The Constraints Collective

The Constraints Collective

Our mission is to transform practice environments in sport by equipping coaches with the knowledge, understanding and skills to bridge the gap between skill acquisition theory and practice.

  1. 1d ago

    #93 Round Up 10

    # Round Up 10 — May 2026 In this month's update, Ian Renshaw and Professor Keith Davids catch up on the latest from the Constraints Collective world before diving into a rich discussion on skill adaptation, movement variability, and the dangers of template-based practice. Using Ian's experience with a golf putting mat as a springboard, they explore Bernstein's principle of "repetition without repetition" and ask whether tools that prescribe exact movement patterns work against the kind of functional variability that underpins real skill development. The conversation moves into degrees of freedom — how beginners freeze their movements and how skilled performers learn to exploit them — drawing on Ludovic Seifert's fascinating research with ice climbers and the 1964 work of AJ Templeton, who was quoting James Gibson on reading greens long before ecological dynamics had a name. They also celebrate the release of the Palgrave Handbook of Creativity in Sport, which features multiple contributions from the TCC community, and share updates on a skill adaptability series that's rapidly gathering momentum. --- If you're getting value from our podcast check out our membership options and coaching community at [www.theconstraintscollective.com](https://www.theconstraintscollective.com) where you can access podcast summaries, narrated presentations, early release podcasts and monthly online meet ups with experts from the Constraints Collective. Support the running of the podcast at [patreon.com/TheConstraintsCollective](https://patreon.com/TheConstraintsCollective).

    32 min
  2. #92 Zama Xolani Mofokeng

    May 21

    #92 Zama Xolani Mofokeng

    In this episode we are joined by Zama Xolani Mofokeng a South African gymnast from Tembisa, Gauteng Province who has broken world records for consecutive one-handed back handsprings, performed not in a gym, but on public streets. Zama shares his lived experiences of perceptual-motor learning, intrinsic motivation, environmental adaptation, and the constraints-led approach. If you're getting value from our podcast check out our membership options and coaching community at www.theconstraintscollective.com where you can access podcast summaries, narrated presentations, early release podcasts and monthly online meet ups with experts from the Constraints Collective. Support the running of the podcast at patreon.com/TheConstraintsCollective

    46 min

  3. May 9

    #91 Are you switched off from physical education and sport?

    In this episode Ian  and Keith discuss why millions of people are put off exercise for life by bad PE memories. The culprit? Traditional formats that reward the already-skilled and humiliate everyone else (the beep test being a prime offender). They discuss solutions to this problem and explain how small tweaks can make all the difference to people's experiences. If you're getting value from our podcast check out our membership options and coaching community at www.theconstraintscollective.com where you can access podcast summaries, narrated presentations, early release podcasts and monthly online meet ups with experts from the Constraints Collective. Support the running of the podcast at patreon.com/TheConstraintsCollective

    58 min

  4. Apr 30

    #90 Dave Keelty and Sam McKenzie

    In this episode we are joined by Dave Keelty and Sam McKenzie, high performance practitioners working at the cutting edge of sport. We explore talent development and coach development and New Zealand's "Balance is Better" philosophy, discussing how coaches can individualise training within team sport environments. Link to Dave's Deep Dive platform https://the-deep-dive-coaching.beehiiv.com/ If you're getting value from our podcast check out our membership options and coaching community at www.theconstraintscollective.com where you can access podcast summaries, narrated presentations, early release podcasts and monthly online meet ups with experts from the Constraints Collective. Support the running of the podcast at patreon.com/TheConstraintsCollective

    1h 39m
  5. #89 Exploring Niche Construction in Sport Coaching

    Apr 14

    #89 Exploring Niche Construction in Sport Coaching

    What do beavers building dams have to do with coaching elite athletes? More than you'd think. In this episode, we dive into niche construction theory. A concept borrowed from evolutionary biology, and explore how coaches are constantly shaping the environments that shape their players. From Pep Guardiola transforming English football, to Sri Lanka losing its ability to play spin on perfect pitches, to why Pelé's barefoot training on uneven ground made him a genius. They unpack how the environments we design don't just teach skills, they select for them. And why the role of the coach isn't to bark instructions, but to build the niche. Whether you work with beginners or elite performers, this one's going to make you rethink every session you've ever run. 📄 Paper: Niche Construction in Sport Coaching: An Ecological Dynamics Analysis — Rothwell, Stone & Davids (2023), Sports Coaching Review https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/epdf/10.1080/21640629.2021.1974692?needAccess=true

    1h 2m
  6. #88 Round Up 9

    Apr 5

    #88 Round Up 9

    Should you ditch the bowling machine? The hidden cost of "convenient" practice What if the tools coaches rely on most are actually making athletes worse? In this roundup episode, Martyn, Keith, and Ian unpack a deceptively simple problem, getting young cricketers enough quality ball-facing time, and follow the thread all the way from 13-year-olds in the nets to Jannik Sinner's warm-up routine at the Melbourne Open. Along the way they tackle some big questions: Why did Tim Paine's batting explode the moment he stopped using the dog stick? What does an elite football team failing to string a single pass together tell us about warm-ups? And could a "skilled feeder" be the next big role in sports science support? Plus: why windy conditions might be your best training partner, the backyard game that quietly builds pressure-handling skills, and a teaser for the team's most ambitious project yet, a deep dive into skill adaptation and why it might be time to retire the term "skill acquisition" for good. If you're getting value from our podcast check out our membership options and coaching community at www.theconstraintscollective.com where you can access podcast summaries, narrated presentations, early release podcasts and monthly online meet ups with experts from the Constraints Collective. Support the running of the podcast at patreon.com/TheConstraintsCollective

    32 min
  7. #87 Tom Parry and Tyler Yearby

    Mar 27

    #87 Tom Parry and Tyler Yearby

    Dr Tom Parry is the Kinesiology Program Director in the College of Education and Human Development at Butler University, Indianapolis, USA. His area of expertise is motor-skill learning, and specifically the application of ecological dynamics to coaching.  Dr Tyler Yearby is the Co-Founder and Co-Director of Education for Emergence, a sports movement skill education company that offers prerecorded coach education courses and interactive learning opportunities in helping athletes become more skillful players. Link to article: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/00336297.2024.2420759?casa_token=ha8RnMnO7PYAAAAA:RVWwgUvnb6JZ6KRTH5U7Pj7XnF_bK2e0xgWNMxBjfv0lI7cOZkMr7ejdB6xarZi3OCp_4JoDHIu8cg If you're getting value from our podcast check out our membership options and coaching community at www.theconstraintscollective.com where you can access podcast summaries, narrated presentations, early release podcasts and monthly online meet ups with experts from the Constraints Collective. Support the running of the podcast at patreon.com/TheConstraintsCollective

    1h 2m
  8. #86 Podcast Summary 7 - Tabai Matson

    Mar 19

    #86 Podcast Summary 7 - Tabai Matson

    If you're getting value from our podcast check out our membership options and coaching community at www.theconstraintscollective.com where you can access podcast summaries, narrated presentations, early release podcasts and monthly online meet ups with experts from the Constraints Collective. Support the running of the podcast at patreon.com/TheConstraintsCollective In this episode we revisit and unpack key insights from our conversation with high-performance rugby union coach Tabai Mattson. We reflect on the evolving nature of elite performance, particularly in light of the recent Six Nations tournament. The discussion explores how modern teams are finding success not through rigid structure alone, but through speed, adaptability, and what we describe as relational play. We dive into: What “cutting-edge” coaching really looks like in high-performance environmentsThe shift from structured systems to more fluid, player-led interactionsHow pace, offloads, and decision-making are reshaping the gameWhy coaches need to rethink how they design and support learning environmentsEnjoy!

    30 min
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About

Our mission is to transform practice environments in sport by equipping coaches with the knowledge, understanding and skills to bridge the gap between skill acquisition theory and practice.

Information

  • Creator
    The Constraints Collective
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    93
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Constraints Collective
  • Show Website
    The Constraints Collective

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