ONE OF THE GREATEST ENEMIES OF CREATIVITY IN CHILDREN IS CALLED: VICTORY
COACHES WISHING TO WIN CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT THAT HAS SEVERAL BASIC PROBLEMS:
EXCESSIVE REPETITION
The repetition is based on the idea that a child is able to remember information better if he repeats it many times.
Knowing that creativity is the ability to merge different types of facts into new units and to create something new, we come to the conclusion that the persistent repetition of one piece of information in this process is a waste of time.
What we want is the development of those capabilities that enable the process of merging information into a new unit rather than memorising a large number of facts without the ability to use them.
Contrary to repetition, there is associative learning based on the idea that children develop the ability to learn new information and merge them into new units if we create an encouraging environment for them.
Handball: With a large number of repetitions of passing balls on ‘dry’, i.e. in a protected environment without disturbing the defenders, the child learns to catch and pass the ball, but only if no one obstructs him. The goal of passing the ball should be: to accurately pass in all different situations in the game, especially in those in which they are so fast so that the player does not have time to consciously make a decision.
„ADVANCED KNOWLEDGE“
If we teach children something that others do not know, we have found a shortcut to victories. One of the options is to introduce tactical solutions that are appropriate for older age groups. By this, we skip the natural path of learning and thus deny the possibility of total individual growth, but victories can convince us that we are on the right path.
Handball: By learning to block and unblock a pivot at the age of 9 or 10, he does not become a better pivot in the long run, but it is to our advantage at the mini handball matches. It is highly likely that a player who automates such co-operation with teammates is less motivated to learn intuitive moves such as going to an empty space, moving to or against the ball, playing a double pass with an outfield player etc. Repeating the learned model is successful and we encourage it to unilateral automation that brings victory.
THE PRESSURE OF VICTORY
A coach who puts victory before, during and after the game, as the only goal and the main value creates an atmosphere in which only the most inexperienced have the desire and courage to try and even learn something they are not certain if the coach considers it as good handball solution. Led by the desire to be liked and to be “good”, girls are especially prone to constantly repeat one to two technical elements in the game, provided they are successful in doing them.
Like every human being, a football player says:
Love me honestly. Not only in order for him to win. I want you to love me so that I could win, I do not want you to love me because I won.
Every time I go out to the playground and hear the coach: ‘You have to win.’ I am perplexed.
Such expectations create in me a feeling that makes me say, ‘What on Earth do you mean by I have to win?’
Marcelo Alberto Bielsa Caldera, a football coach
The pressure felt by the coach during the World Championship and transferred to the players of Argentinian or Chilean football national team at the World Championship, can unfortunately sometimes be compared to the pressure felt by the coach and transferred to a child before the tournament in (mini) handball.