Psychokinetics.

A new method of training; technical overview; the learning process; progression and workloads. This article was published in the Spring edition of the "Notiziario Tecnico", the coaching magazine of the Italian Soccer Federation. The evolution of the game of soccer in the last 5 to 10 years has greatly limited the players' space on the field, consequently, the time they have to "play" the ball is much shorter. This change has also radically modified the process of thinking, and therefore the way players behave on the field of play. It was not long ago when the players' thinking process was to create a situation after they had the ball under control. In today's game players must find a solution to any situation before they get the ball. As a consequence, they must be physically and mentally fit, able to execute technical and tactical exercises at high speed, and above all, read and react to any situation during a game. After all, the mental reaction is the best quality of an above average player to solve quickly and appropriately difficult game situations. At this point a question comes to mind: "Are these mental qualities trainable, or are they part of the genetic heritage of an athlete." Mr. Iaconi believes that the genetic heritage is the basic ingredient in the development and formation of a good player, or athlete, but he also feels that a more accurate and planned preparation of the mental capabilities is not only helpful, but also necessary. In any sports activity, the cognitive capabilities may have an impact on both the athletes' learning process as well as their performance. In soccer, specifically, all actions are subjected to an almost endless tactical variability: "Where is the ball; where are my teammates; where are the opponents; where is the goal; in what part of the field am I?" These are only few of the questions players have to answer all the times during a game, and their answers must be immediate; therefore, we can say that soccer is characterized by a large number of combinations of movements with, and above all, without the ball, whether the team is attacking or defending. These are questions that the players, based on their knowledge and previous experiences, must give correct and pertinent motor answers to. A modern training methodology must therefore take into consideration not only the effects (pass, shot, heading, etc.) which are the motor answers, but also the causes (mental formulation of the motor answer, creation of the motor process, and the verification of the previous experiences.) Mental preparation, which comprises memory, perception, capability to analyze a situation, and concentration, are qualities and attitudes, which derive from the genetic heritage of the individual. This heritage must be tutored and integrated into the training along with tactics, techniques, and physical fitness.

Psychokinetics - Theory and principles Soccer players are exposed during each movement they performed to a bombardment of stimuli of different nature. Soccer is an "open" sport discipline in which each action is the result of what happens every moment. In it, as it happens in basketball, fencing, and boxing, to name a few, the external environment is continuously changing, and the informations the players consider to give an answer to are endless. The unexpected is the main characteristic of soccer. The acquisition of information, the ability to read situations and identify what is important, the capability to find answers and/or solutions to the various situations before the opposition does, are true qualities coming from the athletes' genetic heritage. Therefore, a specific training that takes into consideration all the mental processes that precede the proper motor answer(s) is required. Attention at details, the ability to identify the most important stimuli and disregard the less significant ones, are determinant factors in reading a situation. Psychokinetics is a possible answer to this need, that is, a type of global training, which provides for a complete development of the players. It entails everything that has to do with movement (kinetics) and reasoning (psycho); it is the ability to execute a movement, which is wanted, conscious, and justified. When to use psychokinetics, how and how much In psychokinetics the principles on how to administer the training are extremely important. The players must recognize what they are doing, and the how's and why's of what they get involved in. It is vitally important that they become interested in this method because motivation is the basic ingredient of a serious and lasting educational process. Coaches that use psychokinetics must be very methodical, and develop specific programs with simple and achievable objectives. Time must be properly allocated so that, on one side, the players are able to find solutions to the problems arising during a game, while on the other, they can analyze and store the solutions they have arrived to. This knowledge allows them to memorize, and eventually utilize their experience in similar situations. In psychokinetics players use the nervous central system, and consequently, since the learning in this field is continuously evolving, they must use their experience to establish the quality and quantity of the type of work that associates both body and brains, and movement and mental formulation. Another very important aspect of this type of training is the relationship that exists between the coach and the players, among the players themselves, their mutual respect, and trust among each other. Coaches must call their players' attention on specific items that they (the players) may have missed; they should not propose solutions, but instead ask that the players themselves come-up with the answers. In fact, the main objective of psychokinetics is to develop players who face reality, not only with their eyes, but also with their minds; players who can understand a situation in advance, and are able to select the best answer with the constraints of space, time and conditions.

Psychokinetics is primarily used away from the game, especially during the pre-season preparation. This initial intense work is a valid starting point for a gradual learning process during which the exercises are gradually becoming more demanding and difficult. They should not last more than 10-15 minutes, and have adequate rest periods. The margins for improvement are very high, and in an atmosphere where the players work together, there are limitless measures to improve their intellectual abilities. The human mind has unimaginable qualities, and in soccer, as well as in sports in general, the future is in searching, and studying new training methodologies which will stimulate the players to reach, or strive for the highest level of the human psyche. Didactical progression and workloads When a coach introduces into his training sessions some psychokinetic activities, he must pay particular attention to the work and the workloads he uses. An excessive workload on the central nervous system can create a state of confusion and insecurity in the players' owns capabilities. The players must be fully aware of what they are doing, and the reasons why they perform specific exercises. At the outset, psychokinetic exercises must be simple in order to give the players time to understand the situations, and come-up with a propre motor answer. In subsequent sessions, the coach must provide a logical progression of the work as proposed to improve the players' retention of the different situations as they develop. Furthermore, by repeating the exercises, the players will be able to memorize the same concepts they had elaborated in other exercises, and utilize them in other exercises whether similar, or different. After the exercise have been completed the coach will be able to evaluate how the players are learning, and decide whether the repeat the session, or increase the workload, and widen the objectives.