ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the influence of culture on some major pedagogical approaches to coaching and teaching team games developed and implemented across different Western countries and then examine the challenges involved for teachers and coaches implementing Game Sense in Asian countries, with a focus on Japan. Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU) was Bunker and Thorpe’s response to concern with how physical education and sport coaching programs in the United Kingdom (UK) were producing skilful graduates who were not necessarily good players. The smaller and more comfortable environment of ‘team talks’ during small-sided games is far more conducive to verbal interaction and to answering coach/teacher questions. Coaching that adopts an inquiry-based approach is a feature of Game Sense with collective interaction for problem-solving in team talks or small groups down to pairs when focusing more on skill.
