The “Easy to Hard” Fallacy

It would seem to make sense that to slowly build up a new skill or technique would aid its learning. And to an extent maybe it does. But consider this:

Do you know how to drive/ride a bike? Yes? Do you think you’re ever really going to forget? Hopefully not. How did you learn? Probably by being put straight on a road/path and told to drive/pedal. Yes, you made mistakes, but you learnt, and you learnt quickly.

The same could be true of a Korfball skill. Learning something in training is not the same as performing it in a match. All players can do something step by step in training, but most forget about it when it comes to matches.

Try coaching new skills and techniques through gameplay, or as close as you can make it to gameplay, while keeping safety and structure. Don’t walk things through too many times, run them through. Put pressure on everything, because that’s how it’ll be in a match. If you learn skills in gameplay, you will perform them in gameplay. If you learn them in an easy practice setting, you will only be able to perform them in an easy practice setting.

Dive in at the deep end!