Updated: Nov 17, 2020
Being the 'guide by the side' with your children is really hard. You are supporting them with making decisions and encouraging them to make choices and you don't want to be imposing your dreams on them. In this video I share an approach that I took with one of my kids that has been bearing fruit (so far).
Updated: Nov 16, 2020
The video really explains the key principles behind the ecological approach to skill acquisition and contrasts them against the approaches advocated in the 'information processing' / 'technique led' approach. Rob explains why you can't mix the two and also dispels some common misconceptions about why the reality of the difference is actually valuable as it makes things simpler and easier to navigate for practitioners. There are a lot of academics and high brow people who have looked down their noses at anyone suggesting that you couldn't overlap the approaches because 'it depends'. This great video explains that 'you can't have it both ways', you either buy into the approach or you reject it.
I would love to hear your thoughts and views about this. We will be discussing this in the next Conclave gathering...if you would like to join us then head over the my Patreon page and join the crew...it would be great to learn with you.
Craig Morris is a canoe slalom coach working within the elite performance pathway of British Canoeing. He has recently been shortlisted as a finalist in the Elite Performance Coach Category of the UK Coaching Awards.
Craig's journey into coaching is not a typical one but what comes across in this conversation is an individual who is thirsty for information and learning, willing to be vulnerable in approaching the application of ideas and completely committed to the needs of their athletes.
Key topics discussed include:

- Why you need to be meticulously planned to enable fluid (no pun intended) transitions in practice
- Whether planning fits an ecological approach to coaching
- The importance of leaving things open to challenge by the athlete
- Why coaching is like improvised comedy
I hope you enjoy