Time: 14:50 – 15:05
Session: PhD & Trainee Talk

Beyond Instruction: How Coaches Can Use Verbal Feedback to Shape Perception, Decision-Making, and Learning

Speaker Profile

Gérard Jones is a professional football coach, coach educator, and doctoral researcher specialising in skill acquisition and coach communication. He has worked across elite environments in the UK and internationally, including roles within professional clubs and coach education systems.

He holds a UEFA A Licence and multiple postgraduate qualifications in coaching and leadership, and his doctoral research focuses on how communication shapes athlete learning in real-world environments.

Overview

This session examines how coach communication influences athlete learning, decision making, and performance. While verbal feedback is a constant feature of coaching, it is often delivered instinctively rather than guided by principles of learning and behaviour.

Drawing on research and applied experience in elite football, the session introduces the concept of transitional information as a framework for guiding athlete attention without over-prescribing solutions. It will provide practical strategies for redesigning communication to better support autonomy, adaptability, and performance.