Chapter 10 - Designing Practices With A Decision Training Focus
Where are we going? Chapter 10 shows how an athlete's decision making skills can be improved using the three-step DT Model (see below) and specifically, DT Tools 1 and 2, random and variable practice.

The goal of all decision training drills is to give the athlete the opportunity to make effective decisions during daily practices.

Decision training drills are cognitively stimulating and physically challenging.

A good decision training drill tells both the athlete and the coach if the correct decision has been made.

In this exercise, the three steps of the DT model (see below) are used to train decision making when passing in short track speedskating.

Step 1: The decision trained in the video is to anticipate an opening and learn to pass effectively

Step 2: The drill is simulated races, where the cognitive trigger is the coach calling the name of who is to pass.

Step 3: The two decision training tools being used are variable and random practice. The athletes have to learn different variations of the pass, going inside or outside on cue.


Step 1: Define a decision that athletes have to make in competition. The decision should name at least one key perceptual or cognitive skill the athlete needs to master while performing a specific skill or tactic. The seven cognitive skills are anticipation, attention, focus and concentration, memory, pattern recognition, problem solving, and decision making.
The decision trained in the video is to anticipate an opening and learn to pass effectively

Step 2: Design a drill or progression of drills to train the decision in a game-like situation. As a part of designing the drill, it is also necessary to identify a cognitive trigger that lets both the athlete and coach know if the athlete has made the right decision. Some cognitive triggers include object cues, location cues, memory cues, reaction times, and self-coaching cues.
The drill is simulated races, where the cognitive trigger is the coach calling the name of who is to pass.


Step 3: Select one or more of the seven decision tools to train the decision in a variety of simulated competitive contexts. The seven DT tools are variable practice, random practice, bandwidth feedback, questioning, video feedback, hard-first instruction and modeling, and external focus of instruction.
The two decision training tools being used are variable and random practice. The athletes have to learn different variations of the pass, going inside or outside on cue.