Ecological Construct and Football
El fútbol como sistema dinámico
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Duration:
1 month
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Start Date:
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Dedication:
6–8 hours per week
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Program Type:
Specialized course (executive education)
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Modality:
Online, asynchronous
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Language of Instruction:
Spanish/English
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Difficulty Level:
Intermediate
This training program focuses on understanding the construct of ecological psychology and exploring how football can be studied from this perspective. In the case of football, this framework views the sport as a dynamic system, analyzed through a paradigm that differs from more mechanistic conceptions of sport. Beyond this distinction, the theoretical possibilities offered by ecological theory are highly complex, requiring a deep and structured study.
This course represents the result of a twofold effort: on one hand, to reflect, select, and synthesize the key elements necessary to explain the ecological construct; and on the other, to apply a significant degree of abstraction and creativity to adapt basic scientific principles to the study of football.
The program is structured into two modules: one with a theoretical orientation and the other with a more practical focus, specifically applied to football.
In the first module, the first conceptual axis introduces the ecological perspective on organism–environment interactions. The second axis frames football as a systemic environment, presenting and developing the Components–Environment–Structures (CES) model, which is then applied to the analysis of the game.
The second module offers a practical approximation (within the limitations of a theoretical course) of how to approach training from an ecological perspective. The third conceptual axis provides a general overview from the perspective of sport, synthesizing and contrasting traditional approaches with the ecological perspective. The fourth axis focuses on applications within different football contexts, including strength training, injury prevention, and tactical performance development.
1. From the General Concept of the Ecological Framework to the Systemic Nature of Football
2. The Systemic Nature of Football
3. Integration of Ecological Psychology in Performance Analysis: Bridging Theory and Practice
4. From Theory to Practice: Application of Ecological Principles in Football
What includes this program?
Access to the Innovity® Method: Science, Methodology, and Application
Expert Mentorship: testimonials, best practices, and insights from experts—directly from the field
Access to materials anytime, anywhere, and from any device
24/7 Support, synchronous or asynchronous, according to your preference, provided by the Innovity professional team
Case Method: effective use of learned tools and concepts
Self-Assessments to measure learning progress
Comprehensive final exam
Certificate of completion or attendance, as applicable
Pricing
€ 220
Our Experts
Maurici Abraham López-Felip
Ph.D. in Ecological Psychology (University of Connecticut, 2019), M.S. in Exercise Science (Southern Illinois University, 2014), and B.S. in Physical Activity and Sport Sciences (University of Barcelona, 2009), Maurici Abraham López-Felip is a researcher, practitioner, and entrepreneur at the intersection of sports science, cognition, and artificial intelligence. He is currently the CEO and Co-founder of Kognia Sports Intelligence (since 2019), a Barcelona-based company pioneering AI-driven tactical analysis in football.Before founding Kognia, he served as Head of Research in the Team Sports Department at Futbol Club Barcelona (2016–2019), where he contributed to the integration of scientific methodology into training and performance analysis, particularly within the Barça Innovation Hub. In parallel, he developed a strong academic profile through teaching roles at the University of Connecticut and Southern Illinois University and as a researcher in ecological dynamics and team coordination.His work explores the application of complex systems theory, ecological psychology, and nonlinear dynamics to collective behavior in sport. His research has been published in journals such as Human Movement Science, Frontiers in Psychology, and Studies in Perception and ActionHe has been an invited speaker at top international forums including the MIT Future of Sports Analytics Conference, International Conference on Biomechanics in Sport, and the World Congress on Science & Soccer, where he has presented on themes such as coordination dynamics, physical cognition, and data-driven innovation in team sports. Recognized with several awards, including the IBACS Seed Grant and the Joan Riera i Gubau Foundation Scholarship, his work bridges theoretical research with practical impact in elite sports performance and technology.”
James Dixon
Professor of Psychological Sciences at the University of Connecticut (UConn) and Director of the Center for the Ecological Study of Perception and Action. Dr. Dixon earned his Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and holds a B.A. in Psychology from the State University of New York at Albany. Since 1999, he has held academic positions at Trinity University, the College of William & Mary, and UConn, where he has served as Associate Professor (2005–2014), Professor (since 2014), and held leadership roles as Head of the Developmental and Perception-Action-Cognition areas within the Department of Psychological Sciences. He has directed the Center for the Ecological Study of Perception and Action since 2014.Dr. Dixon’s research explores ecological and thermodynamic foundations of cognition, perception, and behavior, with a particular focus on self-organization, embodied dynamics, and coordination in complex systems. His interdisciplinary approach combines developmental psychology, physics, and systems theory. His contributions have advanced the understanding of cognitive and behavioral processes through the lens of ecological psychology and thermodynamics, offering new paradigms for investigating perception-action systems and biological coordination.