunity to give your team an advantage through the accomplishment of a task(s).In order for players to be successful in solving problems, there needs to be an incentive to acquire additional power.
A team’s advantage would last a fraction of the game, thereby you encourage your players to strategize. For example, during a 12-minute game, a 1-minute power play would be appropriate.
Game Freeze
Another key feature of video game designs that need to be applied in the field, is the ability to pause or replay a moment during play. In your session, you need to build in a number of pauses or replays per team. This can help your players build awareness for their own learning.
Instead of you the coach ‘freezing’ the game to make coaching corrections, players will have the opportunity to now recognize, rewind, and replay their actions to correct mistakes.
References
Hitting The Seam, Game On. The Official Magazine of the ECB Coaches Association. Issue 413
Download your FREE guide sheet to designing a training session.
Leave A Comment