EP22: How do Games-Based Approaches Differ from the CLA?
In this episode, Alex Sarama discusses the differences between a games-based approach and a constraint-led approach (CLA) in basketball coaching. He emphasizes that while a games-based approach may be enjoyable for players, it lacks the intentional use of constraints for skill adaptation that the CLA offers. Alex explains that a games-based approach originated in the 1980s as a way to make physical education lessons more enjoyable and improve problem-solving skills. He demonstrates how manipulating constraints and creating specific environments can enhance skill development and decision-making in players. Alex also provides examples of how the CLA can be applied to common small-sided games in basketball, such as one-on-one, three-on-three chaser games, and three-on-three pass keep away.
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Key Takeaways:
2:40 - Differences between the CLA and a Game-Based Approach
5:00 - Similarities between the CLA and a Games-Based Approach
7:45 - Ecological Dynamics vs Information Processing
10:30 - Functionality vs Tactical Understanding
14:45 - Questioning
19:45 - Progressions & Regressions vs Complexity & Simplicity
24:00 - Examples
Articles Mentioned:
Why the Constraints-led Approach is not Teaching Games for Understanding: A Clarification
Teaching Games for Understanding and Situated Learning: Rethinking the Bunker-Thorpe Model
Links:
Website: http://transformingbball.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/transformbball
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/transformingbasketball/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@transformingbasketball
