Self-directed is the most powerful learning paradigm.
Immersion > instruction
We at the Free Play Academy guarantee two things:
1. The athlete will grow in their love for the game of lacrosse.
2. The athlete will grow as a player in the game of lacrosse.
How? Through the power of Free-Play :
The formal and current state of sport coaching and sport experience has robbed young athletes of joy and exceptional development.
What we have wrong in formal (linear) coaching:
1. Focusing primarily on the acquisition of technique.
2. Translation of technique into context.
Instead, take the ecological (non-linear / Free Play) approach:
1. Providing environments, context and constraints.
2. See what emerges as a means by which to navigate through those learning spaces.
Much of the creation of the Free Play Academy and its Philosophy draws from the following..
Joy of the People - A non-profit based out of St. Paul, Minnesota that is centered around the idea of “Free Play” and how powerful it is as a sport development model.
The Talent Code by Daniel Coyle - A book that takes an in-depth look at what makes the most effective coaching in the world.
Jamie Munro’s Flying Solo Podcasts - Owner of JM3 sports, master lacrosse coach and champion of “Free Play” in lacrosse development. In his array of insightful solo podcasts, where he rifts on concepts such as “Handiness”, “Fundamentals” and most of all “Free Play”, this is where the inspiration for the Free Play Academy sprung up!