“Teaching is knowing the difference between ‘I taught it’ and ‘they learned it.’”
That quote from Doug Lemov captures something every coach needs to understand. It’s the gap between your intention and your players’ development. Between what you delivered and what they retained.
Understanding this distinction changed how I coach. It might change how you coach too.
The Satisfied Feeling That Lies
You plan a session carefully. You explain the concept clearly. You demonstrate it well. The practice runs smoothly. Players do what you asked.
You drive home feeling satisfied. “Good session today. I taught that well.”
But here’s the question that matters: did they actually learn it?
Signs They Didn’t
The same mistakes appear in the next session. Not occasionally - consistently. As if the previous session never happened.
Players can’t apply the concept in different contexts. They could do it in your specific drill, but put them in a game and it disappears.
When you ask them to explain what they learned, they can’t articulate it. They did the activity, but they can’t tell you why.
Under match pressure, the behaviour vanishes completely. What looked learned in training wasn’t actually learned at all.
You taught it. They didn’t learn it.
This gap is where so much coaching effort gets wasted.
Why the Gap Exists
Explanation Isn’t Understanding
When you explain something, players hear words. Hearing information doesn’t automatically create comprehension.
For understanding to happen, players need to process the information, connect it to what they already know, and apply it themselves. Your explanation is just the starting point.
Demonstration Isn’t Replication
When you demonstrate a skill, players see what it looks like. Watching you do it doesn’t mean they can do it.
The gap between seeing and doing is enormous. That gap is where actual learning happens - or doesn’t.
Practice Isn’t Mastery
Doing something once in a controlled drill doesn’t mean it transfers to matches. Repetition without understanding is mechanical, not developmental.
A player who can perform a skill in your practice but not under game pressure hasn’t learned it. They’ve just followed instructions temporarily.
Closing the Gap
So how do you move from teaching to actual learning? Here’s what works.
Check for Understanding Properly
After explaining a concept, don’t ask “Does everyone understand?”
They’ll always say yes. It’s social pressure. Nobody wants to be the one who didn’t get it.
Instead, ask specific questions:
- “What should you look for before receiving the ball?”
- “Where should your body be positioned when the pass is coming?”
- “What’s the trigger that tells you to make this run?”
Their answers reveal actual understanding. Vague answers mean vague understanding. Specific answers mean they’re getting it.
Vary the Context
If players only practice in one situation, their learning is fragile. It’s tied to that specific context and breaks when anything changes.
Practice the same skill in different:
- Spaces (bigger, smaller, different shapes)
- Pressures (passive, active, full pressure)
- Starting positions
- Game scenarios
When players can apply the concept across varied situations, learning is becoming robust. Transfer proves learning happened.
Use Video Feedback
“I’ve been focusing on giving specific feedback to players and using video clips to help them understand and see what I’m drawing their attention to.”
This coach from our community understands something important: seeing yourself creates understanding that verbal instruction alone cannot.
Players often don’t know what they’re actually doing. They think they’re doing what you asked. Video shows them the reality.
Require Explanation
Ask players to explain the concept to a teammate. Not perform it - explain it.
Teaching others reveals understanding and reinforces learning. If a player can’t explain why something works, they haven’t truly learned it.
This also frees you up. While players explain to each other, you can observe who actually gets it and who’s bluffing.
The Mindset Shift
The change required is simple but significant.
Stop measuring sessions by what you covered. Start measuring by what they retained.
Old thinking: “Today I’m teaching 1v1 defending, receiving on the half-turn, and combination play.”
That’s a lot. Too much, probably. But it feels productive because you covered ground.
New thinking: “Today I want every player to understand ONE principle about receiving on the half-turn. I’ll know they’ve learned it when they can do it in our 4v4 game without me prompting them.”
Less coverage. More depth. Actual learning.
Testing Yourself
After every session, ask yourself three questions:
- What specific thing did I want them to learn today?
- How did I check they actually learned it?
- What evidence do I have that learning occurred?
If you can’t answer these clearly, you taught something. They may not have learned it.
This isn’t about being hard on yourself. It’s about being honest so you can improve. Every session is practice for the next one.
The Long-Term Difference
Every coach teaches. Effective coaches ensure learning.
The difference shows up in matches - players applying concepts without prompting. In retention across sessions - skills building rather than resetting to zero each week. In development over seasons - genuine improvement rather than the same issues persisting.
Teach less. Check more. Go deeper.
Learning is what matters. Everything else is just activity.
Want to develop players who actually retain what you teach? The 328 Training Sessions are designed with learning principles built in - not just activities, but developmental progressions.
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