Bringing Self-Regulated Learning to Sport Practice
How we can help kids with simple steps to take full advantage of the learning opportunities on offer
Much like classes at school, organised youth sports practices and training sessions are generally conducted in a group format. Of course not every member of the group will learn or progress at the same rate. Not everybody is starting from the same point, plus the trajectories for motor learning and development related to growth and maturation are all highly individual. As in the classroom, there will be individuals who are struggling to pick things up, whereas others will be ready to forge ahead. Whilst the coach might do their best to accommodate the range of abilities and learning trajectories in the group, in practice this is very difficult, especially when dealing with a large and mixed cohort. Whether at school or in sport, in reality it falls to the individual to make sure they are making the most of the opportunity to learn and take steps to avoid being held back or left behind. Applying the self-regulated learning framework can help kids to be more proactive in how they approach their skill development and athletic preparation to ensure that they are progressing as they should be. There is also potential for kids to take these tools from the practice facility into the classroom, as we will explore.
Kids who engage in youth sports are student-athletes by definition - they are in school as well as participating in sport and we want them to perform well in both arenas. Whether attending class or practice, an overlooked part of the endeavour is learning how to learn. In each context, we should prompt kids to take some responsibility for their own development rather than leaving this to chance or otherwise delegating all responsibility to the coach (or teacher). In other words, we should encourage them to assume their proper role as an active participant in the learning process rather than a passive recipient of instruction.
The overarching purpose of the self-regulated learning approach is to permit the learner to tailor their approach and accommodate whatever constraints they are operating under, including their own present limitations. This personalised and systematic approach provides the means to exploit their individual strengths as well as filling gaps in knowledge and skills and addressing any deficiencies that might impede their progress.
Sports practices and athletic preparation should lend themselves well to self-regulated learning as young performers typically find these activities intinsically rewarding and worth engaging in for their own sake. In this way, youth sports have the potential to serve as a gateway to self-regulated learning. The experience of applying these methods in the domain of sport will equip kids with the relevant tools and enable them to transfer the approach to their schoolwork.
Self-regulated learning comprises three distinct elements: forethought, application and reflection. The ‘forethought’ part of the process begins with having the student-athlete identify learning objectives or process goals for themselves, as a necessary first step to directing their efforts towards attaining those outcomes. The next task is to proactively come up with strategies and methods to assist them in the pursuit. It makes sense for young performers to consult with their coach when undertaking these initial tasks. The coach’s perspective will be helpful, plus an ancillary benefit of taking the initiative in requesting the coach’s input and assistance is that the young performer is likely to be rewarded with extra time and attention.
The ‘application’ part begins with the learner taking steps to curate and manage their own learning environment, as far as that is possible. Part of this is finding the most conducive time and place. An integral aspect is selecting the sports club or training facility that offers the best setting to learn and develop. The young performer should also do what they can do to optimise the environment for engaging in independent practice outside of supervised sessions (much like creating the most conducive conditions for doing homework or independent study outside the classroom). We should likewise prompt kids to give serious consideration to how they are allocating their time, to ensure that they are able to invest the requisite time and quality of attention.
Time management has elements of stategy and planning, but young performers must also manage their mental and physical resources in real-time. An important concern how they allocate their attention and effort during each practice and workout. To help with regulating these resources, we can suggest that kids track how they are spending their time. We can also help them to monitor their own behaviour so they can evaluate how they are conducting themselves during practices and training sessions. We should also extend this to other realms of their life as a student-athlete, notably school and home. Tracking critical aspects of student-athlete life such as sleep and nutrition are crucial to ensure that they are supporting their ability to practice and learn.
The reflection element of self-regulated learning is crucial. A key tenet of this approach is engaging in regular self-reflection. As well as assessing how things are going and reviewing progress, the learner is prompted to critically evaluate their learning process. They are asked to rate their success in implementing strategies and determine whether they are on track towards the learning outcomes that were originally outlined. Going through this exercise helps kids to adapt and refine their process, such that they are better equipped to respond to setbacks or stalled progress in positive fashion. Effectively this provides a process for problem-solving and troubleshooting that allows kids to navigate roadblocks during the learning process and come up with a way forward.
One of the biggest benefits of self-regulated learning is that it promotes self-efficacy, as it fosters a genuine sense that their learning is in their own hands. This will make them more inclined to evaluate their progress against their own personal goals, rather than comparing themselves to their peers. Crucially, it also makes it more likely that kids will persist and persevere, rather than becoming discouraged.
Engaging in the self-regulated learning process helps kids to figure out how to motivate and apply themselves. Individual temperament inevitably comes into play here and certainly this might be a heavier lift for some. In particular, how highly they rate on the personality trait of conscientiousness will determine their natural predisposition and how inclined they are to apply themselves. All the same, whatever their starting position it is nevertheless possible to cultivate work ethic for each individual. What self-regulated learning does is provide the necessary structure to be more systematic in their approach, such that they are better able to exercise self-discipline.
The reflective element of self-regulated learning also encourages kids to become more self-aware. Reflecting on events and experiences requires being honest and clear-eyed about their own actions. The extent to which the individual is able to be detached and to separate their ego during the after action review process has an important bearing on their ability to reflect on learning experiences and outcomes. The version of events that they tell themselves must reflect reality in order to be able to correctly attribute causes for successes and failures. Being frank and honest about how things happened and what led to the particular outome is critical to correctly identify the salient lessons and understand what changes need to be made. An important realisation for the young person is that they must be unsparing when looking back if they are to learn from experience, take appropriate corrective action and avoid making the same mistakes in the future.
In the context of youth sports, early adolescence marks a key phase in development where we should seek to utilise this approach in earnest. Around this time we should be prompting the young performer to give some consideration to what they are seeking from their participation and where they might want their youth sports journey to take them. The exercise of giving serious thought to their ultimate aim will set the stage for starting to identify some specific objectives to help them progress towards that end, which is the first step in the self-regulated learning process.
Whilst it is important that the young person takes ownership, what we can do is help with tools to support different aspects of their self-regulated learning. This might include providing a template for a training log where they can record workouts. We should also encourage young performers to keep a practice journal where they can capture key learning points, coaching input that resonated and any discoveries or lightbulb moments that come along the way. Similarly, we can help them to come up with methods to monitor their progress and a means to evaluate themselves periodically. The caveat here is that it should be made clear that these are simply tools that the young performer is encouraged to make use of on their own behalf, rather than something that is being led or imposed by the coach or parent.
Self-regulated learners are not only more engaged and more focused but also more coachable. From a coaching perspective, young performers who exhibit these traits are more rewarding to work with, so the experience becomes much more satifying for everybody involved. This creates a virtuous cycle: through adopting this approach the young performer is also more likely to receive additional time and attention from the coach!