Experiential knowledge of expert coaches can help identify informational constraints on performance of dynamic interceptive actions

Abstract

Coordination of dynamic interceptive movements is predicated on cyclical relations between an individual’s actions and information sources from the performance environment. To identify dynamic informational constraints, which are interwoven with individual and task constraints, coaches’ experiential knowledge provides a complementary source to support empirical understanding of performance in sport. In this study, 15 expert coaches from 3 sports (track and field, gymnastics and cricket) participated in a semi-structured interview process to identify potential informational constraints which they perceived to regulate action during run-up performance. Expert coaches’ experiential knowledge revealed multiple information sources which may constrain performance adaptations in such locomotor pointing tasks. In addition to the locomotor pointing target, coaches’ knowledge highlighted two other key informational constraints: vertical reference points located near the locomotor pointing target and a check mark located prior to the locomotor pointing target. This study highlights opportunities for broadening the understanding of perception and action coupling processes, and the identified information sources warrant further empirical investigation as potential constraints on athletic performance. Integration of experiential knowledge of expert coaches with theoretically driven empirical knowledge represents a promising avenue to drive future applied science research and pedagogical practice.

Keywords:

• experiential knowledge
• locomotor pointing
• informational constraint
• elite coach

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the funding support of the Queensland Academy of Sport Centre of Excellence for Applied Sport Science Research and the Queensland University of Technology. The authors of the paper would also like to thank the 15 elite coaches who kindly gave their time and acquired knowledge for this research. The authors also acknowledge the important contributions of the reviewers of this paper.