Memory for a Game Idea by Gil Sousa (Patreon)

The definition of memory refers to "the ability to recall something from the past without much effort, such as ideas or images." The concept of the "past" can be subjective, particularly from a time perspective. In football, we can even consider the past as the need to form memories, in the sense of preparing a game plan. However, the main thing is to realize how much time is necessary for memories to consolidate in a way that they can be evoked "without much effort."

When we hear that "the next match is the most important," that can even be the purpose. But there is a need to understand what happened before and what can happen afterward, to value certain experiences in order to give meaning to it all. The beginning of the season often brings with it the thought of starting from scratch. Nevertheless, no human being, whether a player, coach, director, kitman, or physiotherapist, starts something disregarding their experiences. What may be really important to some may be only something accessory to others. Priorities may seem outdated. And it is the moment to create harmony!

Nowadays, the idea that memories are "modifiable" is valued, and according to the meaning we give to what we experience over time, our patterns are defined and influence our decisions. Thinking about the beginning of the season, it seems like a maze to quickly decipher and unravel all the different personalities that come together around a football team.

The nature of human relationships needs time and space. It is essential to highlight the perspective of the Portuguese U21 coach:

"To do what the coach likes, the player has to know him" (Rui Jorge)

The coach even emphasizes the need that, from the very first moment they are with a player for the first time, they have to show them what they like and what they don't like, so that the player can understand not only their thoughts in professional terms but also in terms of human values.

"Our meetings at the beginning of the season are part human and part professional, at the same level. But above all, we focus on the human aspect. If there is no emotional bond, it is impossible. Because in moments of difficulty, of low performance, which are inevitable during ten months of competition, if there are no personal connections, the relationship breaks completely" (Mauricio Pochettino)

The preparation of a game idea must assume a broad understanding, not only of the club's cultural context but also of the individuals who are part of it. In many cases, the eagerness to reach the smallest detail in training does not allow the consolidation of the most important values. And we are not only referring to the use of mobile phones but to many other moments that can be anticipated, such as the possibility of whether or not a player can be exempt from traveling with the group after an away game. Everything will influence the attempt to build what really needs to unite all elements: the game idea.

"You can't play without tactics, but you shouldn't be limited to them. However, players need guidance. Creativity arises from tactics" (Johan Cruyff)

In football, the evolution of the "modus operandi" has undergone a reassessment regarding the conception of ideas. Nowadays, training seems more easily controllable, and the feeling of the coach's domination in training sometimes suppresses the expressiveness of the players and consequently of the team in the long run. Football, as an art, consists of making something happen in the game that often had not been imagined, or even expected. We can know why it happened; just imagine a left-footed player playing on the right-wing to realize the consequences that may have on the game, or vice versa, think about what could happen with a right-footed player positioned on the right side.

Bringing the deconstruction of the intended idea to training is more relevant than thinking about the best exercise for its operationality. It is about seeking how to build a set of memories over time, where some need to be better valued than others. If, at the end of a season, we think about what has been most valued, we will likely find a correlation between the most positive and negative moments.

"The goal is that when a player receives the ball, they have multiple passing options, and even by choosing the worst one, the opposing team keeps chasing the ball" (Johan Cruyff)

The attempts to shape an exercise with its best variations so that the desired game idea emerges can provoke such difficulties that the player may spend more time understanding the exercise than generating memories that they can later evoke "without much effort" and in a clear way.

Training is full of limitations that can stand in the way of different forms of play, whether larger (goalkeeper + 10 players vs. 10 players + goalkeeper) or smaller (goalkeeper + 4 players vs. 4 players + goalkeeper). The mere fact that, depending on the number of players, we have the possibility to manage the playing space, playing time, numerical advantages, or disadvantages, allows the idea to begin to be experienced and stored with different stimuli. But there are other situations, as simple as they are deeply rooted over time thanks to countless coaches throughout history, such as the number of touches or passes. The simplicity of the exercise should always be the basis for valuing what is most important: the players and the game idea being sought.

The coach's concern should be to build memories in the players about the game idea, which requires sensitivity to perceive how much time is necessary for something to be acquired. For example, orangutans need years to learn to find their way through the forest, so deforestation of their habitat means they will need more time to create a reorganization that leads to new memory. The loss of their references has a greater impact than the adversities of daily life.

We know, or should know, that one cannot have everything at once or with immediate effect, especially when aiming for something to be natural and not momentary. Repetition is the best path to creating a habit; however, there must also be sensitivity to realize if such repetition might eliminate the possibility of other things happening. If we think about a team that only practices ball possession situations in all training sessions throughout the season, we can imagine that they will later face some problems in defense and when attacking against their own goal.

The quote from Paracelsus, the famous Renaissance physician, that "the dose makes the poison" points to being careful with something that may be the solution but can also quickly become the problem. Having certain ideas as the goal for each training session instead of specific exercises allows these ideas to be shaped according to what is intended.

Creating simple limitations in training frees the player from understanding the exercise and focuses them on understanding the game idea.

"Memory is the process by which knowledge is encoded, stored, and later retrieved" (Eric Kandel)

Eric Kandel, Nobel Prize winner in Medicine in 2000, was one of the driving forces behind the knowledge we have today about memory. His book and documentary, "In Search of Memory," summarize the main ideas of his work.

In a general sense, the neuroscientist, a follower of Freud's principles, points out two types of memory: short-term and long-term.

Short-term memory includes examples like memorizing a mobile phone number, which may or may not need to become a long-term memory depending on the necessity. In football, we can think of the need for a player to execute a specific action, such as blocking during a corner, which might be occasional and not a pattern for every match. However, what is most important is to cultivate long-term memories to support the overall game idea.

Short-term memory is explicit and lacks significant conscious use. On the other hand, long-term memory is implicit and more associated with habits and skills.

HOW TO TRANSFORM SHORT-TERM MEMORIES INTO LONG-TERM?

This question comes from Eric Kandel himself, who states that he has always developed knowledge based on his inquiries. The answer to his question holds much value for training, especially in the case of football understood as a collective sport.

"We have discovered that when we produce short-term memory, there are no anatomical changes in synapses. All changes are biochemical and occur within the cell. But when we repeatedly stimulate training, we produce long-term memory, as there is growth of new synaptic connections" (Eric Kandel)

The training of coaches is becoming more comprehensive and rigorous, with their intelligence focused on the most important aspect, which is the game. However, available information on complementary knowledge still tends to observe the player from a structural point of view, mainly focusing on anatomy and physiology. The evolution of neuroscience has not been fully translated into sports. Having a general understanding of how human learning or memory occurs, for example, can optimize the training process, which in itself is highly valuable for mastering the game.

"The hippocampus is a deep brain structure vital for storing complex information about people, places, and objects. The signal enters the hippocampus from the brain region responsible for perception. Emotions activate the brain's modulatory system, through dopamine or serotonin, and that releases a neurotransmitter that strengthens the synaptic connection. This allows an increase in the number of terminals. This makes the impression more firmly present in the mind. When I think about this impression, the next day, the following week, the next month, or the next year, I see that it is permanently imprinted in my brain. Because it was emotionally significant to me, I have stored it permanently in my brain. I have changed the genetic expression of nerve cells, which led to the creation of new synaptic connections, and these, under appropriate circumstances, can persist throughout their existence" (Eric Kandel)

The crucial point to remember in football is that activity or training can change the way a memory will be stored and the meaning it will subsequently have, as well as how it will be retrieved. If there is no repetition or sufficient significance given for fixation, the memory may not be stored in long-term memory. Hence the need to be surgical and very objective in the ideas that want to be implemented, especially those that should connect the whole team, as they also depend on how different players assimilate certain experiences.

Driving is the example cited by Kandel to explain the transition from short-term memory to long-term memory. At first, everything seems conscious, but over time and with repetition, everything becomes a habit.

In football, there is even more care needed in these same repetition contexts because, in driving a car, there is a more or less indefinite time to acquire control of the function. In professional football, time tends to be scarce.

"Implicit memory guides us in well-established routines that are not consciously controlled, such as performing acrobatics, playing the trumpet, playing tennis, or riding a bike" (Eric Kandel)

Implicit long-term memory is essential for football, and its manifestation depends on how it is learned.

A particular way of being and living day by day will create a propensity for certain memories to be "chosen" over others. Experiences that are non-limiting and do not create obligatory paths lead to the expression of creativity and the unexpected. This way, players can have a testimony like "I don't remember ever scoring a goal like that."

Selective and based on the meaning given to memories, they become long-term memories. Thus, the stimuli that allow the memory to be stored will also be key to its retrieval. On match day, keywords and habitual routines are crucial factors. Care and precision are necessary when signaling expressions objectively and not making descriptions or analyses, as this requires thinking rather than triggering a response. A simple "Remember!" can be enough for a coach to give comfort and confidence to a specific player during the game.

On the other hand, when we consciously request memory, we usually think of people in a specific spatial context. This is the easiest way for a coach to convey an idea, and that's why long-term memory is often associated with a player's talent. The usual talks are like a mental walk for players, where they can imagine the scenarios that await them.

Preparing for a match requires framing what comes before and after it. A typical week, in terms of memory appeal, presents itself as a combination of what is already known and what may be new, that is, the creation of new memories. Formulating new memories consumes more energy and results in subsequent fatigue, so the main learning moments should be placed "far" from matches. Both after the match and on the eve of it, training sessions should consist of situations already known to the players, without the need for creating new synapses or assimilating new information and stimuli on those days.

To become persistent, a memory needs time for assimilation. Studies indicate that in the case of mice, a simple and novel task will require more than twelve hours to be assimilated.

"In football, there are no absolute truths, even though in recent years, we all want to study the game to be able to control everything. We continue to borrow ideas from each other to develop our own. Ideally, we should find a balance between current trends and what was done before." (Mauricio Pochettino)

The sensitivity that more experienced coaches display is closely related to the nature of the game and the players. When designing a training session or making a successful substitution during a match, the accumulation of experiences and knowledge of what may happen can be much more important than simply having a brilliant idea. For example, the interactions that certain teammates can offer on the field or the atmosphere created during a preparatory training session before a match. It may seem simple, but having the tact or "sniffing out" the right moment for this to happen makes that moment inextricably linked to the idea itself.

In the end, what remains stored and will be evoked is just an experience; it is the result of what was idealized and successfully made to happen. The coach can also make the player intelligent because intelligence does not arise spontaneously.

"I feel responsible for the training and direction towards a plan for the week that maximizes the team's potential. Together with Jürgen and Pete, we have decided where we want to go in our sessions, and I will ensure that it is being achieved. Everything we do in training is related to our ideas. Each exercise is specific to what we want to build." (Pep Lijnders)

The main ideas are collective and need to be explicit so that they reach everyone clearly and endure over time without much effort. They will be the guiding thread. If there is also the possibility and ability to individually improve and develop certain players or add more complex relationships with more specific information, even better. "Necessity sharpens ingenuity." This is the basic idea on which all others can navigate. And in this way, the signals that become evident will allow us to perceive which way the needles should be adjusted.

"I prioritize what is most important to train and let our ideas evolve, the fundamental principles but in a less complex way. Then I create and contextualize specific exercises where we want our players to learn, acquire, and develop. I focus on what we can control, on the practical foundations of our game." (Pep Lijnders)

Around the quantity and the need to show a lot, society has created significant pressure, sometimes causing an excess that leads to information overload. However, sometimes, less is more, and we are certain that a little that is memorized can be much more than everything that is attempted but not achieved.

"I am not trying to be a brilliant coach or provide too much information; I simply aim to repeat 'our path' in every minute of training." (Pep Lijnders)

Reference: The Tactical Room (Club Perarnau)