No time for Decision Making
If you ever have time type into Google ‘Adrián Coria interview about Lionel Messi as a youth player’. One extract of the interview by the former youth coach of Lionel Messi made a very interesting reference to decision making. Coria in the interview referenced how quickly the game at the highest level moves, he spoke about the higher levels being faster and how tighter the spaces are. Coria made reference to decision making when he stated that the highest level of the game doesn’t allow time to decide in most scenario’s. He emphasised how decisions in fast moving games at the highest level are in fact habits that are the result of practice. What does all this mean though? (READ ON)
Messi Himself Said It
The sentiments of Coria would appear to be backed up by quotes and interviews by Lionel Messi himself. Notably when the FC Barcelona superstar was once quoted saying “The best decisions aren’t made with your mind but with your instinct”. Messi in an interview with Marca is also quoted speaking about decision making coming naturally to him. The Argentinian referenced that mostly the decisions he makes don’t need time to think because he has been placed in those situations so often. That line there ‘placed in those situations so often’ is what sparked the quest to write this piece. So what’s the take away or the point being made here? (Read on).
Train the Brain
All of the above would point towards most decisions at the very highest level of the game being habitual or instinct as Messi referenced it. Because the game at the highest level moves so quickly players don’t have time or space to decide as the ball is zipped around the pitch and towards them at high intensity. Decisions for the most part will be made based on experience and familiarisation. So where is familiarisation developed? it comes from training and the many years of practice that leads a player to the higher levels of the game. All this points towards how vital it is for the development of top footballers that young players are placed within match realistic training environments that challenge decision making or learning specific to the game. The faster the baller the quicker the brain!
Training the Brain to Develop the Instinct
The more game realistic scenario’s a footballer is placed in then the quicker and more instinctive they will develop at finding solutions to those situations. How many youth coaches out there are breaking down their training sessions into these game scenario’s? How many youth coaches out there are encouraging players to think and find solutions for themselfs? These are key questions that must be asked if the goal is truly to develop athletes capable of playing at the highest level of the game.