Game Design Fundamentals and Sport Coaching

Abstract

It has been recognized for some time that computer and now digital online games have become an important part of young people’s leisure (see for example, Kirriemuir & McFarlane, 2004). Predicated on the hypothesis that both digital game play and sport have the common participatory intention to get participants to enjoy learning a difficult and structured form of play we consider how digital game designers seek to power-up engagement in learning, and consider whether sport coaches can learn anything from the deliberate design pedagogy adopted by digital game designers. Applications of enriched task engagement from the educational design principles adopted by “good” (Gee, 2007) digital game design are demonstrated through the use of coaching examples. We conclude by proposing six pedagogical perspectives for the sport coach to enhance practice as a learning space using deliberate game design.