Rugby Coach Weekly: Recent Episodes
Dan Cottrell
Dan Cottrell and guests discuss all the hot topics in grass roots rugby coaching from managing concussion to dealing with parents.
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In this episode of the Rugby Coach Weekly podcast, Dan Cottrell speaks to Martin McTaggart, RFU Playing Pathways Manager, about the EDGE framework, a way of helping coaches, selectors and pathway volunteers think more clearly about potential in young players.
Martin explains why current performance can be a poor guide to future potential, especially when players arrive with very different rugby backgrounds, sporting experiences and levels of opportunity. A player who has had ten years of coaching is not the same as a player who has only been in the game for a year, so why should we assess them as if they are starting from the same place?
The conversation explores the four parts of EDGE: Explore, Decision-making, Growth and Effort. These can help coaches look beyond the obvious. Rather than simply asking who is the strongest, fastest or most polished on the day, Martin challenges us to think about what players might become with the right support.
Dan and Martin also dig into the problems with one-off trials, the dangers of bias, the limits of “coachability”, and why better assessment needs “many eyes, many times, many environments”.
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In this episode, Dan Cottrell speaks to Mark Williams, head coach of North Division U18s, lead rugby coach at Birkenhead School, a forward's coach with Lymm in National Two, and Liverpool John Moores University director of rugby,
The conversation starts with the value of coaching relationships, especially the importance of having trusted people around you who will challenge lazy planning, sharpen your thinking, and keep you honest. Mark reflects on working with Sarah Jones, a highly respected Level 3 coach, and how her calm, detailed approach has influenced the way he prepares and delivers sessions.
The discussion then moves deep into the scrum, from the difference between loosehead and tighthead roles to how coaches can introduce scrummaging safely with younger players. Mark explains why safety, body position, foot placement, and stability matter before anything more tactical is added.
The second half explores Mark’s key coaching qualities: honesty, respect, detail, clarity, and organisation. He explains how honest feedback changes depending on the environment, from Year 7 rugby to National Two selection conversations, and why players need to trust that feedback is given to help them improve.
You can find more of Mark's insights on his TikTok page: @MWRugbyCoaching.
And his Instagram page: @mwrugbycoaching
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Pads, tackle shields and crash mats can be some of the most useful kit in a rugby session, but only when coaches know exactly why they are using them.
In this 50:22 episode, Dan Cottrell and Stu James discuss the role of contact equipment in training. They explore how pads can reduce impact, build confidence, develop body shape and allow players to enjoy physicality, while also warning against the false habits they can create if players hit them in ways they would never use in a game.
The key message is simple: Equipment is a tool, not a solution. Coaches need to know when pads help learning, when they simply create activity, and when it is time to take them away.
For any coach working on tackle, ruck or contact confidence, this episode offers a practical reminder: It does not have to be perfect, but it does have to be intentional.
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One in five players may be neurodivergent, and rugby is often a sport that attracts players who think, learn and experience the world differently. The good news? The coaching adjustments that help neurodivergent players often make coaching better for everyone.
In this episode, Dan Cottrell and Stuart James explore practical ways coaches can create more inclusive environments without overcomplicating their sessions. The discussion covers the importance of language, understanding individual needs, and recognising that most neurodivergent players simply want to be treated like everyone else while having the right support available when needed.
A key theme is clarity. Clear instructions, predictable structures, and simple explanations reduce uncertainty and help all players engage more effectively. The pair also discuss the importance of managing transitions between activities, often the most challenging moments in a session, and how giving players clear roles and responsibilities can maintain focus and engagement.
The episode highlights an important principle: design your coaching with inclusion in mind, and everybody benefits. Just as accessible design improves everyday life for everyone, inclusive coaching creates better learning environments for all players, not just those who are neurodivergent.
Finally, Dan and Stu reflect on the need to coach the group in front of you rather than the session plan in your pocket. Understanding your players, managing group energy, and being prepared to adapt remain at the heart of effective coaching.
Key takeaway: Better coaching for neurodivergent players is usually just better coaching. Be clear, be consistent, be intentional, and focus on creating an environment where every player can thrive.
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Fault correction sits at the heart of coaching, but done poorly it kills flow, confidence and learning. In this episode, Dan Cottrell and Stu James break down how to intervene with purpose, so players improve without feeling overwhelmed or criticised.
They explore how coaches often chase a “perfect” technical model that doesn’t match the player in front of them, and why understanding stage of development is critical before stepping in. From knowing when to leave players to self-organise, to using “hot feedback” at the right moment, this conversation is about timing, judgement and intent.
You will hear practical ways to correct faults without defaulting to constant instruction. That includes using demonstration, questioning, peer learning and even handing responsibility to assistant coaches or parents. There is also a powerful idea around asking permission to be critical, helping players receive feedback in a more constructive way.
This episode challenges the idea that fault correction is simply telling players what to do. Instead, it reframes it as helping players feel, understand and own the solution.
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What if the biggest thing holding your players back is not skill but belief?
In this episode, Dan Cottrell, head coach at Rugby Coach Weekly and Stuart James, coach developer at Guildford RFC, unpack one of the most overlooked areas in coaching. While most sessions are built around skills and rules, belief is often left untouched, yet it may be the very thing that unlocks performance.
They explore why belief is not just mindset or empty praise, but a player’s identity, built around three powerful statements. I can do this. I belong here. I make a difference. When these are in place, everything else changes.
The conversation dives into how coaches can actively build belief through session design, challenge, and, most importantly, noticing players. From small, intentional moments before a game to reinforcing effort over outcome, this episode shows how belief is grown over time, not delivered in a single speech.
💡 Key insight: The players who struggle most often do not lack ability, they lack belief. And that is something you can coach.
If you want players who take ownership, step forward, and perform under pressure, this episode gives you practical ways to start.
👉 Because great coaching is not just about what players do, it is about what they believe they can do.
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What really wins rugby matches — instinct or insight?
In this episode, Dan Cottrell sits down with rugby analyst, journalist, and coach Sam Larner to unpack the growing influence of data in the modern game — and what it actually means for coaches on the pitch.
From Six Nations trends to grassroots realities, Sam brings clarity to the numbers behind performance. Together, they explore why territory often matters more than possession, how 22 entries shape outcomes, and why some of rugby’s most quoted stats might be misleading.
The conversation goes beyond the spreadsheets. Sam challenges the idea that the game can be “solved” by data alone, arguing for a balance between analysis and feel — and offering practical ways coaches can use simple metrics to improve decision-making without overcomplicating their sessions.
You’ll also hear:
- Why kicking is often the right decision — even when it frustrates fans
- The truth about penalties and discipline
- How to use data effectively at grassroots level
- Which stats actually matter — and which ones to ignore
Click here to buy the book.
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In this episode of the Rugby Coach Weekly podcast, Dan Cottrell speaks to coach and former professional player Sam Mace about the journey from playing to coaching and the lessons that shaped his philosophy.
Sam played professionally in Major League Rugby with the Toronto Arrows, before concussion injuries forced him to retire early. That experience changed the direction of his career and sparked a passion for coaching that is now reaching thousands of players and coaches online through his SMPerformance platform.
In this conversation, Sam explains what truly energises him about coaching. For him, the biggest influence was the feeling of being supported by great coaches and the opposite experience of feeling small or unwanted. That contrast shaped his commitment to creating environments where players feel belief, ownership and agency over their own development.
Dan and Sam explore how honest conversations build trust, why players improve more when they understand why they are not selected, and how coaches can balance challenge with care.
They also dive into coaching contact skills, discussing the technical side of tackling, the importance of control rather than aggression, and why the best defenders focus on precision and positioning rather than simply hitting harder.
Along the way, Sam reflects on social media coaching, the limits of short-form content, and why great coaching is always about the human connection behind the technique.
Key themes
- Building belief and agency in players
- Honest feedback and player ownership
- Coaching confidence after mistakes
- Teaching tackling through precision and technique
- The difference between social media coaching and real coaching
If you want to connect with Sam, you can find his coaching content at SMPerformance on Instagram.
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What does sustainable performance actually look like in elite sport and leadership?
In this episode of the Rugby Coach Weekly podcast, Dan speaks with Lúcás Ó’Ceallacháin, a high-performance coach and leadership specialist who has worked across rugby, wrestling, artistic swimming, ballet and Olympic systems worldwide.
Lúcás helps leaders build performance “one brick at a time” through social learning, psychological safety and deliberate coaching design.
From coaching in Russia and Kazakhstan to supporting Olympic programmes and even ballet companies, he shares powerful lessons about:
• Why psychological safety is misunderstood
• The balance between accountability and freedom
• How culture shapes coaching effectiveness
• Why framing matters more than motivation
• How small check-in rituals can transform team dynamics
This conversation goes beyond theory. It explores what it really means to be the adult in the room — to create clarity, set standards and invite contribution without losing performance edge.
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What does it really mean to be the adult in the room?
In this powerful and honest conversation, I sit down with Tara Lynn, transformational coach and trusted adviser to high performers who have reached the edge of what got them here. We explore how leaders and coaches can regulate themselves under pressure, avoid slipping into “parent” or “child” reactions, and communicate with clarity instead of ego.
Tara shares her A.D.U.L.T framework, breaks down the difference between training and coaching, and explains why language, timing and self-awareness determine whether challenge feels like growth or threat.
We also unpack:
- How to stay calm when others are not
- Why attachment to outcomes undermines leadership
- The fine line between coaching and rescuing
- How men can communicate with women without patronising
- When to engage… and when to walk away
To find out more about Tara and get in contact with her:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/taralynncoaching/
www.taralynncoaching.com
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In this episode, Dan Cottrell is joined once again by skill acquisition specialist Job Fransen, Associate Professor at Charles Sturt University and Managing Director of SkillACQ.
Together they explore what really matters in coaching practice design, feedback, and player development.
Job shares why elite coaches rarely need “disrupting,” why most coaches intervene too quickly, and why sometimes the best coaching decision is to step back and let players solve the problem.
They dig into:
- Coaching through mistakes rather than stopping at phase three
- When feedback helps learning… and when it creates dependency
- Why prescriptive feedback should be used sparingly
- How confidence and competence are not the same thing
- The controversial place for drills in developing short-term performance
- Why skill acquisition science cannot prescribe one “best” method
🔑 Key Takeaways
- Players often detect and correct errors themselves. Coaches may be over-intervening.
- Feedback is powerful. Use it deliberately, not habitually.
- Prescriptive feedback can create dependency if overused.
- Letting play continue through errors can enhance collective learning.
- Not all improvement is conscious. Players do not need to verbalise change to learn.
- Drills can build short-term confidence, but they do not equal long-term learning.
- The best coaches are obsessive about craft, but open to nudges, not disruption.
- There is no universal “best practice.” Context and coach intuition matter.
Find out more here:
www.skillacq.com
www.skillacq.com/pathways/build
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What actually happens on a Saturday night when the final whistle blows and rugby stories still need to be told?
In this episode of the Rugby Coach Weekly podcast, Dan is joined by Ben Jaycock, assistant editor at The Rugby Paper, to explore how parts of a national rugby newspaper are produced under extreme time pressure.
While much of The Rugby Paper is planned days in advance, Ben explains how key match reports, ratings, and analysis are written live as games unfold and filed within minutes of full time, ready for a Sunday morning readership that already knows the score.
The conversation lifts the lid on writing for readers who have watched the game, not those discovering the result, why creativity matters more than formula, and how editors balance honesty, criticism, and respect for players, coaches, and referees.
They also discuss the importance of grassroots coverage, why The Rugby Paper resists clickbait, and what excites Ben about the modern game despite its financial challenges.
A thoughtful insight into rugby journalism, storytelling, and why good reporting still matters to the health of the sport.
Reach Ben on X
Subscribe to The Rugby Paper
Get weekly rugby union coverage from internationals to grassroots at
therugbypaper.co.uk/subscriptions
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In this episode of the Rugby Coach Weekly podcast, Dan Cottrell sits down with Steve Grainger, Executive Director of Rugby Development at England Rugby, for an open and thoughtful conversation about the state of the community game.
They explore how rugby is changing at grassroots level, from schools and clubs to coach education, workforce models, and the rise of T1 Rugby. Steve shares what has stayed stubbornly the same over decades, what has genuinely evolved since 2011, and where the biggest tensions now sit between tradition, participation, and sustainability.
This is a wide-ranging discussion about systems, people, and trade-offs, grounded in the realities of Sunday mornings, volunteer coaches, and the long-term health of the game. Essential listening for anyone involved in coaching, club leadership, or rugby development.
Five key takeaways
- Participation and sustainability matter as much as performance pathways in shaping the future of rugby.
- Community rugby thrives on resilience, not reliance, with clubs supported to solve problems locally.
- T1 Rugby is designed to reflect the core logic and values of rugby union, not just offer a non-contact alternative.
- Coach development is moving toward mentoring, peer learning, and flexible digital access rather than courses alone.
- The best future experience for young players will prioritise enjoyment, belonging, and learning over rigid tradition.
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What does it really take to align dozens of volunteer coaches, hundreds of players, and a whole club around one clear development pathway?
In this episode of the Rugby Coach Weekly podcast, Dan Cottrell is joined by Charlie Farrell, Age Grade Rugby Director at Banbridge RFC, to unpack the thinking behind the club’s new Coaches Playbook. Designed to guide player development from first contact to First XV, the Playbook goes far beyond drills and session plans.
Charlie explains why Banbridge needed a shared framework, how the five pillars (Technical, Tactical, Mental, Lifestyle, Physical) were shaped by lived coaching experience, and the very real challenges of rolling out change in a large, multi-sport community club. The conversation explores volunteer buy-in, consistency versus creativity, session planning, player behaviour, and what “success” actually looks like in age-grade rugby.
Key takeaways
- A shared Coaches Playbook improves consistency and clarity in rugby coaching across all age groups.
- Effective player development combines technical skills with mental, physical, and lifestyle habits.
- Volunteer coaches need support, mentoring, and simple frameworks rather than rigid rules.
- Organised, game-based training sessions create better experiences for players and parents.
- Long-term development and retention are more important than short-term wins in youth rugby.
Topics covered
Rugby coaching frameworks
Player development pathways
Grassroots rugby coaching
Supporting volunteer coaches
Coach education and mentoring
Age-grade rugby systems
Building club culture through coaching
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In this episode of the Rugby Coach Weekly podcast, Dan Cottrell is joined by performance coach Nash Cohen to explore what it really means to coach with conviction.
From defining winning beyond the scoreboard to building trust under pressure, the conversation digs into principles, skill detail, and creating environments where players think, adapt, and grow.
Nash is the Head of Player & Performance Development Jamaica UK and Programme Director Elite Rugby Academy.
You can find out more about the work he does at:
eliterugbyacademy.co.uk
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What does real toughness look like in rugby?
In this episode of the Rugby Coach Weekly podcast, Dan Cottrell is joined by Jack Heald, Director of Rugby at Barnes RFC and rugby professional at Felsted School, to unpack what toughness truly means in modern coaching environments.
Drawing on over 15 years of experience across school, club, and national league rugby, Jack challenges the idea that toughness is about bravado or confrontation. Instead, he reframes it as consistency, resilience, and the ability to turn up and perform week after week, often while balancing full-time work, study, and life pressures.
The conversation explores how tough, competitive training environments are created without tipping into chaos, how feedback should be handled to build confidence rather than erode it, and why core skill development is still the most overlooked driver of long-term player success.
Key takeaways for coaches
- Toughness is about consistency and resilience, not bravado or aggression.
- Competitive training environments must be intense but controlled.
- Players need psychological safety to make mistakes and keep learning.
- Feedback works best when it is individual, contextual, and proportionate.
- Core skills like catch, pass, and running straight underpin everything else.
- Long-term development matters more than short-term physical dominance.
- The most coachable players often outperform early physical standouts over time.
Instagram: @jhealdcoaching
LinkedIn: Jack Heald
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What do you stabilise first when you inherit a team at the bottom of the table?
In this episode of the Rugby Coach Weekly podcast, Dan Cottrell speaks with Ross Bundy, Head Coach of Leicester Tigers Women, about leading a rebuild in a high-pressure, semi-professional environment.
Ross shares an unfiltered account of what really matters when results are hard to come by. Rather than chasing quick fixes, he explains why values, defensive standards, contact dominance, discipline, and law understanding became the foundation for long-term progress. The conversation explores how to be brutally honest while keeping belief high, how to simplify systems without lowering standards, and how to measure improvement when the scoreboard does not reflect the full picture.
This is a grounded, practical discussion for coaches who are building from a low starting point and need clarity, patience, and conviction.
PS, Ross is one of the youngest pro-coaches in the game right now - only 26!
Key takeaways for coaches
- Stabilise culture before tactics: Values on and off the pitch must be clear, protected, and visible, especially when results are poor.
- Honesty builds trust: Players respond better to clear, direct feedback than vague reassurance, as long as progress is recognised.
- Defence and contact set the floor: You cannot compete consistently without collision dominance, defensive connection, and discipline.
- Discipline is a technical skill: Many penalties come from passive contact and poor post-tackle behaviour, not ill intent.
- Law understanding creates advantage: Coaching the laws deliberately leads to smarter decisions and fewer “cheap” penalties.
- Simplify to accelerate learning: Fewer systems, executed well, beat complexity when time together is limited.
- Progress is more than the scoreline: Improvements in behaviours, effort, and standards often appear before results do.
- Small wins matter: Tackles made, penalties reduced, values shown, and cohesion built are all markers of momentum.
Catch up with Ross on LinkedIn
Or Instagram
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In this episode, Dan Cottrell is joined by Phil Kearney, Associate Professor at the University of Limerick and co-founder of an organisation focused on developing a positive community of practice in skill acquisition
Together, they challenge one of coaching’s most ingrained habits: starting session design with drills, outcomes, and end goals rather than with how players actually learn. Drawing on skill acquisition research, coach education, and applied examples from grassroots to performance sport, the conversation reframes what effective practice really looks like.
Key points covered:
- Why engaging sessions can still produce very little learning.
- How coaches often mistake activity, enjoyment, and busyness for improvement.
- What skill acquisition actually tells us about how players learn and retain skills.
- Why starting with outcomes can distort session design and decision making.
- Practical principles coaches can use to design practices that transfer to the game.
The best ways to engage with Phil are:
University of Limerick (professional email):
mailto: philip.kearney@ul.ie
LinkedIn:
Active in sharing work on skill acquisition, coaching practice, and applied research. Suitable for professional introductions, collaboration requests, and podcast or event invitations.
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In this Rugby Coach Weekly podcast, Dan Cottrell sits down with Darren Rea, John Peel, and Gareth Lewis to explore how inclusive SEND rugby has grown from a few Sunday sessions into a powerful community movement known as KatieFest.
Together, they share how simple, values-led coaching has created safe, joyful, and challenging rugby environments for players with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, while also bringing parents, carers, coaches, and clubs closer together. The conversation goes beyond drills and sessions to unpack confidence, belonging, routine, and why rugby is uniquely placed to adapt without losing its essence.
From mash-ups with mainstream teams to national recognition and the ripple effect spreading across clubs and counties, this is a story about coaching with empathy, ambition, and belief. It is not about doing something “special,” but about making inclusion normal, visible, and lasting, and showing how rugby can genuinely be a sport for all.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1477604696958236/
https://checkout.justgiving.com/c/3830429
https://www.ukcoaching.org/news/uk-coaching-awards-winner-darren-rea-captures-hearts-with-‘katie-peel-haka’/
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In this Rugby Coach Weekly episode, Dan sits down with Emily Pratt, Strength and Conditioning Coach for the England Women’s U20s, to unpack the brand new U16 Foundational Athletic Development and U18 Athletic Development programmes reshaping the female pathway.
Emily explains how England Rugby is shifting the landscape for young female athletes. She and Dan explore:
- How potential is identified beyond “ready-made” athletes
- Why movement competency, aerobic fitness and training age matter more than lifting heavy
- The balance between school sport, club rugby, other commitments and recovery
- How to help girls build confidence around body image and training
- Why injury rehab should be seen as an opportunity rather than a setback
- How coaches can approach conversations around the menstrual cycle
- Why the entire development programme has been made freely available to all players, not just those in the pathway
Emily also emphasises that strength training is never about changing how girls look, but about helping them become fitter, faster, more resilient rugby players.
If you coach girls rugby — at club, school, college or county — this episode is packed with practical guidance, player-centred insights and a clear breakdown of what “good” athletic development looks like.
You can find the full programme, including videos and week-by-week sessions, on the England Rugby website:
This link is to the U16 Foundational athletic development section of the website
https://www.englandrugby.com/play/parents-guardians/player-pathway/foundation-phase-girls-pathway#foundational-athletic-development-
The next link is specific to the U18 Athletic Development at PDG.
https://www.englandrugby.com/play/parents-guardians/player-pathway/development-phase-girls-pathway#foundational-athletic-development-
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In this episode, Dan sits down with India Perris-Redding, one of the driving forces behind women and girls’ rugby in the North of England. Over nearly seven years with Sale Sharks Foundation, India has shaped a transformational pathway for girls’ rugby, from primary school beginners to academy-level athletes.
India shares the story behind Girls Tackle Rugby, the groundbreaking programme she built from scratch to bridge the gap between grassroots participation and the elite pathway. She talks candidly about overcoming school barriers, inspiring confidence in young players, designing game-based sessions that work, and the powerful role of female role models in helping girls see what’s possible.
We explore the challenges of introducing contact safely, the surprising findings from 18 months of research with Manchester Metropolitan University, and how simple, authentic human connection can unlock a girl’s belief that she can do this.
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In this Rugby Coach Weekly episode, Dan Cottrell sits down with Benny Williams, one of the leading voices shaping the girls’ and women’s game in England. As the Girls’ PDG Coach Lead for England Rugby, Benny oversees the national U18s curriculum, supports coach development, and helps identify the next generation of Red Roses.
Benny takes us inside the newly designed U16 and U18 curriculums, explaining how the RFU built a consistent, adaptable, and player-centred framework across the nine development centres. She unpacks key principles like playing to best space, ball and body always moving, and back in the game, and shares how coaches can help players develop adaptable, high-skill profiles that prepare them for future environments, from PWR to BUCS and beyond.
We explore:
• Why the RFU restructured the pathway and built a fresh curriculum
• What “highly skilled and adaptable” really means in practice
• How to use walking-through, scenario design, and manipulation to teach game understanding
• The role of IDPs and the GROW model in creating truly personalised development
• How clubs can use this framework to help more girls stay in the game and thrive
Find out more about the programmes here:
Foundational Athletic Development
Rugby Skills Development
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Head coach Dan Cottrell is joined by Russell McClusky and Phil Greenaway for a lively, practical chat drawn from years across schools, clubs, and university rugby.
As hosts of the Little and Large Podcast, they bring a wealth of experience from their times as directors of sport and heads of games.
They tackle how to handle one-sided school fixtures without punishing your best players, why the referee’s feel for the game matters, and smart ways to bring parents with you.
The trio dig into development versus performance mindsets, what to do when outside “experts” chime in, and how simplifying set piece detail can create immediate gains.
Real examples include yellow card simulations, pre-game parent emails with three clear focuses, and a lineout fix that worked the very next match. If you coach minis to seniors, you will leave with ideas you can use on Saturday.
- What to try first: Simple constraints and clear goals for uneven games
- Where to invest: Off-ball organisation for quick wins
- How to align: Pre-match parent comms with three weekly focuses
- When it sticks: Simplify set-piece for speed over shape
You can contact them on the following emails:
Russell russ@rpmsports.co.uk
Phil phil@pgreenawayltd.com
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How much talking is too much? In this episode, Dan Cottrell and Stuart James explore how coaches can make every word count. From the power of the short, purposeful chat to the art of explaining the how, what, and why in under a minute, they share practical ways to sharpen communication and boost player engagement.
Discover why the best sessions often start with fewer words, clearer intent, and more playing time — and how taking the “temperature” of your group can help you adapt what you say (and when you say it).
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In this episode of The 50:22 Podcast, Dan Cottrell and Stu James explore why focusing on perfect technique can hold players back.
Instead of trying to tick off isolated skills, they discuss how layering, context, and repetition help players understand what to do and when to do it.
The aim is to move from drills to decisions, from repetition to recognition.
Learn how to guide players toward real game sense and long-term progress in every session.
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In this episode of the 50:22 Podcast, Dan Cottrell and Stuart James explore how to use stress as a coaching tool, not through shouting but through smart, purposeful challenge. Discover how the right kind of pressure helps players build resilience, sharpen decision-making, and raise their own standards. Learn simple ways to add competition, intensity, and mindset training into your sessions without losing calm, connection, or control.
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Ben Herring returns to the Rugby Coach Weekly Podcast to dive deeper into what he’s learned from speaking to some of the world’s top coaches. Drawing on his global coaching journey and his Coaching Culture podcast, Ben shares why grassroots rugby should focus on high care rather than high performance, why the 80% basics matter more than the 1% details, and how resilience and leadership can be actively coached.
This episode blends big lessons from names like Joe Schmidt, Steve Hansen and Mike Cron with practical takeaways you can use at club and school level.
✅ Key takeaways
- High care over high performance: Build environments that reflect what you, as a coach, truly care about.
- Focus on the 80%: Grassroots players need core skills done well, not the 1% “gold taps” of elite rugby.
- Delivery is everything: The best coaches make even the simplest drills engaging through presence, tone and standards.
- Coach resilience deliberately: Use structures, reviews and simple tools (like huddle blueprints) to build grit.
- Pressure as privilege: High-performance coaches often find joy in pressure – grassroots coaches can too, by reframing challenges as opportunities.
Listen to Ben's podcast here, and discover his books as well.
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In this episode of the Rugby Coach Weekly Podcast, Dan Cottrell speaks with Neil Davies – Yorkshire Chair of Coach Development, Director of Rugby at Doncaster Demons, and Lead for the South Yorkshire Girls PDG.
Neil shares their unique approach to talent identification, explaining how Yorkshire’s "Roses" model builds on the STAR framework to assess skills, resilience, and receptiveness in young players. He discusses self-nomination, taster days, individual development plans, and the balance between rugby basics and movement skills.
Some key takeaways:
- Talent ID works best when it’s holistic, not a box-ticking exercise
- Self-nomination builds ownership and confidence in young players
- Taster days reduce nerves and showcase potential in real game settings
- Catch-pass, tackle, and movement remain the non-negotiable foundations
- Player journals and feedback in action drive real long-term growth
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In this episode of the Rugby Coach Weekly podcast, Dan Cottrell sits down with Owain Roberts, Coach Education and Development Manager at the NSW Waratahs and a Level 4 coach. Originally from Swansea, Owain’s journey has taken him from Welsh-speaking schools and UK teaching to the heart of Australian rugby.
Together, they explore:
- How formative school and community experiences shaped his approach to coaching
- Why humility, values, and belonging are central to developing coaches and players
- The evolution of coach education and the shift from drills to purposeful activity design
- Insights from his Level 4 research on game-based learning and “play with purpose”
- The unique challenges and opportunities for rugby in Australia, competing with bigger sports while growing grassroots numbers
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In this episode, Dan sits down with Will James, Director of Sport at Ampleforth College, former Wales international, and ex-Gloucester star, to explore the realities of schools rugby.
They tackle big topics, from the health of the game in the North East and the impact of concussion awareness, to balancing school–club relationships, the role of streaming in player development, and the thorny issue of scholarships.
Will shares honest insights from his dual perspective as a former professional and an educator, offering a thoughtful look at how schools can deliver meaningful rugby experiences while keeping player welfare at the heart of it all.
Key takeaways:
- The school rugby landscape in the North East is thriving, with strong fixtures and competitive programs.
- Concussion awareness has improved, with better education for players, parents, and coaches.
- Open communication between schools and clubs is essential to manage player workload.
- Streaming players can benefit both safety and skill development if managed with care.
- Scholarships can boost performance but need to be balanced with fairness and player opportunity.
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In this episode of the 50:22 Podcast, Dan Cottrell and Stu James explore why great coaching starts with preparing yourself, not just your session plan.
Stu leads the discussion, drawing on his expertise in different workplace environments to inform his thinking on training day scenarios.
From setting the right mindset to creating simple reset tools when things go off track, learn how to arrive confident, stay adaptable, and lead with intention.
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What if your most impactful assistant coach is already on the sideline, holding a coffee and watching their child?
In this episode, Dan Cottrell and Stu James reframe how coaches can engage parents with purpose. From team emails to ‘parent wranglers’, discover how to create connection, reduce friction and build a shared culture that goes beyond the touchline.
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Small-sided games aren’t just chaos—they’re your sharpest coaching tool. In this episode, Dan Cottrell and Stu James explore how to make games more purposeful by designing clear objectives, coaching one behavior at a time, and helping players make better decisions under pressure. Clear rules. Smart design. Intentional outcomes.
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How You Start Changes Everything
In this 8-minute episode, Dan Cottrell and Stu James dive into the power of the first five minutes of a session. From early wins to playful warm-ups without a ball, discover how to boost energy, build connection and benchmark your plan. Quick, practical and purposeful: start better, coach smarter.
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In this powerful episode of the Rugby Coach Weekly podcast, Dan Cottrell sits down with Regan Sue, co-founder of Haka Rugby Global, to explore how Maori culture, adaptability, and people-first coaching have helped shape one of the world’s most culturally rich rugby initiatives.
Regan shares stories from over a decade of running 100+ camps across 50 countries, unpacking the deeper meaning behind the haka, the power of coaching with cultural intent, and the nuances of leadership, energy, and skill development.
From managing chaotic changing rooms to instilling “mana” in every tackle, Regan explains how his coaching journey has always been rooted in adaptability and authenticity. With themes like the Warrior on the Edge and feet-fight-finish, he outlines how traditional values merge with technical excellence on the pitch and how every session balances smiles with sweat.
Links:
Insta: Haka Rugby Global
Facebook: Haka Rugby Global
Insta: Coach Regs
Facebook: Coach Regs
Regan has shared some key concepts:
Patu
He is the co-founder of Haka Rugby Global with business partner Troy Nathan
• 100s camps, 50 countries, 30 Staff, 3000 players
• Utilise Māori culture and rugby as a tool to help create future world leaders
Maori culture as a way to grow players?
We know where we come from
• Turangawaewae: Where one stands, their place in the world: Belong
• Whakapapa (genealogy line of ancestors)
• Pepeha acknowledges: Mountain, River, Canoe, Tribes, Marae (meeting place), Family + Me
RESPECT
• He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tangata he tangata he tangata!
• What is the most important thing in the world? It is the people, the people, the people
• It’s better to walk into a room go to the back and be asked to go to the front, rather than walk into a room go to the front and be asked to go to the back.
When it’s your time to lead, your people will call you to the front
• Mana: Leader, Power, Strength, Service to the people… ”Prestige”
• In many cultures a person's status in society is determined by their financial wealth
• In Māori culture a person's status in the tribe is determined by their Mana
• You gain Mana by how you perform on the field
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In this episode, Dan Cottrell speaks with Leicester Tigers player and Peak Team Performance founder, Tiana Gordon, about the power of soft skills in coaching.
Drawing on her academic background in neuroscience, psychology, and mental health, Tiana shares practical tools to help coaches improve communication, build genuine connections, and regulate their emotions under pressure.
From managing difficult player conversations to creating inclusive environments that support the whole squad, not just the starting XV, this episode challenges coaches to go beyond the technical and rethink how they show up for their teams.
To find out more from Tiana, here are the key links:
Peak Team Performance:
Website: www.peaktp.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/peaktp/
Email: tiana@peaktp.com
Tiana Gordon:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tianagordon/
Email: tiana@peaktp.com
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In this episode, Dan Cottrell catches up with the globetrotting coach and former pro player Ben Herring. From being told he was too small for the 1st XV to wrestling with his dad for jackal strength, Ben shares a raw and inspiring journey through rugby, coaching, and personal growth.
Now Director of Rugby at Newington College and host of The Coaching Culture podcast, Ben reflects on how being underestimated shaped his coaching philosophy, why finding your niche is key to player success, and what it really means to develop team culture without losing individuality. The conversation travels from Japan to New Zealand to professional club rugby, touching on topics like over-coaching, player psychology, bench dynamics, and how stoic philosophy inspired a team-wide cultural shift.
A must-listen for any coach, educator, or rugby lover looking to lead with empathy and impact.
🔗 Highlights include:
- Being cut from school teams and how that built resilience
- Coaching culture lessons from Japan
- The role of repetition and language in learning
- Why sometimes it's OK to say, "Stuff the structure"
- Creating a unique team identity around stoicism
- How to balance team-first mentality with individual strengths
Here's a link to his show:
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/coaching-culture-with-ben-herring/id1788635110
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In this episode of the Rugby Coach Weekly podcast, host Dan Cottrell sits down with Dr. Michael Francis Pollin, a leading expert in coach development and coaching behaviours for player learning, development and performance. They dive into the fascinating world of creativity in rugby coaching, challenging traditional perceptions and exploring how creativity is not just a product but a process.
Michael shares insights from his research and experience working with elite football and rugby academies, discussing how coaches can create environments that foster cognitive awareness, adaptability, and decision-making. From exploring the balance between structure and freedom to understanding the importance of silence and observation, this episode will leave you reflecting on your own coaching practices.
Key takeaways:
- Creativity as a process: Understand why creativity in coaching is more of a cognitive process than just a final product or "wow moment."
- Balancing structure and freedom: Discover how to blend structure with autonomy to create an environment that encourages creative thinking.
- The power of silence: Learn why saying nothing can sometimes be the most powerful coaching tool.
- Observational skills: Improve your ability to notice subtle cues and patterns in player behavior and game situations.
- Questioning techniques: Explore how the right questions can guide players to think independently and creatively.
- Decision-making under pressure: Equip your players to make effective decisions in high-pressure situations by fostering problem-solving skills.
- Creative defense and attack: See how creativity applies not just to attacking play but also to defensive strategies.
- Coaching behaviors that inspire: Reflect on how your own coaching behaviors can either foster or stifle creativity.
- Future-proofing your coaching: Prepare players not just for the current game but for the evolving nature of rugby in the future.
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In this episode of the Rugby Coach Weekly Podcast, Dan Cottrell sits down with Charlie Harrison, former professional player for Bath, Bedford, Rotherham and player/coach at Doncaster, ex-Head of Rugby at Marlborough College, and now coach of the U14s at Marlborough.
They discuss the transition from coaching First XV to working with younger players, the importance of game-based learning, and how to develop players beyond just their physical attributes.
Charlie shares insights into structuring training sessions, managing player progression, and fostering a long-term love for the game.
Key Takeaways:
- Transitioning from First XV to U14s: Coaching younger players requires a shift from strategy-heavy sessions to focusing on skill development and game understanding.
- Game-Based Learning: Small-sided games and scenario-driven training help players develop decision-making skills in realistic situations.
- Balancing Structure and Creativity: Encouraging players to recognise space and opportunities rather than following rigid patterns leads to more effective, instinctive play.
- Managing Player Progression: Developing a long-term mindset ensures players grow beyond their physical attributes, helping both early and late bloomers succeed.
- The Role of Set-Piece Training: While vital at higher levels, younger age groups benefit more from prioritising open play, with set-piece elements introduced gradually.
- Keeping Rugby Sustainable in Schools: Making rugby fun, safe, and inclusive—alongside strong communication with parents—helps maintain engagement and participation.
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In this episode of the Rugby Coach Weekly Podcast, Dan Cottrell sits down with Ben John, better known as The Rugby Trainer, to explore his unique coaching philosophy and the rise of his hugely popular online brand. Ben shares how he transitioned from professional rugby to skill-specific coaching, the impact of his viral content, and the importance of developing core rugby skills through creative and engaging methods.
From insights on improving individual technique to the role of social media in coaching, Ben discusses how he engages young players and what makes skill acquisition sustainable over time. He also shares lessons from working with top professionals like Marcus Smith and delves into the importance of decision-making, body awareness, and confidence in player development.
Key Takeaways:
- Skill development takes consistency: Just 10 minutes of focused training per week can make a big difference over time.
- Decision-making is key: The best players recognize cues and adapt their skills in real-time.
- Creativity in training matters: Fun, engaging drills help players improve without realizing they're working.
- Master the fundamentals: Catching, passing, footwork, and tackle technique should be practiced regularly.
- Social media as a coaching tool: Ben explains how platforms like TikTok and YouTube help young players refine their skills.
- Learn from the best: Insights from top pros like Marcus Smith and specialist coaches offer valuable lessons for all players.
To find out more about Ben John's work go to the following links:
https://www.therugbytraineracademy.com/
https://youtube.com/@therugbytrainertv
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In this episode of the Rugby Coach Weekly podcast, Dan Cottrell welcomes Jamie Taylor—Assistant Professor of Elite Performance at Dublin City University, Academy Coach with Leicester Tigers, and Senior Coach Developer at Grey Matters UK.
Together, they dive into the practical aspects of coaching, discussing session planning, skill acquisition, and what it truly means to develop coaching expertise.
Jamie challenges conventional ideas on coaching theory, explaining the importance of understanding "why" we coach the way we do and how we can design better learning experiences for players.
Whether you're a grassroots coach or working at the elite level, this conversation will make you think more deeply about your coaching intentions and the impact you have on your players.
- Understanding coaching expertise: Why coaching is more than just following a template.
- The importance of coaching intentions: Moving beyond "what" we coach to "why" we coach it.
- Session planning insights: How to design training sessions that truly develop players.
- Exploration vs. exploitation in skill acquisition: When to encourage players to try new things vs. refining existing skills.
- How coaches can improve: The role of reflection, questioning, and learning from mistakes.
- Theoretical perspectives on coaching: A look at cognitive, ecological dynamics, and predictive processing approaches.
- Measuring progress in coaching: How to assess whether training methods are effective.
- Understanding how session design affects player development.
- Common coaching misconceptions: Why making training look good doesn’t always mean it’s effective.
- Jamie’s personal coaching evolution: Lessons learned from years in coaching and academia.
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Tackling is at the heart of rugby, but what truly makes a tackle dominant or a miss?
In this episode of the Rugby Coach Weekly Podcast, host Dan Cottrell welcomes Oli Bishop, defence coach for Ealing Trailfinders Women and U23s, to break down the science behind effective tackling. Oli shares insights from his Level 4 RFU research, exploring the key characteristics of dominant tackles, the role of balance and momentum, and the phases of a successful tackle.
From analysing foot placement to understanding pre-contact cues, this conversation is packed with practical takeaways for coaches and players alike. Key insights include:
- The importance of pre-contact positioning: How anticipation and approach impact tackle success.
- Why dominant tackles are most likely within two metres of the ball carrier receiving the ball.
- Hand placement strategies: When to aim for behind the knees versus the lower back.
- Leg drive and post-contact work: The key to finishing tackles effectively.
- How to coach players out of poor tackle habits and build their confidence.
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In this episode of the Rugby Coach Weekly Podcast, Dan Cottrell sits down with Sam Halliday, a PE teacher and rugby coach working with the Oxfordshire U16 PDG squad and Brackley U14 girls.
Sam shares his insights on building a thriving coaching environment, fostering player ownership, and creating opportunities for girls in rugby.
He discusses the importance of peer-led learning, developing confidence in new players, and how structured yet flexible coaching can lead to lasting engagement. Whether you're coaching grassroots rugby or looking to refine your approach to player development, this episode is packed with practical takeaways.
📢 Listen now and discover:
- How to create an inclusive coaching culture that supports learning and growth
- The role of leadership and peer mentoring in player development
- Practical ways to recruit and retain players in girls' rugby
- The power of ownership in skill progression and confidence building
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In this episode of the Rugby Coach Weekly Podcast, Dan Cottrell speaks with Lewis Hatchett—former professional cricketer, mindset coach, and creator of the MindStrong Sport app. They discuss perfectionism in sport, its benefits and drawbacks, and how it affects athletes and coaches.
Lewis shares his personal experiences with perfectionism, explaining how it can drive high performance but also lead to anxiety, self-doubt, and fear of failure. The conversation explores the impact of coaching environments, the role of perceived perfectionism, and how athletes can shift towards "excellencism"—striving for success without the pressure of unrealistic expectations.
Key topics include:
✅ How perfectionism impacts athletes and teams
✅ The psychological cost of chasing flawless performance
✅ Coaching strategies to build confidence, adaptability, and resilience
✅ How to help athletes embrace mistakes as part of growth
✅ Insights from Lewis’ research on coaching, perfectionism, and fear of failure
If you're a coach, athlete, or parent looking to understand the mindset behind elite performance, this episode offers practical advice and research-based insights. Lewis also shares how coaches can contribute to his ongoing research.
📩 Want to connect with Lewis? Find him at MindStrongSport.com or reach out via hello@lewishatchet.com.
Link to our Live Free coaching the coaches events
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Raising funds for grassroots rugby can feel like an uphill battle, but Ed Flynn has cracked the code.
In this episode of the Rugby Coach Weekly podcast, host Dan Cottrell sits down with Ed, a coach and fundraising powerhouse, to uncover the strategies that have helped his clubs thrive.
From securing local business sponsorships to running hugely successful raffles and race nights, Ed shares his tried-and-tested methods for generating support, engaging the community, and ensuring clubs have the resources they need to grow.
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Join Dan Cottrell on the Rugby Coach Weekly podcast as he dives into a compelling conversation with Stuart Armstrong, renowned coach developer and host of The Talent Equation podcast.
Together, they tackle the nuanced topic of ethical coaching—what it means, why it matters, and how it can transform both grassroots and elite coaching environments. With insights drawn from Stuart’s extensive experience in sports development and hands-on coaching experience, this episode explores the practical and philosophical dilemmas coaches face daily, from balancing inclusivity to navigating moral decision-making in competitive settings.
Some of the key points:
- Ethical coaching ensures positive experiences for all by addressing dilemmas like inclusion vs. performance.
- Coaches need ongoing support, not just training, through mentorship and peer learning.
- Inclusivity, transparent communication, and harm prevention are vital.
- Governing bodies must shift focus to practical, in-situ development, valuing coaching as part of the care industry.
To listen more from Stuart on his podcast, go to: https://pod.link/1209549739
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Join Rugby Coach Weekly's Dan Cottrell as he sits down with Marlo Boyd, Bath Rugby’s Development Officer, Bath University women's forward's coach and former Bristol Bears player.
Marlo opens up about her unconventional journey into rugby, the lessons she's learned about managing emotions—both hers and her players’—and how emotional intelligence can foster trust and growth in a team. Together, they explore actionable strategies for coaches to incorporate empathy, manage emotional highs and lows, and build a safe yet driven environment for players to thrive.
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Dan Cottrell welcomes Craig Wilson, director of rugby at Yale University and founder of The Contact Coach. Together, they explore practical, accessible approaches to video analysis for grassroots coaches.
Craig shares personal experiences of using simple tools—smartphones, clipboards, and a bit of creativity—to make analysis both effective and manageable, even without high-end tech.
The conversation covers:
- Using footage to boost players’ confidence,
- Balancing critical and positive feedback,
- And how to avoid overwhelming players (or yourself!) with too much information.
Find lots of takeaway ideas you can use immediately without the need for expensive equipment or complex software.
You can find Craig's amazing video insights on his website
https://www.thecontactcoach.com
And on YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/@ContactCoach
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In this episode of the Rugby Coach Weekly podcast, Dan Cottrell welcomes Dr. Mark Carroll, a sports coach and lecturer at the University of the West of Scotland, and a host of Labours of Sports Coaching. Together, they delve into the myths and realities of motivation in sports coaching.
This conversation challenges traditional approaches and offers fresh insights. From breaking down misconceptions about the coach's role as the ultimate motivator to exploring how self-determination theory and other frameworks can shape coaching practice, Dr. Carroll discusses the delicate balance between external motivators and fostering intrinsic drive, the nuances of psychological safety, and why context is king in every coaching decision.
Whether you're a grassroots coach or working with elite athletes, this episode is packed with thought-provoking ideas and practical advice to help you create environments that truly inspire performance.
📩 Connect with Dr. Mark Carroll on LinkedIn or explore his podcast, Labours of Sports Coaching, for even more insights.
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In this episode of the Rugby Coach Weekly podcast, Dan Cottrell discusses tackling in women’s rugby with Kathryn Dane, an international rugby player, sports scientist, and coach.
Kathryn, who has 23 caps for Ireland and is the coach for Ulster Women's Rugby and Old Belvedere, shares insights from her groundbreaking research into safety, skill acquisition, and performance in tackling. She discusses:
- The differences in how women develop tackling skills compared to men.
- Challenges unique to women’s rugby, such as late entry into the sport, limited resources, and coaching disparities.
- Findings from her research, including the effectiveness of techniques like the "wrap and clamp" for successful tackles.
- The psychological and tactical preparation required to overcome fear and build confidence in contact.
- Strategies for introducing and developing tackle skills progressively, ensuring safety and skill retention.
- The critical role of intentional coaching, creating supportive environments, and leveraging leadership within teams.
The findings are essential for anyone who is involved in the women’s game or keen on improving tackle coaching across all levels of rugby. Kathryn also shares practical tips for balancing safety, performance, and progression in training.
Find out more about Kathryn’s work on LinkedIn, ResearchGate, or Instagram. Dive deeper into the science of tackling with Sharief Hendrik’s rugby research roundup. Links are available on Rugby Coach Weekly.
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In this episode of the Rugby Coach Weekly Podcast, Dan Cottrell is joined by Adam Izzard, Head of Rugby and Head of Boarding at Stonar School. Adam shares his inspiring journey of building a rugby program from scratch at a small, co-educational school better known for its equestrian facilities than its rugby teams.
From turning a horse paddock into a full-size rugby pitch to coaching a first XV squad made up of players with little to no rugby experience, Adam’s approach to developing the sport is packed with lessons for coaches, teachers, and school leaders alike. He discusses the power of resilience, the importance of mass participation, and how structure and simplicity can help new players fall in love with the game.
Whether you’re looking for ideas to grow rugby at your school or inspiration for coaching players of mixed experience, this episode is a must-listen. Adam’s passion for the sport is infectious, and his story is proof that even the smallest schools can build a big rugby culture.
Listen now and discover:
- How to build a rugby program from scratch in a small school.
- Why structure and simplicity are essential for coaching beginners.
- Practical ways to increase participation and enthusiasm for rugby.
- The key life skills rugby teaches players beyond the pitch.
Tune in and be inspired to grow rugby at your school, no matter the challenges.
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In this episode, Dan Cottrell sits down with renowned sports scientist and learning expert Mark Williams to explore some of the most controversial and misunderstood myths in sports coaching.
Mark is a visiting professor at the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences at Loughborough University. A world-leading expert in skill acquisition, Mark has authored 20 books and nearly 300 research papers and advised top sports organisations like FIFA, UEFA, and the EPL.
His latest book is: The Best: How Elite Athletes Are Made with Tim Wigmore. Click the link to find out more.
Drawing from Mark's thought-provoking LinkedIn series, they delve into key topics like the "constraints-led approach," the limitations of "skill transfer," and the role of "visual superiority" in player development.
Should coaches be worried about myths in coaching, or do they offer a pathway to deeper insight? Mark addresses this head-on, revealing how scientific nuance often clashes with the simplicity coaches crave. Discover why coaching is more art than science, how to strike the right balance between "hands-on" and "hands-off" approaches, and why learning and performance aren't always as connected as we think.
This episode will challenge your assumptions, sharpen your coaching instincts, and offer practical guidance on how to create more effective learning environments — whether you’re working with novice players or elite athletes.
To find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach Weekly
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Join Dan Cottrell as he dives deep with coaching legend Dave Collins in this thought-provoking episode of Rugby Coach Weekly. Together, they explore how context dictates coaching strategies and how to develop adaptable, critical-thinking players. Dave tackles big questions:
- What does a Dave Collins rugby session look like?
- How do you balance questioning with active practice?
- Why is “It depends” a cornerstone of professional judgment in coaching?
- How do you foster curiosity and skill acquisition in players and coaches?
- What’s the role of experimentation and reflection in developing as a coach?
This episode is packed with actionable insights for coaches, educators, and leaders in any field.
Suggested Further Reading
Expand your understanding with these academics and resources referenced in the discussion:
- Mosston and Ashworth's Spectrum of Teaching Styles – foundational work on teaching methods across diverse contexts.
- Shane Pill and Brendan SueSee – experts in physical education and sport pedagogy.
- Jamie Taylor and Dave Collins’ Upcoming Book on Skill Acquisition – releasing soon, blending ecological, cognitive, and predictive models of learning.
Who is Dave Collins?
Dave Collins is a renowned performance consultant and psychologist. He is the director of Grey Matters, a leading consultancy specialising in performance psychology and coaching, with additional expertise in clinical psychology, counselling, conditioning, nutrition and sports medicine: in short, a one-stop shop! One big feature of the company is their 'pracademic' status; they generate original research to meet client needs as well as deploying current innovations.
Dave has worked with elite athletes, coaches, and teams across multiple disciplines, helping them reach their highest potential through evidence-based approaches. He is a former Performance Director for UK Athletics and has held senior roles in both academia and applied sports settings.
Currently, Dave is a Professorial Fellow in Human Performance Science at Edinburgh University and a Professor of Elite Performance at Dublin City University.
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Join host Dan Cottrell as he sits down with Danny Powell, a skill acquisition developer and performance psychologist from Manchester Metropolitan University. Danny shares his expertise working with coaches, including GB Aquatics and Sale Sharks, to explore the art and science behind skill acquisition.
In this episode, they dive deep into:
- What "skill acquisition" really means and why it matters for coaches.
- Practical approaches to helping athletes learn and refine motor skills.
- The balance between conscious and automatic learning processes.
- How coaches can evolve their own techniques through reflection and open-mindedness.
Whether you're coaching at the grassroots level or working with elite athletes, this episode offers valuable insights into how coaches and athletes can grow together through experimentation, understanding, and a focus on the journey, not just the destination.
To find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach Weekly
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Dan Cottrell chats with Graham Bourton, head coach of the Milton Keynes Under 15s. Since taking over in 2016, Graham has transformed the team from a mere 5 players to a thriving squad of 25, thanks to his innovative coaching methods and strong community engagement.
In this engaging conversation, Graham shares:
- His journey from rugby parent to influential coach.
- The methods and training courses that shaped his approach.
- Strategies for player development and creating a fun, competitive environment.
- How he overcame challenges like COVID-19 to keep players engaged and motivated.
- Tips on working with parents and building a strong, supportive rugby community.
- Insights on team selection, managing player dynamics, and balancing development and competition.
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In this episode of the Rugby Coach Weekly Podcast, host Dan Cottrell sits down with Alex Hadley, Director of Rugby at Battersea Ironsides, to explore what it takes to build and sustain one of the world's largest community rugby clubs.
Alex shares insights on balancing player availability and club culture, creating a positive and welcoming environment, and using flexible strategies to engage and retain players. The conversation delves into the challenges of running a successful rugby club in London, including managing training schedules, fostering player development, and finding effective systems to keep players motivated.
Alex also offers practical advice on maintaining a consistent yet adaptable coaching language, nurturing passionate internal coaches, and the importance of reflection and continuous self-improvement. This episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to build a stronger, more connected rugby club.
To find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach Weekly
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In this episode, Dan and Lindsay Abery, Thatcham U14 coach and former mini and junior chair, dive into the ins and outs of building a thriving rugby culture in schools.
They tackle essential topics like engaging new players, ensuring safety with innovative techniques, and adapting coaching styles for different age groups.
Lindsay shares practical strategies for growing rugby's reach, including tips on creating a standout coaching CV and breaking into school coaching environments.
With a mix of personal stories, practical insights, and a few laughs, Dan and Lindsay offer a guide for coaches, teachers, and rugby enthusiasts looking to make a meaningful impact on young players and school communities.
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Fi Hayes is a former Ireland international, winning two Six Nations and representing her country in the 2014 World Cup.
More recently, she has coached UL Bohemians to cup and league titles, been head coach of Munster U18 girls, and is now Munster Women's head coach. She has also been the Energia Women's AIL coach of the year twice.
In the podcast, I ask:
- What does a Fiona Hayes training session look like?
- How do you deal with players who struggle with passing or break the flow of exercises?.
- What kind of information should players be communicating to each other during training?
- How do you handle situations when the players are not hitting technical targets during conditioned games?
- How do you keep co-coaches aligned, ensuring consistency in language and objectives across the coaching team?
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Dan welcomes Matt Garvey to the podcast. Matt had 13 years in English top flight rugby, playing for London Irish, Bath where he was also captain, Gloucester and Worcester.
He is now the Rugby Players’ Association (RPA) Development Manager for Bath Rugby and Gloucester.
In the podcast, they discuss:
- When an 18-year-old signs up for a club, what happens next?
- Even talented players don't make it. What should aspiring players do to make themselves better prepared when it comes to stepping up?
- There's a perception that ex-players become coaches. What's the reality?
- How does the RPA support players in their current lives to help build a future life?
- What are the myths about professional rugby life?
- What is your view on win bonuses?
You can reach out to Matt on: mgarvey@therpa.co.uk
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We are delighted to welcome back Keith Lewis to the podcast. Keith is a practising referee and runs the RugbyReferee.net website and Facebook community.
Dan asks Keith about:
- The three new laws for this season
- The experimental laws you might see that aren't enshrined yet
- The old favourites of why it seems that not-straight at the scrum is ignored, why referees allow players to seal off or go off their feet
- The real impact of the tackle height laws
If you are a referee, then you can join the rugbyreferee.net community on Facebook and also get Keith's excellent season journal.
For other great referee resources, go to RugbyReferee.net.
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In this short podcast, Dan speaks to Gary Townsend, head of rugby at Switch Rugby about whether we have the wrong expectations of young rugby players.
He is former RFU National Player Development Manager and Bristol Bears Junior Academy manager.
In this episode, they discuss what a capable 13-year-old rugby player should achieve on the pitch and what coaches need to do differently to ensure we focus on the right skills and game understanding.
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We are going to turn the tables and Stu James, is going to ask me the questions.
Stu is a club coaching ordinator and colts coach at Guildford RFC, as well as a coach within the Quins Foundation programme and for Surrey Colts. In addition to these volunteer roles, he has a day job as a business consultant and executive coach.
In the podcast, Stu challenges me on:
- What question do I wish other coaches asked me on courses
- How do I help coaches who haven't got my experience
- How important is a coaching philosophy
- How do I balance taking control and giving control
- How do I know when things are going wrong in training, and how do I fix it
- What has made my coaching philosophy change
- What is the most important lesson learned from my coaching journey
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In this short podcast, Dan speaks to Gary Townsend, head of rugby at Switch Rugby with a focus on deciding when to help players specialise as a 9 or 10.
He is former RFU National Player Development Manager and Bristol Bears Junior Academy manager.
In this episode, they discuss the best age, why it makes sense for this position and how it impacts their future development.
To find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach Weekly
To find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach Weekly
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Welcome to the Coaching Knife when we cut to the root of the matter. In this episode, we speak to Martin Haag, high performance team and executive coach.
Focusing on managing people rugby we are going to cut to the root on the importance of having a coaching philosophy.
Martin played for 14 years at Bath, then coached Bath, Nottingham, Bristol, Bath Academy England U20 World Cup Winning, Rouen, and Scotland, and now work in high-performance teams and executive coaching.
His philosophy is Encourage, Excite and Empower.
You can contact him on LinkedIn.
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Welcome to the Coaching Knife when we cut to the root of the matter. In this episode, we speak to Nic Evans, L4 coach and former director of rugby for the Kings Cross Steelers.
Focusing on women's rugby, we are going to examine why there aren’t more women coaches coaching both men's and women's rugby.
Nic is a former head of PE, director of sport, and then lecturer and programme manager in higher education. She played rugby for Wales, is an L4 coach and coached the King Cross Steelers as the DoR of the very first gay and inclusive club in London.
She is also an experienced sevens coach, working with Wooden Spoon and head coach of Lions 7s.
You can contact her on LinkedIn: Nic Evans
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Dan speaks to one-half of the Squidge Rugby Owen brothers, Will.
With a massive following for their YouTube channel, Squidge Rugby analyses matches in a unique, bringing insight and entertainment in equal measure.
Will is an avowed rugby geek but also still plays and coaches his local team's colts.
Dan asks him about:
- How Squidge Rugby come into the world .
- Translating complex plays into a layperson's language is tough. How do you bridge the gap?
- His coaching journey.
- How does the analysis inform his coaching?
- Do top coaches truly innovate?
- Should international teams aim to win every game or build towards the World Cup?
- What's the best game he has ever seen?
Want to find out more from Squidge? Go to their Youtube channel
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Welcome to the Coaching Knife when we cut to the root of the matter. In this episode, we speak to Gavin Blackburn, Head Coach Cambuslang RFC.
Focusing on the scrum rugby we are going to cut to the root on how to deal with a pack that’s dominating you.
Gavin was a former age-grade district and international prop. He was a member of Saracens’ academy programme in the late 1990s, then played club rugby for London Scottish, Glasgow Hawks, Glasgow Southern, and Stirling County coached at Dunfermline, Kilmarnock, Biggar, Garnock, West of Scotland and Stirling County, and was a development officer for five years between 2012 and 2017 in the Garnock Valley.
His philosophy is to develop players by using a drill to demonstrate key points and then putting them into a conditioned game to work on these points/skills under pressure.
Instagram: GB Performance Coaching
You can contact him at gbperformancecoaching@gmail.com
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Dr Jocelyn Solomons tackles significant issues in women's sports.
In this episode, she talks to Lyndon Julius about the role of media in this domain.
Lyndon is a communications specialist and creative storyteller with over a decade of experience in sports reporting. He is dedicated to community sports and immerses himself in grassroots athletic endeavours.
With written and digital media expertise, they delve into his insights on the global impact of sports reporting, particularly concerning women’s sports.
They discuss his experiences in writing and reporting on women’s sports, the effect of media coverage on the growth and recognition of female athletes, and the media's responsibility for equitable coverage of women’s sports, both locally and internationally.
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Welcome to the Coaching Knife when we cut to the root of the matter. In this episode, we speak to Jamie Barnwell, Head Coach Cayman 7s and Performance director.
Focusing on 7s rugby we are going to cut to the root on to coach to compete when you have limited speed.
Can you win a game of sevens if you don’t have any pace in your team?
Jamie spent five years as head coach of the Bermuda national team for both 15 and 7s. Back in the UK he was attack coach with Richmond, and head of coach of the England senior women’s academ.
His philosophy is to inspire, and facilitate a group to become better, people, athletes and a team.
Go to the Rugby7splaybook on Substack for some excellent resources and games to improve your 7s coaching.
You can contact him on thebarnwells138@gmail.com
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Dan speaks to Stuart Welsh, founder of ALTA Education.
With nearly two decades of experience in education, specialising in maths teaching and as well as coaching rugby in schools, Stuart is a well-sought-after speaker and presenter.
He has taught and led teams in schools worldwide, authored popular math textbooks, and founded a widely-used educational website used by tens of thousands of students every year. He is passionate about research-based pedagogy and committed to improving teaching and learning globally through ALTA Education.
In the podcast, we discuss:
- The importance of acknowledging the novice-expert continuum
- How novices and experts learn differently
- How to differentiate effectively
- How experts are novices, too
- What is variation theory in education, and how it could work in a training session
If you want to contact Stuart, email him at stuart@alta-education.com
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We speak to Ben Lazenby, Head of Youth at Wakefield Trinity RLFC in this episode.
Focusing on game understanding we are going to cut to the root on how a player-centred approach might lead to a shared collective team cohesion.
The first question: Is a player-centred approach to game understanding just us waiting for the players to give us the right answer?
Previously, Ben was the Academy Pathway manager at Ealing Trailfinders, Academy General Manager at Hull Kingston Rovers, Yorkshire Carnegie academy manager. Plus had roles at Warrington Wolves and as a coach educator at Rugby Football League.
His philosophy is to fill the gaps and provide the players and staff with what they need through collaboration, openness, and detailed analysis.
You can contact him on LinkedIn: Ben Lazenby
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Dan speaks to Cath Bishop about what winning really means and how we can create the right sort of winning in our sporting environments.
Cath is a highly sought-after consultant and coach, an Olympian, former diplomat and author of The Long Win, the second edition published in May. She is also a regular contributor to the Guardian and a podcast host.
Visit her website here, where she offers lots of practical ways to improve your decision-making. You can also purchase the book.
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In this short podcast, Dan speaks to Gary Townsend, head of rugby at Switch Rugby with a focus on developing young players, coaches and clubs.
He is former RFU National Player Development Manager and Bristol Bears Junior Academy manager.
In this episode, they discuss what players want from your coaching sessions.
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Welcome to the Coaching Knife when we cut to the root of the matter. In this episode, we speak to Jason Gilmore, Waratahs Senior Assistant Coach (Defence) and Australia A head coach.
Note! He was with the Waratahs when we recorded this. He is now defence coach with Harlequins.
Focusing on defence, we are going to cut to the root of who is the most important player in ruck defence.
Previously, Jason worked for Queensland Rugby as Elite Development Head Coach Assistant Coach and Junior Wallabies coach, as well as four years in teaching as a 1st XV head coach
Philosophy
Create better men and players
You can contact him on
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Dan speaks to Tom Morris from Progressive Rugby, an independent player welfare lobby group founded in 2021 to drive change that both better protects player brain health and the game’s long-term future.
In this episode, they discuss:
- Separate strategies to make rugby safer and more appealing at both the community and professional level
- Improving education and the need for a concussion communication system in youth rugby
- Helping young players understand the benefits of learning proper tackle technique
- Implementing a community of care in grassroots rugby and sharing best practice
- Whether the age when contact is introduced in youth rugby should be adjusted
- The importance of attracting and maintaining players in the community game
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Dan chats to Sean Phelan, the brains behind Fill Your Boots, the way that players and clubs can connect to fill the gaps on a Saturday.
In the podcast, they discuss:
- How Fill Your Boots works
- Why clubs struggle to find players and creative ways to solve this
- How clubs can welcome players
- How can the women's game grow now
- How do we help retain volunteers
If you want to find out more, go to the Fill Your Boots website, it's totally free!
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Dan chats to Kris Stafford, Rugby Development Officer at Leeds Beckett, MSc in Sports Coaching, U.K Coaching award winner, and host of the @bigbreakdownhq podcast.
In the podcast, they discuss:
- Making sure the players are valued and integrated into the coaching process
- How to genuinely engage with the players outside their sport
- How to have entire team conversations
- What a positive and supportive learning environment looks like
- Ways to design a practice to make purposeful
- Using the STEP model to develop practices
- What is meant by the MOTs of the ABCs
- Where to use a self-directed learning approach, where players spend time exploring and practicing key skills both with and without coach guidance
- Where players need guidance and where they can take control
- Using all the coaches in the session to run an effective game
- How to make player huddles more impactful
To find out more about the The Big Breakdown: A Coaching Podcast, click here.
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In this short podcast, Dan speaks to Gary Townsend, head of rugby at Switch Rugby with a focus on developing young players, coaches and clubs.
He is former RFU National Player Development Manager and Bristol Bears Junior Academy manager.
They discuss how you make a U12 player more skilful and what that might look like in training.
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Welcome to the coaching knife when we cut to the root of the matter. In this episode, we speak to Callum Adam, Currie RFC Senior Mens Assistant Coach and Edinburgh University Women’s 2nd XV Head Coach.
Focusing on defence we are going to cut to the root on what comes first, tackling or defence
As well as coaching with Currie Mens and the Edinburgh Uni women, Callum has coached with the Scottish Rugby Union with their age grade development teams, plus a stint at Dundee RFC.
His philosophy: To make a difference in people's lives on/off the pitch.
You can contact him on: LinkedIn Callum Adam
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Dan welcomes Dr Kimberly Berens, founder of Fit Learning and CEO of Fit Learning Online and author of Blind Spots: Why Students Fail and the Science That Can Save Them.
Fit Learning is a powerful system of instruction based in behavioural science and the Technology of Teaching, and it aims to transform the learning abilities of children, which it does in the US, Canada, Europe and Australia.
To find out more about Fit Learning, go to:
http://fitlearningonline.com/
In the podcast, they discuss:
- How Kimberly found watching her son's experience of being coached filled her with horror
- How there's too much talk and not enough practice
- Why measuring progress is vital
- The key to learning through reinforcement
- The huge variability in the learning process
- Simple methods of counting to help check individual progress and what you need to do next when you know the results
- What you need to master and why
- How to differentiate across a larger group
- Helping parents help their children to "work harder" without becoming too bossy
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Dan quizzes the Myths of Sports Coaching editors around how we deal with some of the muddling thinking coaches believe is true.
Dr Amy Whitehead is an Associate Professor at Liverpool John Moores University, and Jenny Coe is the Performance Well-Being Lead for the Women's Professional Game at the FA.
Their first edition was so good that they’ve been persuaded to do a second edition, which will be out in the autumn.
In the book, they invited experts to delve into myths about learning styles, deliberate practice, coaching women differently, and fundamental movement.
Here's a link to the first edition on Amazon.
In this episode, we talk about:
- What are the most pervasive myths in sports coaching?
- Is coaching girls any different to coaching boys?
- How do you approach a coach who is hung up on something you know is a myth?
- At what stage do you stop discussing, check and challenging as a group, and start making hard and fast decisions?
- How much evidence does there need to be until a “finding” becomes a myth?
- Should we use SMART goals?
- How do we discern the research validity from authors who have a vested interest in continually proving they are right?
- How evidence from verbal answers needs to be looked at carefully, because interpretation can easily not be what the respondent first meant.
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Dan chats to Telegraph sports journalist Fi Tomas about where women’s rugby needs to go next.
Fi has worked on the paper since 2019, was number 11 on 2023 BBC Women's Hour Power List and recently nominated for the 2023 British Sports Journalism women’s category. She is a keen advocate for a stronger voice in female sports.
In the podcast, they look at:
- Why women want to play rugby
- The hurdles facing women in sport
- How the media portrays women in sport
- What needs to be addressed in terms of language and attracting a broader audience
- The issues that rugby faces, from male-dominated spaces to the role of governing bodies
- How sports should appeal to a new generation, and why commentators need to ensure they help grow the game
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Ralph Knibbs, Head of Human Resources at UK Athleticsand a Bristol rugby legend, chats with Samba Ceesay, Broad Plain RFC’s captain.
In an extraordinary podcast, Ralph first describes his journey as a black player from a non-traditional rugby background, why he turned down playing for England twice and how his children made him more self-aware about being a role model.
He then asks Samba about his journey. Coming to rugby late, Samba talks about how Broad Plain stood up for him, allowed him to become a better player, and what led him to lead the club.
As the podcast unfolds, you will hear how Ralph helps Samba acknowledge his crucial role in giving others the confidence to follow their ambitions.
They reflect on the challenges faced by black players, both professional and amateur, but also the development of leadership skills, camaraderie, and a sense of family and belonging.
Listen to find out how two humble sportsmen, who love their sport, want to make rugby a more inclusive and diverse environment.
Click here to find out more about the Star Scheme
Click here to find out more about the Rugby Black List
To find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach Weekly
Also, tap into the library of 4,000 pages of activities, advice, tactics and tips to help you become the best rugby coach you can be!
This podcast is dedicated to the memory of one of the guest's daughter, who passed away suddenly a few weeks after the recording.
The Peel family have set up a donation page for Katie in support of FarmAbility. Here's a link.
https://www.justgiving.com/page/katiepeelfarmability
Please listen to this inspiring journey of three coaches providing something amazing. It needs us all to reflect on setting up a SEND rugby programme.
Dan Cottrell speaks to Darren Rea, John Peel and Gareth Lewis of Gosford All Blacks, Wallingford and Whitney rugby clubs.
There are plenty of lessons for all of us, but specifically, we focus on:
- How to set up the programme
- How to make it a realistic and inclusive environment
- Easy ways to involve everyone
- Making everyone confident
- The pathways beyond training
- The joy of making rugby a meaningful place to express yourself
If you want to get involved, please reach out:
Gosford All BlacksWebsite https://gabrfc.rfu.club/
Email youth@gosfordrugby.com
Contact- Darren Rea 07531118213
Session times: Sunday 10 am to 11 am
Witney WolvesWebsite https://witneyrfc.rfu.club/teams/witney-rfc-wolves-sen/470302/profile
Email theresaclark1234@aol.com
Session times: Sunday 11 am to 12 noon
Wallingford WolvesWebsite https://wallingfordrfc.rfu.club/teams/wallingford-rfc-wolves/467870/profile
Email the_peels@me.com
Session times: Sunday 11 am to 12 noon
To find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach Weekly
Also, tap into the library of 4,000 pages of activities, advice, tactics and tips to help you become the best rugby coach you can be!
Dan chats with Dr Rachael Jefferson about fundamental movement skills and how to introduce them effectively into our coaching sessions.
Rachael is a lecturer in human movement studies and creative arts, and author of Fundamental fun: 132 activities to develop fundamental movement skills.
You can get a copy of her book here.
In the podcast, we explore:
- What is meant by fundamental movement skills (FMS)
- What do the terms body management, locomotor, and object control skills mean
- Why we need to coach FMS
- How to make it part of our training sessions
- Ways to help less skilful young people become better movers
- How we can use balloons and scarves to help catching
- The importance of choosing appropriate objects based on skill levels.
- Rachael's own journey on throwing the javelin
- How we need to know the biomechanics of movement to help players progress
More bio:
Rachael is a physical education, dance, inclusion and wellbeing specialist, who is fascinated by the moving and creative body. Her PhD focused on the governance of the body in physical education in England from 1902 to 2016. Rachael has nurtured her own wellbeing and self-awareness to a high level by training in yoga and also Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR).
Rachael is particularly well known for her work in the area of fundamental movement skills (FMS). This began in earnest in 2006, when she trained in a Western Australian research-led FMS professional development course by STEPS PD. Following this, she became the UK FMS consultant and worked with sport coaches, teachers and lecturers across England and Ireland for several years. During that time she was regularly publishing FMS works, including her play-based pedagogy book for teachers.
Rachael’s influence in FMS, PE and inclusion is global; she has worked on several long-term international projects in these domains for the University of Cambridge, UNICEF, UNESCO, and Montrose. Her curriculum design is especially valued for its creative, inclusive, and student-centred foundations. She has developed national PE curriculum (primary and secondary) and led teacher training for Kazakhstan, Egypt, Myanmar, and Mongolia.
Rachael enjoys social media and the wonderful connections she makes there. She has written popular gender and sport articles for ‘The Age’ and ‘The Conversation’, as she believes in the power of telling stories to raise the general public’s awareness of athletes’ inclusion issues and rights.
To find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach Weekly
Also, tap into the library of 4,000 pages of activities, advice, tactics and tips to help you become the best rugby coach you can be!
Dan chats with Chris Dossett, chair of the Professional Association of the Directors in Sport, and very experienced DoS himself.
In the podcast, they talk about:
- How a good director of sports supports their less-experienced staff
- Connecting with the players
- Making the less-able teams enjoy rugby as much as the top-flight
- What equality looks like in sports in a school environment
- How to make girls' sport part of the fabric of the school sports system
Chris gives many examples of practical ways to operate, not just as a director of sport but also as an example of good coaching for others to follow.
To find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach Weekly
Also, tap into the library of 4,000 pages of activities, advice, tactics and tips to help you become the best rugby coach you can be!
Dan chats to Jess Hayden, author of The Red Roses: Behind the Scenes with the England Women's Rugby Team.
Jess, who was previously a sports journalist at The Times and The Sunday Times, is the editor of Contested, a new social app for sports fans.
In writing the book, she was able to get exclusive access to the England Women's team, known at the Red Roses, plus speak to former players and coaches.
In the podcast, she talks about:
- The highs and huge lows of a World Cup campaign
- Professionalism in women's rugby and the lessons to be learned from the difficulties in the men's game
- Why the audience for women's rugby is growing, but also, what's holding it back
- Should England have chosen a woman to be their new head coach
- The rise of WXV
- Why the Lions touring team isn't the right vehicle to grow women's rugby
- The simple misunderstanding that made the England players so angry
- Who was the only player to watch the lost final on the plane home from 2021 World Cup
The book is out at the start of March.
Contested: Because every athlete and team sport deserves recognition.
A unique space for fans to join the conversation, debate predictions, and celebrate sports together. It covers lots of sports in the detail you won't get in the mainstream media.
To find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach Weekly
Also, tap into the library of 4,000 pages of activities, advice, tactics and tips to help you become the best rugby coach you can be!
In this episode, Dan chats with Sean Lindersmith. They discuss how he created a coaches’ coffee club, and how he made it a genuine place to learn and support each other.
Sean is the Vice President of Operations at Premier Rugby Sevens and Silicon Valley Rugby - defence and forwards coach.
His past roles include University of MN Head Coach, US Coast Guard Sevens Head Coach, St Augustine High School Head Coach, MN Youth Rugby Youth and HS Director and USA Eagle’s National Team Manager (Men’s)
In the podcast, we cover
- Establishing the Coaches’ Coffee Club
- Mentorship and sharing initiative
- Practising vulnerability in coaching
- Coaching, trust, and celebration
- Creating supportive team dynamics
- Embracing change in coaching
- Coffee club vulnerability and connection
- Key concepts in coaching community
You can contact him on
LinkedIn: @SeanLindersmith
IG/X: @Snackattk
TikTok: @CoachSnackattk
To find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach Weekly
Also, tap into the library of 4,000 pages of activities, advice, tactics and tips to help you become the best rugby coach you can be!
Dr Jocelyn Solomons joins Dan on the podcast to discuss her research on how dance can improve rugby players.
Based at the world-renowned Stellenbosch University in South Africa, she is a lecturer in strength and conditioning.
She has a PhD in women's rugby development and an MSc in Sport Science focusing on rhythmic movement and rugby.
In the podcast we explore:
- How you persuade rugby players that dance can make a difference
- How it did make a difference in the research project
- What happens if a player can’t dance
- How it can be made position specific
- Jocelyn’s passion to drive forward women and women of colour in all sports and in academic sports research
- How to continue to change the landscape for women in sport
- What are her biases and how has she overcome them
- How to motivate those who are not as motivated as yourself
Here’s a link to her research
The effect of a rhythmic movement intervention on selected bio-motor skills of academy rugby players in the Western Cape, South Africa
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1747954120956909
To find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach Weekly
Also, tap into the library of 4,000 pages of activities, advice, tactics and tips to help you become the best rugby coach you can be!
Mike Penistone is a global rugby coach, starting his coaching career in the 80s with Trent Poly and then Cambridge University rugby league as head coach. He went on to GB Student's head coach before moving to Leicester Tigers Academy via Nottingham. He did a stint at NSW Waratahs and then Eastern Suburbs in Australia. He is now a rugby coach consultant.
In the podcast, we cover:
- How to make a great first impression as a coach
- How to make your sessions engaging and intense
- Why threes and fives are magic numbers
- What stops great players becoming good coaches
- Asking the best questions to get the most from your players
- Managing talent
- Helping an expert player become more skilful
Mike is available for coaching consultancy and sessions. Drop him a line on mike@globalrugbycoach.com
To find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach Weekly
Also, tap into the library of 4,000 pages of activities, advice, tactics and tips to help you become the best rugby coach you can be!
Dan Cottrell chats to author and coach, J.P. Nerbun about his latest book, The Sports Parent Solution, Proven Strategies for Transforming Parents from Obstacles to Allies.
We explore how coaches can get the most out of their relationships with parents. Sometimes they are super-supportive, and sometimes not!
How do you get them onside to start with, speak to them, involve them and make them part of everyone's journey.
We talk about the ways to have difficult conversations, how to build your value offering and chances to show leadership.
J.P., as always, offers lots of evidence from either his own experience or from experts around this space.
He has written three books:
Calling Up: Discovering Your Journey to Transformational Leadership
The Culture System: A Proven Process for Creating an Extraordinary Team CultureThe Sports Parent Solution, Proven Strategies for Transforming Parents from Obstacles to AlliesHe is host of the The Coaching Culture podcast.
To find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach Weekly
Also, tap into the library of 4,000 pages of activities, advice, tactics and tips to help you become the best rugby coach you can be!
Welcome to the Coaching Knife when we cut to the root of the matter. In this episode, we speak to Tom Chaloba, Manager of Get Into Rugby Zambia.
Focusing on volunteering we are going to cut to the root on how to build a group of volunteers and retain them.
Tom is a coach and match official educator at Zambia Rugby Union, as well as working with the Tag Rugby Trust. He is the founder of Die Hard Rugby academy.
His philosophy is aim high but don't miss what is near. This helps him stay grounded and rooted but also gives him the freedom to shoot for the stars.
You can contact him on
Twitter @TomChaloba1
Instagram @TomChaloba1
LinkedIn
Facebook
To find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach Weekly
Also, tap into the library of 4,000 pages of activities, advice, tactics and tips to help you become the best rugby coach you can be!
Welcome to the Coaching Knife when we cut to the root of the matter. In this episode, we speak to Professor Kevin Till, Professor of Athletic Development at Leeds Beckett University and Strength and Conditioning Coach at Leeds Rhinos RLFC academy. Focusing on warm-ups, we are going to explore how they are used to prevent injury and give us performance gains.
Kev has worked in strength and conditioning with Yorkshire cricket, Yorkshire Carnegie rugby union, football with Leeds United, as well as his roles in rugby league, at Leeds Rhinos and Castleford. He completed his PhD in Sport and Exercise Science over 12 years ago, and has had seven papers published.
He has helped edit and write two books, The Science of Sport: Rugby, and published last year: The Young Rugby Player: Science and Application
His philosophy is about supporting people in the best way possible. Similar to work on 'Talent', everyone has potential, and it is how we can support creating opportunities to support as many to develop as effectively as possible.
You can contact him on Twitter
@KTConditioning
Email: K.Till@leedsbeckett.ac.uk
To find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach Weekly
Also, tap into the library of 4,000 pages of activities, advice, tactics and tips to help you become the best rugby coach you can be!
Welcome to the Coaching Knife when we cut to the root of the matter. In this episode, we speak to Craig Gunn, coach, teacher and motivational educator, and founder of Gunn Engagement. Focusing on why high-performance sport is dangerous for grassroots, we are going to cut to the root on why we need to break the brooms of the All Blacks.
Craig is an experienced PE teacher and former head teacher. He has worked across many sports, including Aussie Rules and Rugby League.
His philosophy is that kids learn teachers NOT subjects; Sometimes you have to mow the grass before you save the whales.
You can contact him on LinkedIn or The Coach Whisperer.
To find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach Weekly
Also, tap into the library of 4,000 pages of activities, advice, tactics and tips to help you become the best rugby coach you can be!
Welcome to the Coaching Knife when we cut to the root of the matter. In this episode, we speak to Ian Costello, Head of Rugby Operations at Munster Rugby. Focusing on talent, we are going to focus on how that term might impact the way we approach coaching.
Ian has had a busy coaching career, with stints as assistant coach at Munster and Wasps, the Munster Academy manager, as well as head coach at Nottingham and an Elite Development Manager with the Irish RFU.
His philosophy:
The purpose is to develop and sustain a high-performance strategy for Munster Rugby. Philosophy would be to find and develop the best people, build system capability, always improving, learning faster than the opposition. Quality coaching is key to producing consistent winning performance.
You can contact him on Twitter at Iancostello1
To find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach Weekly
Also, tap into the library of 4,000 pages of activities, advice, tactics and tips to help you become the best rugby coach you can be!
Welcome to the Coaching Knife when we cut to the root of the matter. In this episode, we speak to Grant Doorey, performance coach @Mobicoach Australia and passion projects Rugby ATL, Queensland Rugby and Australia Rugby.
Focusing on the power of purpose in coaching and life, we are going to cut to the root on how we can turn thoughts into action.
Before becoming a consultant high-performance coach, Grant was an assistant coach with Tonga, Italy and Japan national teams, a technical adviser with the IRANZ, plus roles with pro clubs in France, London Irish, and the Blues Super franchise. He started as a teacher and director of school rugby in Australia.
His philosophy is the relentless pursuit of short-term goals leading to long-term success. To inspire leaders and teams to develop rigour and discipline, striving for excellence in their daily habits, he connects, engages and empowers people through coaching.
You can contact him on LinkedIn or directly to mobicoachnz@gmail.com
He values human connection. Please reach out for a conversation and explore synergies to collaborate.
To find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach Weekly
Also, tap into the library of 4,000 pages of activities, advice, tactics and tips to help you become the best rugby coach you can be!
Dan chats with Gary Townsend, the Bristol Bears Junior Academy manager about a question from Will Jones, an U15s coach from Cardiff.
He asks: The backs are doing the forwards' work when it comes to the breakdown. Plenty of forwards are way too lazy and not bothering to clear out and secure the ball. Do you have any good drills we could use to get them switched back onto this?
We cover:
- What do the forwards want to do
- Do we need to have position-specific roles
- How to use decision-rich training, both drills and games
- Encouraging players to ruck, and also encouraging the ball carrier to be active at the ruck
- Changing habits by manipulating the drill
Welcome to the coaching knife when we cut to the root of the matter. In this episode, we speak to Keith Lewis, founder of rugbyreferees,net, the leading online community for rugby referees across the world
Focusing on the refereeing the new tackle height laws, we are going to cut to the root of what referees will be looking for next season.
Philosophy: Helping people to become better referees, no matter what level that may be
You can contact him on rugbyreferee.net
or keithlewisrugby on Twitter
Welcome to the coaching knife when we cut to the root of the matter. In this episode, we speak to Catherine Spencer, author, speaker, and former England women’s rugby captain.
Focusing on coaching women’s and girls’ rugby, we are going to cut to the root on what men need to know about coaching women.
Catherine retired from international rugby in 2011, with 63 caps, 18 tries, winning 6 Six Nations titles, 3 for them as captain. She has written the award-winning book ‘Mud, Maul, Mascara’. She is a patron of the Tag Rugby Trust, and she is CEO and founder of Inspiring Women. Currently, she is teaching sociology and RE at a secondary school in Kent.
You can contact her on Catherine@inspiringwomen.co.uk
Or on Twitter: cathspence8
Welcome to the coaching knife when we cut to the root of the matter. In this episode, we speak to Geraint Davies, Rugby Coach & Content Creator, GDD Coaching.
Focusing on improving performance and learning, we are going to cut to root on what training sessions should look like.
Does training need to look like rugby for them to learn to play rugby?
Geraint is an academy coach and was previously Head of PE & Games at Leicester Grammar School & Head Coach at Nuneaton.
Philosophy: I believe in leaving no stone unturned in order to help everyone in my environment be as good as they can possibly be.
You can contact him on Twitter:
@daviesGDD
or GDDCoaching
Welcome to the coaching knife when we cut to the root of the matter. In this episode, we speak to Bradley Busch, director of Inner Drive and psychologist.
Focusing on how we ask questions, we are going to cut to the root on where coaches go wrong when they try to engage their learners.
What is a bad question?
Bradley education, sport and business, helping them improve how they learn, think and perform under pressure.
Within sport, he has worked mainly in football, with clients from Manchester United, Manchester City, Tottenham and athletes who have medalled at London 2012, Rio 2016, and Tokyo 2020.
He is the co-author of the best-selling book ‘The Science of Learning’ and has written regular blogs for The Guardian, featuring regularly for The Telegraph, the BBC 5 Live, Men's Health and BT Sport.
He also has a new book called ‘Teaching and Learning Illuminated’
You can contact him on innerdrive.co.uk
Welcome to the coaching knife when we cut to the root of the matter. In this episode, we speak to Chris Cushion, Head of Coaching, England Netball and Professor of Coaching & Pedagogy at Loughborough University.
Focusing on what good coaching looks like, what do coaches get wrong about using direct instruction?
Director of Sport Integration, he also worked extensively in top level football with teams like Chelsea and Fulham, as well as rugby with Bath. He has worked for many sports governing bodies and is a UEFA qualified coach.
You can contact him on Twitter @CoachC1
Welcome to the coaching knife when we cut to the root of the matter. In this episode, we speak to Andrew Watson, president and founder, Translate the Brain.
Focusing on getting kids or even adults to concentrate, we are going to cut to the root on how you gain and keep someone’s attention.
Andrew is an experienced English teacher and former dean of faculty. He is an in-demand conference speaker, travelling the world. He also written three books: Learning Begins, Learning Grows, and The Goldilocks Map.
His philosophy is: The more teachers and coaches know about the function of the mind and brain, the more effectively we can help our students learn and improve. Research-informed insights, of course, must always be reshaped by the teacher or coach to fit the specific learning circumstances.
You can contact him through:
Website: translatethebrain.com
Twitter: @AndrewWatsonTTB
Blog: www.learningandthebrain.com/blog
Welcome to the Coaching Knife when we cut to the root of the matter. In this episode, we speak to Owen Eastwood, Performance Coach for team culture and leadership, and author of Belonging, the Ancient Code of Togetherness.
Focusing on building better teams, we are going to cut to the root on how to use belonging with your group.
Owen Eastwood is one of the world’s top performance coaches. He worked alongside Gareth Southgate as England prepared for the Euros, and Team GB ahead of the summer's Olympics. He's also worked with the Scotland rugby squad, the South African cricket team, as well as the royal ballet school and the command group of NATO.
His philosophy is to build healthy environments to unlock the full potential of others.
You can contact him on LinkedIn. And read his book Belonging!
Welcome to the Coaching Knife when we cut to the root of the matter. In this episode, we speak to Nick Winkelman, Head of Athletic Performance & ScienceHead of Athletic Performance & Science Irish Rugby Football Union and author of The Language of Coaching., The Art & Science of Teaching Movement.
Focusing on how coaches can affect training outcomes we are going to cut to the root on what is meant by cueing.
His primary role is to oversee the delivery and development of strength & conditioning and sports science across all national (Men and Women | XV’s and 7’s) and provincial teams (Leinster, Munster, Connacht, and Ulster). Before working for Irish Rugby, Nick was the director of education and training systems for EXOS (formerly Athletes' Performance), located in Phoenix, AZ. Nick completed his Ph.D. through Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions with a dissertation focus on motor skill learning and sprinting.
His philosophy is the pursuit of being engaged utterly in the moment.
You can contact him at info@thelanguageofcoaching.com Instagram @nickwinkelman
Welcome to the Coaching Knife when we cut to the root of the matter. In this episode, we speak to Martin Robinson, author of Curriculum Revolutions and education consultant.
Focusing on curriculums, we are going to cut to the root on what the hell that word means and why we should have one.
Formally a drama and English teacher for over twenty years in London, he is an in-demand conference speaker and has published four books, Trivium 21st century, Preparing young people for the future with lessons from the past, Curriculum: Athena vs the Machine, Trivium in Practice and Curriculum Revolutions
His philosophy is education for freedom.
You can contact him on Twitter Trivium21c or go to his website, trivium21c.com.
Welcome to the Coaching Knife when we cut to the root of the matter. In this episode, we speak to David Didau, bestselling education author, speaker and blogger.
Focusing on balancing trust and accountability, we are going to cut to the root on how you can empower your team of coaches/teachers and/or your players.
David has written numerous books, including What Every Teacher Needs to Know About Psychology, What If Everything You Knew About Education Was Wrong? Making Kids Clever and Intelligent AccountabilityHis philosophy is ability is the consequence, not the cause, of what we learn.
You can contact David at info@learningspy.co.uk, visit his blog learningspy.co.uk and follow him on Twitter, @daviddidau
Welcome to the Coaching Knife when we cut to the root of the matter. In this episode, we speak to Beccie Kettleborough, a Somerset RFU referee.
Focusing on why it is hard to be a female referee we are going to cut to the root on why men don’t seem to take women’s referees seriously.
Beccie plays for Dings Crusaders and is a member of the Somerset Referee’s society
Her philosophy: I currently volunteer within my team as a link between players and management, helping to drive the team in the right direction and to establish a club that has value, honesty and integrity, a team everyone can be part of.
You can contact her through Somerset Referee Society or Instagram Rebecca_rugbyref
Welcome to the coaching knife when we cut to the root of the matter. In this episode, we speak to Philip O'Callaghan, PE Teacher and Tennis Coach and arch blogger. Focusing on his philosophy on developing people first and the skills will follow we are going to cut to the root on how this looks in a practice scenario
His philosophy is to develop people first and the skills will follow
You can contact him on Twitter @mr_tennis_coach and https://mrtenniscoach.substack.com/
Welcome to the coaching knife when we cut to the root of the matter. In this episode, we speak to Simon Smith, referee and referee coach for 29 years. Focusing on resilience to be a referee, we are going to cut to the root on how you can control a game when the teams are not invested in fair play.
I’m delighted that Simon agreed to join us. He was attacked while refereeing and the injuries mean that sometimes he may stutter. That doesn’t mean I didn't ask tough questions though!
Simon has been refereeing for 29 years, via Hampshire …and now in Australia, and works in HR.
His philosophy is yo enable others to achieve their potential, at whatever level that might be.
You can find him at the RugbyReferees.net community on Facebook.
Welcome to the Coaching Knife when we cut to the root of the matter. In this episode, we speak to Alex Auerbach, Senior Director of Wellness and Development, Toronto Raptors. Focusing on developing high performance, we are going to cut to the root on how to control your mind.
Alex is a licensed counseling and sport psychologist, certified mental performance consultant, and board-certified coach working in professional sports. I’ve worked with elite teams and performers from a range of domains, including the NBA and NFL, Olympians, Army Special Forces, Fortune 5 Companies, and Venture-Backed Startups.
His philosophy is to help everyone feel and perform their best and achieve their full potential.
You can contact him on Twitter, Substack (joinunfairadvantage.com), and through the Perform newsletter: perform.beehiiv.com
Welcome to the Coaching Knife when we cut to the root of the matter. In this episode, we speak to Lynn Evans, coach, author and a keen advocate of The Pleasure of Movement . Focusing on coaching rugby through game-play and player-centred methods, we are going to cut to the root on how that looks in a session.
Lynn is a former teacher, RFU staff coach and head coach of Oxford University, as well as a successful stint at Chinnor RFC. In 2021, he was the RFU President’s Value the Volunteer, Outstanding Contribution Awards 2021 winner.
His philosophy: Always looking to develop and progress my knowledge of the game concepts, involve players more in the learning, help mentor other coaches, use courses to spread the LPM methods, enjoy what I do, and get Tom Phillips to manage me!
You can contact him at lynnevans47@gmail.com.
Welcome to the Coaching Knife when we cut to the root of the matter. In this episode, we speak to Mark Zimmerman, aka Coach Zim, MD of On The Mark Australia & Africa/ Mindset Coach. Focusing on a mindset for sporting success, we are going to cut to the root on the missing ingredient, your mojo.
Mark is co-author of the Amazon #1 best seller “Winner’s Mindset” Peak Performance Strategies for Success. He is currently coaching mindset programmes to the elite development pathways groups in Australia with the aim to take that back to their clubs in different parts of the world.
His philosophy: There is a proven link in the relationship between mindset, emotions and the effect it has on performance in sports. I bring mindset to the forefront of coaching, with incredible results ranging from youth teams that I coach to professional players at the highest levels who are clients. I’m contracted to work with world-class rugby clubs and organisations.
You can contact him at www.otmcoaching.com.au and on LinkedIn http://linkedin.com/in/mark-zimmermannotm
Welcome to the Coaching Knife when we cut to the root of the matter. In this episode, we speak to Phil Llewellyn, Birmingham City University Scholarship Manager and host of the RCW Roundup Rodeo. Focusing on defence, we are going to cut to the root on how you can build a defensive system.
Phil coached Hinckley RFC, Oxford University Womens and Cypriot Nation team. He is an RFU mentor and coach educator.
His philosophy is very simple: Challenge, Develop, Inspire
You can contact him
Twitter: @philllewellyn.
Email: Phil.llewellyn@yahoo.co.uk
Welcome to the coaching knife when we cut to the root of the matter. In this episode, we speak to Riki Tahere, Director of The Global Draft App and Coach Educator for Canterbury Rugby Football Union.
Focusing on developing as a coach, we are going to cut to the root on what it means to be a curious coach.
Above and beyond working for Canterbury Rugby, he runs the excellent Canterbury Rugby Coaches Corner Podcast.
His philosophy: I'm here to help.
You can contact him on LinkedIn: Riki Tahere
Email: riki@theglobaldraft.com
Twitter: @RikiTahere
Welcome to the Coaching k=Knife when we cut to the root of the matter. In this episode, we speak to Phil Greening, sevens coach for US men's and women's rugby, and founder of the Athlete Factory. Focusing on building better rugby players, we are going to cut to the root on how to coach collision fitness.
Phil is a former England international who toured with the British Lions in 2001. After retiring, he worked in corporate finance at the same time as coaching England 7s before moving back into high-performance coaching.
His philosophy is building robust, hard-working, creative, open and challenging environments to help players succeed individually and collectively.
You can contact him at Philgreeningcoaching.com and theathlefactory.co.uk
Welcome to the coaching knife when we cut to the root of the matter. In this episode, we speak to Dr Jo Brown, performance coach and performance physiotherapist at Performance State. Focusing on performance, whether you can really coach resilience.
Jo works with high-performance teams and individuals, including Olympic medalist, the US sprinter Noah Lyles and the Jamaican Bobsleigh team.
Her philisophy is to live in relentless pursuit of high performance for anyone with a dream. Driven by excellence, fuelled by an unwavering belief and powered by connection. She believes High performance is a way of life, and every moment we choose. If you are courageous enough, whatever comes your way "face it, fix it and forever fly"
You can contact her through Performance-State.com.
Welcome to the coaching knife when we cut to the root of the matter. In this episode, we speak to Tom Bennett OBE, behaviour advisor for schools to the Department for Education.
Focusing on managing and changing behaviour in groups, we are going to cut to the root on simple tools to improve coach/teacher interactions with children.
Tom was a teacher in the East End of London for thirteen years.
Currently, he is the Director and founder of researchED, a grass-roots, teacher-led project that aims to make teachers research-literate and pseudo-science proof.
His philosophy is that behaviour is a curriculum; it can be taught like anything else.
You can contact him on Twitter: @tombennett71 or read his book 'Running the Room' or email him: tombennettbehaviour@gmail.com
Welcome to the coaching knife where we cut to the root of the matter. In this episode, we speak to Paul Phillips, a performance consultant and author of How to create culture in rugby union. Focusing on the link between success and culture, we are going to cut to the root on how culture impacts on performance.
Paul has consulted worldwide with teams like Otago in New Zealand and was director of rugby at Rugby Sant Andrea in Italy
His philosophy is to grow great people through the medium of rugby union because it provides us with the platform to develop great people. Develop the person - develop the player!
You can contact him at LinkedIN and you can find his book, How to create culture in Rugby Union, on Amazon
Welcome to the coaching knife when we cut to the root of the matter. In this episode, we speak to Jonny McMurtry, sports coaching researcher and part-time rugby coach/blog writer.
Focusing on develop the right relationships as a coach, we are going to cut to the root on why connection is more important than competency as a coach.
Jonny runs the excellent blog, www.coachingthecoaches.net
His philosophy: My passion is understanding people’s motivation and assisting them and the people they work with to achieve what they are striving to accomplish in sporting or working atmospheres. Previous experience, research and qualifications have given me both the skills and desire to understand why people, most notably sporting participants, engage in certain actions while setting up frameworks, offering tools and being part of reflective practice to help all stakeholders in an athlete’s journey through effective and engaging communication methods. I want to facilitate coaches and athletes alike becoming the best people as well as performers they can be.
Contact here: jonny@coachingthecoaches.net
Twitter coachingcoach_
Welcome to the coaching knife when we cut to the root of the matter. In this episode, we speak to Gordon MacClelland, CEO of Working with Parents in Sport.
Focusing on how you coach your own child, we are going to cut to the root on how you can effectively wear two hats.
Gordon spent 25 years in sport and education, coaching at all levels, and a sports parent with two children involved in performance sport. He has published some great books on this area, including Two Hats, talking to sports stars about coaching your own child, and Sports Performance Parenting.
His philosophy is: To empower people to work together, build strong relationships in amazing environments so that young people can thrive both in and out of their sport. To lead, share failings and give people confidence to fulfil their roles.
You can contact him by email: gordon@wwpis.co.uk or visit the website www.parentsinsport.co.uk.
Welcome to the coaching knife when we cut to the root of the matter. In this episode, we speak to Andy Key founder of Fit4Performance and a senior RFU coach.
Focusing on improving performance, we are going to cut to the root on how you can develop mindset skills.
Andy set up the Leicester Tigers Academy when the game went professional, was director of rugby at Leeds Carnegie and was awarded director of rugby of the year in 2010.
He is the founder of Fit4Performance which focuses on delivering a Mindset Skills Framework (underpinned by Gazings Red2Blue), helping Youngsters, Parents, Teachers, Coaches and Teams to understand the importance 'Mindset Skills' play in the overall sports performance equation.
You can find out more at www.fit4performance.co.uk and contact him by email andy@fit4performance.co.uk
Welcome to the coaching knife when we cut to the root of the matter. In this episode, we speak to Ben Fennell, CEO and Founder of The Growth House Focusing on team development, we are going to cut to the root on how to pack your team with differences and forge togetherness.
Ben won a Blue for Oxford, and played for Harlequins. He spent over 25 years in advertising, finishing up as CEO of top agency BBH before founding the Growth House in 2019. His book, World Class: How to Lead, Learn and Grow like a Champion written with Will Greenwood, is out now and available at all good book sites
His philosophy: I coach senior teams within big organisations and help them to create high-performance habits. Habits that are sustainable over time, habits that create impact and drive growth. Habits that depend on simple and flexible tools
You can contact him at www.thegrowthhouse.co.uk and Ben.fennell@thegrowthhouse.co.uk
Welcome to the coaching knife when we cut to the root of the matter. In this episode, we speak to Ollie Phillips, former England sevens captain now running Optimist Performance. Focusing on performance, we are going to cut to the root on why winning is underrated.
Ollie was 7s World Player of the Year in 2009 and captained England to three World Series Cup victories. He has completed many adventures, including sailing around the world.
His philosophy is to inspire change through shared experience, continual learning, and an appetite to help and support people.
You can contact him at www.optimistperformance.com
Welcome to the coaching knife when we cut to the root of the matter. In this episode, we speak to Amanda Owens, leading sports and performance psychologist and former professional tennis player, and the first women to work as a sports pyschologist in premiership football with Southampton. She is founder of the Edge consultants.
Focusing on developing better performances, we are going to cut to the root on how we can help and support athletes with performance anxiety.
Amanda has been heavily involved in working the Worcester Warriors and Leicester Tigers, and international rugby players, as well as supporting business leaders to improve their performance
Her company approach is unique and client-centred, highlighting the importance of a person-centred approach, meeting the specific needs of the client. This enables the client to be more aware of their core needs, so behavioural and emotional change can occur and their vision achieved from a uniquely Gestalt and humanistic methodology and approach.
You can contact her on email amanda@believeconsultanting.co.uk and www.believeconsultanting.co.uk
Welcome to the coaching knife when we cut to the root of the matter. In this episode, we speak to JP Nerburn, author, coach for coaches, podcaster and culture coach.
Focusing on intentionality in coaching, we are going to cut to the root on why it is important to have a clear idea or direction in coaching.
JP coaches primarily high school and collegiate coaches, rugby, basketball, track and field and ice hockey.
His philosophy is: The world doesn't need more coaches, they need more mentors. People willing to lead, develop, and empower their athletes.
You can find out more by reading The Culture System on Audible and Amazon, or go to TOCCULTURE.COM for the newsletter and listen to more on The Coaching Culture Podcast
Welcome to the coaching knife when we cut to the root of the matter. In this episode, we speak to Justin Goonan, strength and conditioning coach with the US military. Focusing on improving athlete performance, we are going to cut to the root on why S&C coaches are undervalued.
Justin is also director of athlete performance with USA Touch, and former director of S&C with USA U20s.
His philosophy is movement over muscles.
You can contact him on social media @UniversalSportsStrength or
universalsportsstrength@gmail.com
Welcome to the Coaching Knife when we cut to the root of the matter. In this episode, we speak to Nick Leah, general manager at Six Degrees Sports, focusing on coaching skills.
We're going to cut to the root on where skills coaches often go wrong.
Nick was the academy manager at the Super Rugby team Brumbies, assistant coach for the Australian sevens team, and assistant coach of the Melbourne Reds. His philosophy is all about the individual, testing and then basing the programs on what they need.
If you want to get in contact with him, you can contact him at nick@sixdegreesports.com or at his LinkedIn account.
Welcome to the coaching knife when we cut to the root of the matter. In this episode, we speak to Graham Smith, director of Estonia rugby, and head coach Kalev rugby. Focusing on coaching the scrum, we are going to cut to the root on costs and benefits of using a scrum machine in training.
Graham is a former assistant coach to England Women’s Rugby, helping them to win one of their two World Cup victories in 2014. Their previous win was in 1994. He is a Level 5 coach and has coached all across Europe.
What he says about his philopshy: I have thought for many years what a philosophy mean and I am still not convinced about them, coaching or playing. Are they not just plans? However, an umbrella philosophy is a few words: care about what you do and the players you work with, and be passionate about the game we love and how it is played. Involve everyone, staff and volunteers.
You can contact him on gbsconsultancy1@gmail.com and find him on YouTube at Graham Smith.
Welcome to The Coaching Knife when we cut to the root of the matter. In this episode, we speak to Eddie Abel, head coach of the Midwest Thunderbirds Youth, focusing on kicking tactics. We're going to cut to the roots on why every player should learn to kick tactically.
Eddie has spent the last seventeen years coaching Indiana and Midwest-based teams at all levels. In 2021 Eddie left EIRA to restart the Midwest Thunderbirds program for u15-u19 players. He was also named Interim Head Coach at his alma mater Indiana University where he led the program to a top 10 ranking and several high profiles wins including beating #20 Iona 55-14 on ESPN.
You can contact him at MidwestThunderbirdsYouth
Welcome to the Coaching Knife when we cut to the root of the matter. In this episode, we speak to Dustin Steedman, head coach of Davenport University men's rugby team, focusing on why culture matters. We are going to cut to the root on developing culture in an organization.
Dustin is former coach with the Michigan College Select men's and the women's team.
His philosophy is find work, always compete, win the competition with oneself, apply pressure on defence, play possession, win the territory game. A very much a rugby-orientated philosophy.
You can contact him by email dsteedman@davenport.edu. Or Facebook or the Davenport University Rugby site.
Welcome to the coaching knife when we cut to the root of the matter. In this episode, we speak to sports scientist and assistant professor at UMCG Job Fransen. Focusing on applying science to coaching, we are going to cut to the root on how to improve skill acquisition.
Job is also a fellow at UTS Sydney and a skills acquisition consultant.
His philosophy is to encourage as much as possible the spread of excellent information in the field of skill acquisition science to coaches and practitioners.
You can contact him on LinkedIn, Job Fransen or JobFran3 on Twitter
Welcome to the Coaching Knife when we cut to the root of the matter. In this episode, we speak to Corey Mömsen, assistant coach, Thomas Moore University, focusing on jumping in the lineout.
We are going to cut to the root on developing players to get into the air faster and quicker.
Corey played professional rugby for, at the time, the National Champions, the, Austin Herds. His philosophy is to make rugby enjoyable for everybody, not just for the players, but for the coaches, the fans and the families, and attempting to grow the game.
You can speak to him via facebook.
Welcome to the coaching knife when we cut to the root of the matter. In this episode, we speak to Tom Carter, Head of Athletic Performance Australian Women's 7s. Focusing on high-performance coaching, we are going to cut to the root on why high-performance coaching is different to normal coaching.
Tom is a former professional rugby and captained the Australian Super rugby team, the Waratahs. He has worked as a high-performance coach across numerous sports, including cricket and rugby.
His philosophy is physical performance utilises a comprehensive understanding of sports science, psychology of behavioural change and elite sports performance, yet recognises that more is necessary for supreme athletic excellence.
Essentially, underpinning all the above is the human element, about forming a life-long relationship with an athlete, a genuine relationship based on the exact needs of an individual athlete and what it takes to help them excel to the best of their athletic and human capacity.
You can contact him on LinkedIn at Human Performance @humanperformancetc or tom.carter@rugby.com.au
Welcome to the Coaching Knife, where we cut to the root of the matter. We speak to Phil Klevorick, who is CEO of the Rugby Foundation. In this episode, we're going to cut to the root of the matter of respect and how you create it.
Phil is a top level referee assessor and coach, sourcing and coaching referees for some of the top world sevens tournaments. He also founded The Rugby Foundation. Formed originally in the USA to help develop new players, coaches and referees and provide them with opportunity, especially in under-served communities, "The Rugby Foundation" has developed a number of programmes that benefit the rugby community everywhere. TRF now has representatives in more than a dozen countries who will promote opportunity, development and support wherever it is needed.
You can find out more about his work on their Facebook page and at therugbyfoundation.org,
Welcome to the coaching knife when we cut to the root of the matter. In this episode, we speak to Nick Wilkinson, senior coach at Sidcup Rugby as well as delivering rugby in schools. Focusing on coaching large groups, we are going to cut to the root on how to make training a good experience for everyone.
Wilko is a level 2 coach and referee, also coaches in schools and is the director of rugby at the Bromley Bengals rugby league team.
His philosophy is to give every person, regardless of gender, age, sexual orientation, background or heritage a positive experience of rugby union, rugby league and martial arts.
In a fun, safe environment which allows participants to make an informed decision whether it is the sport for them. He does not believe in forcing something. He just wants to help anyone he coaches be the best possible version of themself. So that may mean guiding a player towards a sport which might be a better fit for them.
For example: A great sprinter could be a world-class winger. Conversely, a great winger could be a world-class sprinter or a great forward could be a world-class bobsleigh crew member
You can contact him on Twitter, @nick_wilko_
Welcome to the coaching knife when we cut to the root of the matter. In this episode, we speak to Steve Lewis, general manager of the MLR team, Rugby New York and 7s coaching consultant. Focusing on sevens, we are going to cut to the root on how you develop an attacking system in sevens.
Steve has consulted with a number of teams, including Brown University, Siena University and the national teams of Brazil and Nigeria.
His philosophy is to pick the right people, nudging, and you can only piss with the cock you've got.
You can contact him on Twitter @lizardrugby
Welcome to the coaching knife when we cut to the root of the matter. In this episode, we speak to Mark Ring, a 1-1 rugby coach, attack and skills coach who won 32 caps for Wales. Focusing on coaching flair, we are going to cut to the root on how you can develop more skilful players.
Mark has coached pro-rugby in England, Wales and Ireland. He is setting up his own website, markring.co.uk, with a library of rugby skills which will be filmed.
His philosophy is to improve skills and game understanding which builds confidence and encourages players to see a bigger and clearer picture as to how they can evolve into someone who can influence a game which the general public can enjoy.
You can contact him on LinkedIn or at mrcelt@hotmail.com
Bird and LJ talk to Lynne Cantwell, the first high performance manager for the women’s game in South Africa.
Lynne is Ireland’s most capped (86) female rugby player. She was appointed to the South African role in February 2021. She has been a member of Sport Ireland’s board since 2019. She is also a qualified physiotherapist.
Here are the questions posed to Lynne:
- Your degree was in Sport and Exercise Science along with a Masters in Physiotherapy. When and how did you realise that your real passion was driving high performance sport?
- This year you were appointed as South African rugby first HP manager for women’s rugby- how exciting is this role?
- You have a young family, husband and are uprooting and moving to SA was this a difficult decision?
- There are lots of exciting Autumn Internationals plus games against the Barbarians, Wales, Scotland. We saw Twitter post of squad celebrating announcement of fixture singing. Talk us through the culture, support and what it means to the players
- What does the current pathway look like?
- Let’s look forward to the World cup pool with England, France, and Fiji to deal with. What are your expectations?
- Ireland has not qualified for the World Cup in 2022 which is devastating for all involved. What needs to happen now?
Focusing on harnessing the use of language, we are going to cut to the root on why words matter when it comes to optimal performance.
Coach Reed has two master’s degrees—in sports psychology and early childhood development—and thirty years of professional coaching experience, His philosophy is human performance is a distinctly individual phenomenon based on the skills, tactics, values, and beliefs of each person and our role as coaches/leaders is to help create the environments and provide the tools people need to raise and chase their own excellence. Excellence can be achieved every day and I am most passionate about finding out how language, learning, and leadership can impact a person’s ability to achieve everyday excellence.
You can contact him at coachreed.com and find out more about the book at FullSpartan.com
In this episode we speak to Joe Goodman, owner of Evo Rugby and head coach of the University of Bristol mens rugby team. Focusing on the EvoRugby promise to ignite your attack, we are going to cut to the root on how to coach evasion and agility skills in rugby.
Joe, a Level 4 RFU coach says this about this philosophy: Within an innovative, enjoyable and measured performance learning environment, where detail matters, values are lived, and people are both cared for and empowered, I aim to educate, align and challenge athletes as they pursue excellence in developing themselves to achieve their desired vision and goals.
You can contact him at joe.goodman@bristol.ac.uk and visit his website evorugby.systeme.io and you can also find him on linkedin, Joe Goodman
In this episode we speak to Sammie Phillips, General Manager and Head of Elite Performance at England Touch Rugby. Focusing on the benefits of touch rugby, we are going to cut to the root on why touch rugby isn’t rugby touch.
Sammie is a current touch rugby international and her philosophy is to identify potential in coaches and athletes and support them to maximise their potential and achieve their vision/mission/goals.
You can contact her @sammiephillips04 on Instagram and find out more about England touch rugby on www.englandtouch.org.uk
In this episode, we speak to Eamonn Hogan, Level 3 coach, author and studying for a PhD around sports coaching. Focusing on coach development, we are going to cut to the root on what's wrong with coaching pathways.
Eamonn has coached all around the world, particularly in the US, and his philosophy is to reveal current thinking about rugby union coaching as a career and to grow opportunities for true meritocracy, . You can contact him on Twitter @theeamonnhogan, or through @rugbycoachweekly.
In this episode, we speak to James Barkell, Lecturer at the University of Sydney & Coaching Consultant with the Coach Doctor. Focusing on how you can improve the design of your practices, we are going to cut to the root on how you can use contextual interference.
James runs the CoachDoctor podcast, and is Level 4 High Performance Coach in rugby union and has a PhD which focused on high performance in rugby. His philosophy is to encourage creativity in coaching, no one way is correct and you need to modify what and how you teach content depending on age, ability etc. Using questions is great, but it's how you use them effectively that matters. Likewise, games over drills, but there is still a place for drills.
You can contact him at Linkedin @james barkell phd, Instagram @thecoachdr and visit him at thecoachdoctor.com.au and the coach doctor podcast site.
In this episode we speak to Dave Sharkey, director of Team Architecture, a communications consultancy. Focusing on using themes and stories in sports coaching, we are going to cut to the root on how we can use them effectively with our players.
Dave is a English teacher and rugby coach as well as a consultant. His philosophy is "Some see things as they are and say: 'Why?' I dream of things that never were and say: 'Why not?'"
You can contact him at www.team-architecture.com @SharkTeams (Twitter) David Sharkey on LinkedIn
In this episode we speak to Sam Barke, sports doctor - Head of sports medicine at Meliora Medical Group and Return2Play. Focusing on the myths surrounding concussion, we are going to cut to the root on how you play in the zone.
Sam is a school doctor at several major private schools and is match day doctor at Harlequins. Return2Play's philosophy is that by managing risk we can ensure the huge benefits of rugby can continue to be enjoyed.
You can contact him at sam.barke@melioramedicalgroup.co.uk and visit their website: www.Return2Play.org.uk
Dan Cottrell cuts to the root with Brian Moylett from Mindset & Performance at Off-Field Rugby.
They discuss playing in the zone from The Book On How You Become A Pro Rugby Player.
Brian is a mindset and performance coach at off-field rugby. He also coaches university women's rugby and men's rugby in Canada. His philosophy is that he helps young players become more confident on the field, develop their self-belief and play in the zone.
You can contact him at brianmoylett@gmail.com and visit his website www.offieldrugby.com
The book is on sale now, The Book On How You Become A Pro Rugby Player.
It's finals week. Claire Cruikshank joins the pod to chat about her experiences on the World Rugby Coaching internship. Jess and Eamonn also chat with Graham Smith, who discusses coaching in Estonia, and how to prepare for a World Cup final.
This week, Liza Burgess joins the pod to chat about her experience and how to invest in female coaches. Eamonn reflects on a week coaching in France before chatting about the semi finals and how to show vulnerability when coaching.
This week, Eamonn is away so Jess is joined by Andy Stevens. They chat about how they support and challenge each other's coaching.
Sarah and Charley from Huddersfield RUFC women's team chat about training and the World Cup and Jess learns about the Utrecht Shield which tracks women's rugby history.
With round three just around the corner, and teams vying for position in the quarter finals and players, we're joined by USA-based coach Kelsie McDowell. Eamonn Hogan asks a question about positive discrimination that prompts reflections on how gender bias affects male and female coaches.
Dan chats to Jeff Neville, the host of The Loose Head podcast. Jeff has managed to gather an amazing array of some of the top coaches in the game and chat to them about their approaches.
Now it is time to find out what he has learned and ask him the questions. We focus on three pods in particular: Andy Friend, Ben Ryan and Pat Lam.
Here are the key questions we discussed:
- What theme or themes from all the podcasts has or have most resonated with you?
- We hear a lot about the "why" when experienced coaches discuss how they approach coaching. What does it mean to you, and how do you implement this in your coaching
- Ben Ryan's story about coaching Fiji rugby is both inspirational and sad. We don't get to coach the same talent where rugby is embedded in their souls. How can we use Ben's lessons in our rugby?
- Pat Lam talked about love and honesty. There are so many possible interpretations of what these can mean. How can a coach use these in their environments?
Jeff's Loose Head project isn't just a podcast, but a whole range of great coaching resources.
You can visit him on Twitter: @TheLooseH
And go to his Patreon site: www.patreon.com/thelooseh
This week, we're joined by former England international and Head of Women's rugby at Leicester Tigers, Vicky Macqueen. Eamonn Hogan chats to Lincoln player Jodie about last weekend's matches and recent Lincoln training sessions.
Dan chats to Dan Wooler and Christian Lang from the Star Scheme. The scheme supports clubs in building their junior numbers, with the aim to specifically develop strong, trusted relationships between the club and player.
Crucially, they target communities that would not usually engage with rugby and aim to make a difference to young people who are suffering or have suffered adverse childhood experiences, poverty or mental health issues.
They discuss the following areas:
- How the scheme has blossomed in such a short time
- Who it helps and why
- What happens for the player, a school and a club
- How rugby makes a difference
- Why it makes coaching and recruitment easier
For a video on what they do, click below:
https://vimeo.com/754762197/9f6646c29b
For information and how to get involved, go to their website:
www.starscheme.co.uk
To launch the series and to get excited for the first round of matches, Jess Bunyard is joined by fierce rugby activist Alice Soper to chat about her country being the host nation. Eamonn Hogan also joins the podcast to discuss barriers to coaching.
Dan chats to England's U18 men's head coach Jon Pendlebury about this role and how he goes about his week looking after this exciting group of players.
A former professional player with Leeds, and then heading up the Yorkshire and Wasps academies, Jon became head coach of England U18s in 2019. He is just completing an MSc in Sports Coaching at Leeds Beckett University.
Dan asks Jon about the following issues:
- How do you go about caring for your players?
- The role of winning is when you are selecting a team.
- Using the SAS as the mental model for training.
- How do you manage players who want to play through injuries for fear of being dropped?
- With 14 different academy approaches, how do you create a cohesive unit for the national group?
- How much can you plough your own furrow, and how much do you have to fit in with the senior team's patterns?
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests: Dr Amy Whitehead, Reader, Associate Professor, Lecturer and Researcher in Sports Psychology at Liverpool John Moores University and Coaching and Chris Chapman, UK Coaching as Learning Experience Manager and Rugby Coach
This Week's Content:
- ‘Think Aloud’: Toward a Framework To Facilitate Reflective Practice Amongst Rugby League Coaches - Whitehead et al, 2016
- Suspended Above, and in Action”: Think Aloud as a Reflective Practice Tool – Stephenson, Cronin and Whitehead, 2020
- Developing the Triad of Knowledge in Coaching: Think Aloud
Dan chats with Dave Ellis, who has coached Super Rugby with the Blues, at Connacht with Pam Lam, as well as working with New Zealand rugby as a resource coach.
With all these years in the game and a passion for skills coaching, Dave talks around the following themes:
- What young coaches often struggle with
- How to know your players
- Helping players understand the "why" and how important that is
- How to develop skills, from detail through to the scenarios
- What Sonny Bill Williams said to Dave which changed the way he coached
- How to keep square with your body angle
- Coaching strike plays
- Finding the right balance to develop skill detail
To find out more about Dave and his latest courses, visit https://www.ellisrugby.co.nz
Dan with Gary Townsend, the Bristol Bears Junior Academy Manager, chat about a question from coach Renzo Vedovelli on scanning.
Renzo runs an U15s team, and his 9, 10 and 15 tend to look into the ball rather than at the opportunities.
Dan and Gary discuss the following:
- What do you want them to look for?
- What is appropriate for this age group?
- How you would set this up in training?
- The practicalities of scanning.
If you want your question answered by the RCW panel, then drop us a line at support@rugbycoachweekly.net.
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests: Mike Pride, chiropractor and rugby coach, Isak Hommedal, Norweigan sports club leader and Matthew Shaw, sports lecturer and coach. All are rugby players in Norway who have been instrumental in setting up rugby clubs in the west of the country.
This Week’s Content
Tweet Thread - Matthew Shaw shares their journey and key principles of setting up Rugby clubs in Norway
Dan talks to two key people from the Crusaders Coaching Leadership Programme™: Crusaders International Academy Manager Grant Keenan, and Kaila Colbin, CEO of Crusaders leadership training partner Boma.
They share their experience of working with the 13-time Super Rugby winners from New Zealand, and how the team has built their culture and environment.
They draw on leadership lessons from Scott "Razor" Robertson, Wayne Smith, Robbie Deans, Kieran Reid and Sam Whitelock.
Here are some of the themes they covered:
- Would you think that the Crusaders might be a bit scared if you're sharing all the secrets, given that they've been so successful?
- How do you elevate the game?
- If all the teams in a league have a high-performance culture, what happens when you find yourself in the bottom half of the table?
- From a coach's point of view, how do you help people understand their roles?
- How can you authentically care about your players?
- Should a coach be worried about their authority if they also show they care?
- Will the players slack if they know there’s always a soft landing from a caring coach?
- Knowing players is important, but can it also become too intrusive?
- What is meant by accountability and vulnerability?
- How have the Crusaders created themes?
For more information on joining the Crusaders Coaching Leadership Programme™, click here.
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests: Sally Needham, Academy Human Development and Performance Culture Lead at Sheffield United, consultant and FA coach educator and Jane Booth, 'Chaser of Dreams' Consultant, Mentor and Cultural and Leadership Developer.
This Week’s Content
- Neuroscience for Leadership: Harnessing the Brain Gain Advantage – Tara Swart and Kitty Chisholm
- Words Can Change Your Brain: 12 Conversation Strategies to Build Trust, Resolve Conflict and Increase Intimacy – Andrew Newberg and Mark Waldman
- Switch: How to change things when change is hard – Chip Heath and Dan Heath
- The Art of Creative Thinking – Rod Judkins
SUGGESTED CONTENT/WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
Tara Swart Website
Dean Leak on The Magic Academy Podcast – Russell Earnshaw
Dan Cottrell speaks to Inside Running Academy boss, Mike Rogers. Mike, who's just finished a season in the US MLR with the New England Free Jacks talks openly about his experience coaching in both his homeland of New Zealand and the States.
There is a very moving passage where we discuss vulnerability and authenticity. Mike's message about his relationship with rugby and his family will strike many chords with coaches.
Here's what else we chatted about:
- Why we need to coach players to tackle higher, not lower
- The benefits of ball stripping in the tackle
- Reviewing players more effectively
- Life balance for a coach
- How we share as coaches
- What can businesses learn from rugby and vice versa?
Inside Running are about to run their next amazing Coach Learning, number seven in the series.
Link to sign up for Coach Learning Series 7 is here:
https://forms.gle/c1EpjQaHQDHxkD5C8
For more info:
https://www.rugbyacademy.global/coach-learning-series/
Contact details for Mike:
Email: mike@insiderunning.com
Twitter: @InsideRunning
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests: Josh Fletcher, performance coach with Formula 3 and founder of Career Blueprint and Dan Howells, strength and conditioning coach consultant and personal development coach with Collaborate Sports.
This Week's Content
https://www.yourcareer-blueprint.com
https://collaboratesports.com
Josh Fletcher Contact Info
@careerbluepring – Instagram
@coachblueprint1 – Twitter
Dan Howells Contact Info
@collaborate_sports - Instagram
@howellsdan - Twitter
Dan is joined by Gary Townsend, the Bristol Bears Junior Academy Manager to chat about Mark Poole's question about his colts team.
They are struggling to implement their backs moves and shape in matches, despite training going well and skills levels remaining high.
Dan and Gary discuss the following:
- Why do you need the backs move?
- What triggers the move?
- Ways to practise the play.
- Nudging the players into when to use the play.
If you want your question answered by the RCW panel, then drop us a line at support@rugbycoachweekly.net
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests:Charlie Morgan, Senior Rugby Writer at The Telegraph and Ross Hamilton, freelance Rugby Analyst working with BT Sport, formerly Saracens and England analyst.
THIS WEEK’S CONTENT
Two Sides – British and Irish Lions Documentary
Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game – Michael Lewis
SUGGESTED CONTENT/WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
Creating Chaos Through Ruck Speed – Alan Dymock
Dan Cottrell chats to Owen Woods, Community Rugby Coach for Gosport & Fareham RFC.
Owen was previously in the Air Force for 4½ years and then the police for 17 years. In June 2021 he started up his full-time role to promote rugby and its core values, the vision being to put the club and values at the heart of the community.
He has coached his son's rugby team for the last six years. He is a level 2 coach, a qualified referee working in schools in the local community delivering rugby sessions to children from 7 to 13.
Owen was recently awarded the Gosport & Fareham RFC Coach of the Year Award.
We discuss the following areas:
- How do you start sessions...exactly...in terms of what you say? Lots of coaches talk for too long, so how do you get across the pertinent information?
- How his background in the police force has informed his coaching.
- While we would all love to spend time hone skills in small groups, how can we be effective when we have lots of players at our sessions?
- If players are being disruptive, how do you make sure they don't spoil the session for everyone else.
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests: Lesley McKenna, Coach Developer for UK Sport and Sport Scotland as well Programme Manager for GB Snowsports (@LesleyMckenna) and Sarah Murray, Performance Psychologist and owner of Performance Edge Psychology (@Sarahsportpsych).
THIS WEEK'S CONTENT:
- The Art of Impossible – Stephen Kotler
- The Long Win – Cath Bishop
SUGGESTED CONTENT/WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
- Wandering Workshops – Lesley McKenna
- Performance Edge Psychology – Sarah Murray
- The Rise of Superman - Stephen Kotler
- Radical Gains: The GB Park and Pipe Story – Sam Mellish and Pat Sharples
- Spiritual Activism - Alastair Macintosh and Matt Carmichael
- Isles of The West – Ian Mitchell
- Looking Sideways Podcast – Matthew Barr
- Mans Search For Meaning – Viktor Frankl
- Everyday Positivity - Kate Cocker
- Winning Together – Kate and Helen Richardson-Walsh
- Hustle - Netflix
Dan chats with former Fiji captain Deacon Manu, who's now coaching in Singapore.
Deacon has travelled the rugby world, representing Fiji and the Maori All Blacks, as well as playing for Waikato Chiefs and the Blues in Super Rugby and then for the Scarlets in Wales.
They chat about the coaches he's experienced and now coaching with developing players and new players to the game.
- What was the playing and coaching journey before Singapore?
- What are the challenges of working in Singapore?
- How is the game is growing in this part of the world. What lessons can we all learn for the sake of the growth of the game?
- Do you need local heroes or can you rely on the global game to develop interest?
- Where are the new players coming from and how do you keep them in the game?
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests: Dr Katie Fitton Davies, Cal Jones, Mo Jafar, Ross Williams and Dan Lycett
Twitter Handles
@Kate_PhD22 – Katie Fitton Davies
@CalJonesJudo – Cal Jones
@mojafarPE – Mo Jafar
@_andCoach – Ross Williams
@MrlycettPE – Dan Lycett
@StDavidsCollege
Please keep an eye out for the recording which Dan and Ross will release
SUGGESTED CONTENT/WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
* Physical Education Sport Pedagogy Journal
* Self Determination Theory
* The “What” and “Why” of Goal Pursuits: Human Needs and the Self-Determination of Behaviour - Deci and Ryan (2000)
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests:Dr Suzanne Brown, Clinical Psychologist and Emotional Fitness Consultant working within business, sport and education and Dean Leek, Performance Mindset Coach within the sport and business sectors
This Week's Content
On Children – Kahlil Gibran
SUGGESTED CONTENT/WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
- Liminality
- Motherhood and Finding Yourself – Lisa Marchiano
- No Two Children Have The Same Parents – Gabor Mate
- Sports Parenting: Negotiating the challenges of the Youth Sports Journey to Help Kids Thrive – Paul Gamble
Dan chats to Kevin Mulcahey about his experiences coaching both novices and experts and how you need to change to meet their needs.
Kevin coaches Gaelic football and hurling, Ireland's national sports as an assistant or head coach at all ages and levels. He has also worked in multiple roles on three continents as a coach of various stripes like assistant coach, S&C coach and performance coach in Aussie Rules, basketball, soccer, rugby, tennis, volleyball, hockey and in numerous other 1-2-1 roles over 28 years.
He also runs Designing the Game on Facebook where he challenges coaches to think about their approaches to coaching. His main role is an owner-operator S&C and sports performance coach at TMC Performance Coaching. You can catch Kevin @movementcoachkm on Twitter where he is active and responds to DM’s.
In the podcast, they discuss the following:
- How much does your team coaching approach change when you are dealing with experts and novices?
- Using "pivot" players in any sport.
- A principle of play has normally been set by coaching experts from the past, no matter what sport you are in. How much do players need to know about a principle before you start working on it? And how do you introduce it?
- How to use deliberate practice in the right context.
- How long do you let a team or player do something which is clear to you that is inefficient, and despite your nudges, they continue to do it?
Dan chats to Jacob Ford about his remarkable journey to becoming Bury St Edmunds RFC and Ipswich School's director of rugby at the age of just 23.
The topics covered included:
- The best way to speak to players to allow them to grow
- What makes the players respect a coach
- What efficiency in training and a game looks like
- Being mentored by your dad (Mike Ford, former England and Bath coach)
- The differences and similarities between coaching professional players and school players
- Should bench players get paid the same as the starters
- Working with players who are older than you
- Developing a style of play that suits your team
- Can a coach make excuses for a poor performance
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests: Laurence Halsted, former GB Olympic Fencer, former Performance Director for Danish Fencing and currently Director of Mentoring at the True Athlete Project. Dr Jon Rhodes, founding member of Imagery Coaching and lecturer at the University of Plymouth and Richard Cheetham, Senior fellow in Sports Coaching at the University of Winchester and coach developer with a variety of sports.
SUGGESTED CONTENT/WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
5 Ways To Develop Curiosity – Life Hack
The Importance of Developing Curiosity – Psych Central
Seven Ways To Be More Curious – Psychology Today
Understanding and Developing Organisational Culture – SHRM
Salisbury Rovers
How Do Our values influence our Behaviours – NHS
Team Denmark’s Sport Psychology Professional Philosophy – Diment, Henriksen and Larsen (2020)
Four Thousand Weeks - Oliver Burkeman
The Culture Code – Daniel Coyle
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests:Nick Ward, Altis Programmes Director, Dr Peter Olusoga, Senior Lecturer in Psychology and Sports Psychology consultant with a specialism in the psychology of coaching in high-performance coaching environments, and Josh Fletcher, performance coach with Formula 3 and founder of Career Blueprint.
This Week's Content
Nick Ward Tweet Thread – Nick Ward/Josh Fletcher/Peter Olusoga
SUGGESTED CONTENT/WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
- Desperate to Quit: A Narrative Analysis of Burnout and Recovery in High Performance Sports Coaching – Dr Peter Olusoga
- Altis – World Class Sport Performance Education (Coach Education, Mentoring, Resources)
- The Reflective Practitioners Journal – Josh Fletcher
- Career Blueprint – Josh Fletcher
- Disciplinary Power: recognizing some of the forces in coaching - a guest post - Joe Mills & Jim Denison
- Introducing a New Element to Coaching: Power ... a guest-post – Joe Mills and Jim Dennison
- Beginning to Coach with Power in Mind - a guest post - Joe Mills and Jim Dennison
Anyone wishing to attend the ALTIS Beta trial of their mentoring programme, please feel free to contact Nick Ward via his social media channels (mentioned in the pod) or vie email at n.ward@altis.world
Dan Cottrell chats to top sports psychologist Dan Abrahams about how even non-expert coaches can make a difference in their players' mindset.
Dan Abrahams is the author of four best-selling sports psychology books and is the founder of both the Dan Abrahams Soccer Academy and The Sport Psych Show podcast.
They talk around the following ideas:
- Can a coach really influence the mind of a player?
- What does a good environment and culture look like?
- How do we help build a high-performance mindset?
- Why we need to help our players understand how to perform, even if they are seemingly off their game?
- What does a bio-psycho-social approach mean to a coach and the player?
- How can non-expert coaches make a difference using sports psychological interventions?
To find out more about Dan Abrahams, visit him here:
danabrahams.com
@DanAbrahams77
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests: Jonny McMurty coach, coach educator and researcher with Rugby Australia and Queensland University and Peter Hughes, athletic development coach with Ulster Rugby.
This Week's Content
- Jonny McMurty Current Research
- Coaching The Coaches – Jonny McMurty
SUGGESTED CONTENT/WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
- Self Determination Theory and Motivation – Kendra Cherry
- Centre for Self Determination Theory – CSDT
- Positive Psychology Theory In A Nutshell – Catarina Lino
- 6 Psychology Theories You Can Practise in Everyday Life – Marie Skelton
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests: Zane Winslade, author of the Mental Toughness Journal, mental performance coach with Flow Sport and coach and Kyle McLean, coach developer, educator, owner of The Coaching Gig and coach.
THIS WEEK'S CONTENT
The Mental Toughness Journal – Zane Winslade
SUGGESTED CONTENT/WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
- The Coaching Gig – Kyle McLean
- The Coaching Gig Junior Rugby Resource – Kyle Mclean
- Flow Sport – Zane Winslade
- Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World – Cal Newport
- Eat That Frog: Get More of the Important Things Done Today! - Brian Tracy
- Revisiting Masters (1992): Implicit Motor Learning – Tim Buszard
- The Epic Story of Implicit Motor Learning – Professor Rich Master
Dan hosts a discussion between Professor Rob Gray and Dr Mike Ashford about how players make decisions.
The discussion is based on a paper that Mike wrote reviewing different academic approaches to decision-making:
Understanding a Player’s Decision-Making Process in Team Sports: A Systematic Review of Empirical Evidence
https://doi.org/10.3390/sports9050065
Rob Gray suggests that the role of ecological dynamics needs to be viewed differently from the paper's conclusions.
During the discussion, we explore different views on information processing and ecological dynamics, with reference to various coaching and game scenarios.
Rob is associate Professor of Human Systems Engineering at Arizona State University and host of the Perception & Action Podcast, which has over 350 episodes. He is also of author of How We Learn to Move: A Revolution in the Way We Coach & Practice Sports Skills, also available as an audio book. Follow Rob @ShakeyWaits Mike is a lecturer in Sport Coaching at Coventry University. His research interests include player and coach decision making, coach development and understanding how we can shape effective learning environments. Mike completed his PhD at Leeds Beckett University.
Follow Mike @MAGreyMattersUK
Here are some of the key links from the pod.
From Mike:
- frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.609127/full My study exploring player decision making in rugby union alongside Andy and Jamie.
- https://tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1612197X.2021.1907768 Rosie, Dave and Howies' study exploring premiership rugby union players decision making.
- https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-sport-psych-show/id1434313037?i=1000548775303 My podcast with Dan Abrahams exploring the systematic literature review study and my decision making study
From Rob:
- My review of Mike's paper: https://perceptionaction.com/386/
- Ecological approach imagery: https://perceptionaction.com/337/
- Strong anticipation: https://perceptionaction.com/336/
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests:Jenny Coe, West Ham Women's Head of Performance and Wellbeing and Liz Burkinshaw, Learning and Development Professional and Innovation Officer, Sports Leaders.
This Week's Content
Myths of Sports Coaching – Amy Whitehead and Jenny Coe
ThinkerToys: A Handbook of Creative-Thinking Techniques – Michael Michalko
SUGGESTED CONTENT/WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
Thinkpak: A Brainstorming Card Deck – Michael Michalko
Rebel Ideas: The Power of Thinking Differently – Matthew Syed
Google Jamboard – Google
28 Days of Creative Thinking Thread - Liz Burkinshaw
Dan speaks to Paul Gustard, now defence coach at Benetton, formerly England defence coach, Harlequins head coach and coach with Saracens.
Paul, who won two England caps and represented the Barbarians, also played for Leicester Tigers, London Irish and Saracens,
They reflect on Paul's journey to Italy and how he feels reinvigorated.
They talk about the following:
- Why do you love coaching?
- What gets players to buy into a coach quickly? Conversely, what puts the players off?
- How you can simplify the way you coach to get more from the players?
- How to change group work to make it more powerful and impactful?
- What's holding back coaches from being better versions of themselves?
- Using a "game face" in coaching and matches.
- You've lost on Saturday in a game you could have won. In training sessions, do you address the errors or move on?
- The contact area seems to be favouring the team that "jackals" best. Where you would focus your coaching tactically and technically to improve your ball retention?
- How do you break down a defence that comes at you?
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests: Ruaridh McConnochie, Bath Rugby and Freddie Clarke, Gloucester Rugby. Both formerly England Students 15s and GB Students 7s.
SUGGESTED CONTENT/WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
I Am....... - Jonny Wilkinson
The Brain Booster with Rupert Spira – Karl Morris
Science for Sport with Josh Fletcher – Matt Soloman
Exploring parent and coach relationships in youth sport: A qualitative study – O'Donnell, Elliott and Drummond (2022)
Dan Cottrell chats to Mike Ford. Mike has been coaching at the top of the professional game for over twenty years, with stints at England and Ireland rugby, Saracens, as head coach at Bath, plus coaching with the British and Irish Lions and RC Toulon.
He also runs his own performance consultancy, which you can find out more about on his LinkedIn profile here.
I really enjoyed Mike's clarity, especially around how he had to convince players and stakeholders about their approach at Bath.
We discuss the following areas:
- The sacrifices of being a professional coach
- How to build a system of play
- What player-led coaching really looks like
- Mentoring your own children (George as an international, Joe and Jacob as young coaches with championship team Doncaster and National League team Bury St Edmonds respectively)
- What detail matters as a coach
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests: Laurence Halsted, former GB Olympic Fencer, former Performance Director for Danish Fencing and currently Director of Mentoring at the True Athlete Project, Dr Jon Rhodes, founding member of Imagery Coaching and lecturer at the University of Plymouth and Richard Cheetham, Senior fellow in Sports Coaching at the University of Winchester and coach developer with a variety of sports.
THIS WEEK'S CONTENT
- Becoming A True Athlete: A Practical Philosophy for Flourshing Through Sport – Laurence Halsted
- Imagery Coaching – Dr Jon Rhodes, ImageryCoaching.com
SUGGESTED CONTENT/WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
- The Tough Stuff: Seven Hard Truths About Being A Head Coach – Cody Royle
- The Energy Bus: 10 Rules to Fuel Your Life, Work, and Team with Positive Energy – Jon Gordon
- Life Lessons: From Sport and Beyond with Laurence Halsted - Simon Mundie
- Life Lesson: From Sport and Beyond with Johann Hari – Simon Mundie
Dan catches up with one of the most experienced coaches and coach educators in rugby, Pete Drewett.
After working with England Rugby since the early 90s, as well as coaching international age-grade (U21s), Pete went on to help build the Exeter Chiefs ready for their ascension into the top league. With stints in high-performance with Hong Kong and Georgia, plus working at the WRU, he is now a World Rugby High Performance consultant developing Kenyan rugby and their ambitions to play in the next World Cup.
Having coached Dan at Exeter University in the late 80s(!), they discuss the following areas:
- Some of the greats of England Rugby coach education, including Don Rutherford and Chalky White.
- What's stayed the same and what's changed since then in coach education.
- Using Mosston's Teaching Styles.
- How to develop as a coach.
- The highs and lows of being a professional coach.
- What makes Rob Baxter, the current Chiefs coach, so good at what he does.
He also runs his own performance consultancy, Perform 2XL. For more information, contact him on peterdrewett@perform2xl.co.uk
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests: Alex Guest, Head of Rugby at City of Oxford College (Wasps Rugby ACE programme) and Cail Cookland, assistant coach at City of Oxford College (Wasps Rugby ACE programme)
This Week’s Content
- Life Under Fire – Jason Fox
- Threshold Concepts – Dave Piggott
SUGGESTED CONTENT/WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
- Putting Bumps in the Road: Optimising the Pathway to Excellence – Collins, Macnamara and McCarthy (2016)
- Super Champions, Champions and Almosts: Important Differences and Commonalities on the Rocky Road - Collins, Macnamara and McCarthy (2016)
- Initial identification & selection bias versus the eventual confirmation of talent: Evidence for the benefits of a rocky road? - McCarthy and Collins
- TGFU: Back to the Basics – Dave Piggott
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests:Jack Rolfe, Owner of The Coaching Lab and Coach and James Clark, owner of JRC Coaching and Oxford University Women's Assistant Coach.
This Week's Content
- Chasing Mavericks
- Justin Langer Resignation – ESPN CricInfo
SUGGESTED CONTENT/WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
- Justin Langer Resignation Letter – ESPN Cricinfo
- Making Mavericks – Frosty Hesson
- The Coaching Lab – Jack Rolfe
- The Coaching Lab Podcast – Jack Rolfe
Dan chats with head of the Dragon Academy, Dai Rees about his coaching experiences in a long career, including Dragons Regional Coach, stints as Wales Sevens and Wales U21s coach, heading up the rugby development and high performance the Hong Kong RU, as well as working within the WRU high performance platform and most recently as head of rugby at Seaford College.
He has just launched Red Road Coaching Partnership, and we touch on how mental skills and preparation for competition is so vital in the modern era.
Topics include:
- Making coaching relevant to Gen-Z players
- What he would include in his bible of skills
- What a training session would look like to get more from the players
- What are his principles of play
- How his coaching fits into the learning cycle
- And lots of practical ways to assess your coaching and make more of a difference with your players
To find out more about Red Road Coaching partnership, click here
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests: Peter Thomas, Lewes Hockey Club coach, Happy Hockey owner and coach, Neil Plimmer, Jolf owner and Coach and Tom Shuttleworth, Rhino Sports Coach owner and coach.
This Week’s Content
- Women's, Girl's and Family Participation in Golf – R&A
- The CPC AB Model - CPC
SUGGESTED CONTENT/WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
- Jolf.Golf – Neil Plimmer
- The Jolf Man – Neil Plimmer
- Diary of a CEO – Stephen Bartlett
- Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking – Susan Cain
- Rhino Sports Academy – Tom Shuttleworth
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests:Dan Lycett, Head of Sport at St Davids School, Coach with RGC (North Wales academy team) and Ross Williams, conditioning coach at St Davids School and coach with RGC.
This Week's Content
- Wayfinding: The Science and Mystery of How Humans Navigate the World – M.R. O'Connor
- Coaching Athletes to Be Their Best: Motivational Interviewing in Sports - Stephen Rollnick
SUGGESTED CONTENT/WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
- Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers - MINT
- How Motivational Interviewing Works – Royal College of Nursing
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests: Josh Fletcher, experienced wellness practitioner with Formula 2, professional rugby, and the Special Forces and Finn Kelly, rugby coach, current BSc coaching student and host of the Athlete Wellness podcast.
This Week’s Content
A Paradox of Wellbeing
SUGGESTED CONTENT/WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
- The Wellness Paradox: The Stress of Being Healthy – PsychAlive
- The Athlete Welfare podcast – Finn Kelly
- Performance Practitioner Wellness Journals – Josh Fletcher
- Roundup Rodeo with Simon Mundie, Sam Jarman and Andy Morrison – Phil Llewellyn
- Life Lessons and Beyond with Rupert Spire – Simon Mundie
- Practitioner Wellbeing Facebook Community – Josh Fletcher
Bird and LJ caught with Rachel Lund, former England international and now a Gloucester-Hartpury player who is studying to become a physio.
They asked her about the following:
- Her journey from minis player to premiership.
- Combining and juggling her commitments as an international and club player whilst studying full time for a degree.
- Whether she would have changed to a full-time contract if she had been offered it.
- The importance of having many career options.
- Her current degree in physiotherapy.
- How her degree combines with her sport.
Rachel began playing for Malton & Norton RUFC in North Yorkshire when she was 6 years old.
In 2013 she began studying Sports Therapy at the University of Worcester and began playing for Worcester Ladies in the Premiership.
In the 2014-15 season, she played for the England U20s at full back. Later that year she was capped by England Seniors whilst on tour in Canada in 2015 and was an EPS player for the 2015-16 season.
Following her studies she began a full time Academy Sports Therapy role at Hartpury College, and in this role, moved from Worcester Ladies to sign for Gloucester-Hartpury in 2017.
She has recently begun a masters in Physiotherapy and plans to play alongside her degree at Gloucester-Hartpury.
Bird and LJ catch up with England Women's assistant coach, Amy Turner.
Amy played 59 times for England, at scrum-half, centre and hooker. She played in three World Cups and helped England win seven Six Nations Grand Slams.
She is currently a World Rugby intern. Formerly a police officer, she worked for the RFU as a Performance Pathway Officer and coached men's rugby too.
Here are the questions Bird and LJ asked Amy:
- You had a very success playing career alongside 10 years in the police. How did you balance both aspects of your life? (Any tips you can offer to developing coaches or players on how to manage your time and still achieve your goals?)
- As a player you were capped at 9/12/2, do you think this was a positive experience personally and for your development as a player? Does this now directly influence how you look at the positioning of players?
- Do you have any moments that really shaped how you now approach your coaching? Specially thinking about situations of conflict or challenging behaviours.
- Throughout your playing career, can you think of any coaches or situations that have developed you into the coach you are now?
- As you develop your coaching now, have you had any mentors/people/moments to continue pushing/challenging your philosophy as a coach?
- You have experience coaching both men and women, do you have to approach how you plan your sessions differently, or adapt your coaching style on field?
- Can you tell us a little bit about your experiences on the world rugby internship program?
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests: Carl Woods, senior research fellow in skill acquisition at Victoria University and Ben Franks, lecturer in applied coaching science at Oxford Brookes University, coach analyst with Gillingham Women's Football club.
THIS WEEK’S CONTENT
- Making - Tim Ingold
- The Design of Everyday Things – Donald Norman
SUGGESTED CONTENT/WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
- Inverting the Pyramid – Jonathan Wilson
- How Shall Affordances Be Refined?: Four Perspectives: A Special Issue of Ecological Psychology– Keith Jones
- Wayfinding: How Ecological Perspectives of Navigating Dynamic Environments Can Enrich Our Understanding of the Learner and the Learning Process in Sport – Woods, Rudd, Robertson & Davids (2020)
- Considerations for Coaching Female Football Players: A Brief Review and Implications for Practice – Franks, Pitchers & Prosser (2021)
- An investigation of high-performance team sport coaches’ planning practices – Kinnerk, Kearney, Harvey & Lyons (2021)
FREE ONLINE COURSES
- Empowering the athlete: The coach-athlete partnership – Professor Sophia Jowett
- Podium Psychology: How Negative Emotion Helps You To Perform At Your Best – Hugh Gilmore
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests: Sam Larner, Rugby Analyst, writer, rugby content creator and coach, and Brian Fitzpatrick, Rugby Analyst with Agen Rugby and owner of BF Sports Analysis.
This Week’s Content
- Band of Brothers Episode 1 and 2 – HBO
- The Only Rule Is It Has to Work – Ben Lindbergh
SUGGESTED CONTENT/WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
- The Numbers Game – Chris Anderson
- Hitting Against The Spin – Nathan Leamon
- Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game – Michael Lewis
- The Art of Smart Football – Chris Brown
- Whiteboard Rugby on Twitter – Sam Larner
- Whiteboard Rugby on Instagram – Sam Larner
Dan catches up England's new defence coach, Australian former rugby league player and top level RL coach, Anthony Seibold. Now taking a short break at home after helping England with their unbeaten autumn campaign, Anthony chats to Dan about the following:
- How Eddie Jones wanted Anthony look at England's defence as well as other teams.
- How to attack against a blitz defence.
- Using "big rocks" as a basis for training.
- How to disrupt a good kicking team, like the Springboks.
- Using small-sided games in training.
- An example of a kick-pressure game you can use.
- When to work on technical skills in a busy week of training.
- What to observe in training to make a difference.
- Using elements of Doug Lemov's guidance on session design.
- The analogy of 10 tennis balls, and how it can help create clarity in your team.
- How to be curious, and how to make it work for you.
If you want to find out more about his reference to tunnel ball, visit our explanation here.
Anthony was head coach of the Brisbane Broncos and South Sydney Rabbitohs in Australia's NRL competition. He has also coached at a number of clubs including: Manly Sea Eagles, Melbourne Storm and worked as an assistant for Queensland in the State of Origin series.
His playing career included spells in England with Hull KR and London Broncos, along with Canberra Raiders and Brisbane Broncos in NRL. He was most recently coaching mentor at the Newcastle Knights NRL team.
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests: Alison Payne, executive coach and mentor, equestrian and paddle sports coach and Gary Laybourne, CEO Coach Core, track and field and academy football coach.
SUGGESTED CONTENT/WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
- The Captains Class: The Hidden Force Behind the Worlds Best Teams – Sam Walker
- Thinking Fast and Slow – Daniel Kahneman
- How We Learn to Move: A Revolution in the Way We Coach & Practice Sports Skills – Rob Gray
- The Luck Factor: The Scientific Study of the Lucky Mind – Richard Wiseman
- The Real science of Sport Podcast – Ross Tucker and Mike Finch
- The Perception & Action Podcast – Rob Gray
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests: Stuart Dixon, Programme lead for Yorkshire Rugby Academy and Alex Grieve, Developing Player Programme lead Yorkshire Rugby Academy.
This week’s content
- Assessing and Evaluating Player Performance and Potential: The Influence of Age. In: Rugby Football Union Player Pathway Conference – Till, K. (2019)
- Challenges and [Possible] Solutions to Optimizing Talent Identification and Development in Sport– Till,K. (2020)
- The Long-Term Athlete Development model: Physiological evidence and application – Till, et al., (2011)
- Considering maturation status and relative age in the longitudinal evaluation of junior rugby league players - Till, et al., (2013)
SUGGESTED CONTENT/WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
- Why We Need Sadness (thread) - Hugh Gilmore, Podium Psychology
- Perform Beyond Pressure (thread) – Rich Hudson, Author Perform Beyond Pressure
- Team Maturity (thread) – Cody Royle
- The Sports Initiative Podcast with Rich Hudson – Hosted by Sam Hudson
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests: Adam Gorman, senior lecturer in skill acquisition at Queensland University of Technology, Alex Lascu, lecturer in skill acquisition and performance psychology and PhD candidate at the University of Canberra and Rob Mason, coach developer with Port Adelaide AFL club and researcher in feedback and communication.
This week’s content
- Enskilment: an Ecological-Anthropological Worldview of Skill, Learning and Education in Sport – Woods, Rudd, Gray & Davids, (2021)
- Videos Rules For Coaches – Doug Lemov and Codex Analysis
SUGGESTED CONTENT/WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
- Constraints Led Approach: Principles for Sports Coaching and Practise Design – Renshaw et al, (2019)
- Dynamics of Skill Acquisition: An Ecological Dynamics Approach – Button et al (2020)
- Nonlinear Pedagogy in Skill Acquisition; An Introduction – Chow et al (2015)
- “Train how you play”: Using representative learning design to train amateur cricketers – Lascu et al (2021)
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
The tables are turned this week as editor of Rugby Coach Weekly Dan Cottrell joins Phil to interview him on the Roundup, its journey so far and what the future may hold.
Recommended Roundup Episodes
- Roundup Rodeo with Mike Ashford, Danny Newcombe and Luke Taylor
- Roundup Rodeo with Pete Olousaga, Elliott Newell and Hugh Gilmore
- Roundup Rodeo with Chris Jones and Tim Jones
- Roundup Rodeo with Simon Mundie, Andy Morrison and Sam Jarman
SUGGESTED CONTENT/WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
- Silenced by Fear - Kish-Gerpart, Detert, Trevino & Edmondson, (2009)
- The Evolution of Rugby Analysis – George Serrallach
- The Talent Equation with Dr Andy Pitchford – Stuart Armstrong
- Eighty Percent Mental Special on Racism in Sport with John Amaechi – Dr Pete Olousaga
Dan Cottrell speaks to Ryan Martin about his journey to attack coach with Super Rugby team, the Melbourne Rebels.
Ryan started out with Otago U10s, working his way up through the pro-game, including coaching with the New England Freejacks in the US pro-league.
In the podcast, they discuss the following:
- Ryan's journey, what's changed and what's stayed the same.
- The principles that work with U10s and pro-players.
- How does skill acquisition work for Ryan.
- How do you coach the drop punt.
- How to narrow the focus in each session and use feedback effectively.
- The balance between discovery and direct instruction.
- How coaches like Wayne Smith provide inspiration.
- The role of theming in coaching.
- The way that a weakness was identified in passing for one player, and then how that was improved over six weeks.
- The performance playground.
- The use of the S-line to improve passing, and some of the essentials around passing.
- What you should work on from the very start when you are coaching passing.
- Making training realistic and the use of perception-action coupling.
If you want to drop Ryan a line, his Twitter handle is @CoachRyanMartin where he also shares lots of great training footage.
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests: Sam Jarman, player and coach developer in golf, rugby, cricket and football, Andy Morrison, pro golf mental performance coach and Simon Mundie, broadcaster in radio and TV, host of the Don't Tell Me The Score and Life Lessons from Sport and Beyond podcasts and aspiring author.
The team pick out the key takeaways from each piece of great content and discuss how it can be applied to coaching.
This week’s content
- Life Lessons From Sport and Beyond with Jonny Wilkinson - Simon Mundie
- Life Lessons From Sport and Beyond with Rupert Spira - Simon Mundie
- The High Performance Podcast with Jonny Wilkinson – Jake Humphrey and Damien Hughes
SUGGESTED CONTENT/WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
- The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment – Eckhart Tolle
- A New Earth: The life-changing follow up to The Power of Now – Eckhart Tolle
- Syd Banks – Syd Banks website
- The Three Principles reading list – Syd Banks
- Francis Lucile – Francis Lucile Website
- The World is a University – Francis Lucile
Study Opportunity – Please help out and complete
Perfectionism and Wellbeing in Coaches – Newcastle University
Dan Cottrell catches up with one of the leading researchers on using games in training, Shane Pill. Shane is Associate Professor in Physical Education and Sport at Flinders University, Australia, a practising coach, coach developer and author of many papers around sports coaching. A list of some of his most recent work is below this post.
The discussion in the podcast explores the following:
- Do we need to know the difference between the different approaches to using games in training, for example, between games-based approaches, constraints-led approaches, games-sense and gamification?
- How "games" differ for novices and experts.
- When does coaching happen within a game.
- When you need to breakout of the game and for what reasons.
- How Shane has developed his approach to coaching through games in his experiences working in schools.
- Why we need to plan questions for games and not get distracted by the game in training.
- The impact of different groups of "learners" on the style of your coaching (and this isn't about learning styles).
- Applying Mossten's teaching styles in a game-based training session.
- How not all your sessions should be about learning.
- How games can be used for recall and rehearsal as well as learning.
Follow Shane on Twitter
@pilly66
And on LinkedIN
Links mentioned in the podcast:
Eric Worthington
Blackwell Golf
Some examples of Shane's most recent research papers/book contributions.
Pill, S. (2021). Introduction: games-based coaching. In Perspectives on game-based coaching (pp.xvii-xxviii).Routledge.
Pill, S. & SueSee, B. (2021). The game sense approach as play with purpose. InPerspectives on game-based coaching (pp.1-10).Routledge.
Hewitt, M. & Pill, S. (2021). Exploring pedagogical tensions: providing practical examples for tennis coaches to navigate a shift to game-based coaching. In Perspectives on game-based coaching (pp.96-107).Routledge.
Pill, S. & Reynolds, D. (2021).Exploring coach educators’ experiences with developing game-based coaching. Perspectives on game-based coaching (pp.108-116). Routledge.
Pill, S. (2021). Reconciling approaches: Informing game sense pedagogy with a constraints-led perspective. In Game Sense for Teaching and Coaching: International Perspectives. Routledge.
Curry, C., & Pill, S. (2021). Concluding thoughts: Game Sense for teaching and coaching globally. In Game Sense for Teaching and Coaching: International Perspectives. Routledge.
Agnew, D. & Pill, S. (2021). Creating caring environments: An exploration of football managers and coaching. Sports Coaching Review, Published online: 18 Mar 2021
Cruickshank, V., Pill, S., & Mainsbridge, C. (2021). Just do some physical activity. Exploring experiences of teaching physical education online during Covid-19. Issues in Educational Research, 31(1), 76-93.
Williams, J., Pill, S., & Hewitt, M. (2021). I think everyone is on board with changing how we do things, but we are yet to find a best fit model: A figurational study of assessing games and sport in physical education. Sport Education and Society, 26(3), 253-266
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests: Mike Rogers, Waikato Women's head coach, former Bay of Plenty senior and U19 coach and host Inside Running coach learning series and Jay Carter, Golf New Zealand National Coach and host Talking Performance podcast.
The team pick out the key takeaways from each piece of great content and discuss how it can be applied to coaching.
This week’s content
Belonging - Owen Eastwood
Talking Performance podcast with Carl Sheridan – Jay Carter
SUGGESTED CONTENT/WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
Talking Performance Podcast – Jay Carter
Inside Running Coach Learning Series – Mike Rogers
The Sport Psych Show with Elliott Newell and Craig Morris – Dan Abrahams
Videos Rules For Coaches – Doug Lemox and Codex Analysis
Where Other Won't with Doug Lemov and Todd Beane – Cody Royle
Positive Teacher Relationships – University of Edinburgh
How to Work with a Manipulative Person – Harvard Business Review
Study Opportunity – Please help out and complete
Perfectionism and Wellbeing in Coaches – Newcastle University
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests: Andy Plimer host Rugby Coaches Corner podcast, PE teacher and Concordia University Women's coach and Luke Gromer, host of The Coaches Club podcast, English teacher and basketball coach.
The team pick out the key takeaways from each piece of great content and discuss how it can be applied to coaching.
This week’s content
- Any Given Team – Ray McLean
- The Coaches Guide to Teaching Study Guide – Luke Gromer
SUGGESTED CONTENT/WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
- Fear Less – Pippa Grange
- The Coaches Guide to Teaching – Doug Lemov
- The Culture Code – Daniel Coyle
- Dare to Lead - Brene Brow
- Mindset – Carol Dweck
- Developing Decision Makers – Lynn Kidman
- Mind Gym – Gary Mack
- The Coaches Club Podcast – Luke Gromer
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests: James Hamilton Director of Rugby at Nottingham High School and Andy Drummond Head of Athletic Development at Nottingham High School
The team pick out the key takeaways from each piece of great content and discuss how it can be applied to coaching.
This week’s content
- Building Successful Coach Athlete Relationships – Sophia Jowett
- 40 Years with a Whistle – Life Lessons from the Field of Play – Dan John
SUGGESTED CONTENT/WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
- The Long Win - Cath Bishop
- The Dan John Podcast – Dan John
- The Real Science of Sport Podcast: Should Rugby reduce the number of substitutes to lower injury risk? - Professor Ross Tucker
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests: Cal Jones, Judo Coach and Anthony Hill, Director of Rugby at Nailsea and Backwell RFC, Bristol Bears DPP coach
The team pick out the key takeaways from each piece of great content and discuss how it can be applied to coaching.
This week’s content
- Representative Learning Design and Functionality of Research and Practice in Sport – Pinder, Davids, Renshaw & Araujo, (2011)
- Return to Contact with Richie Gray - Magic Academy
SUGGESTED CONTENT/WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
- The Talent Equation – Stuart Armstrong
- UK Coaching
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests: Michael Wright, Southampton FC Academy Coach and The Sports Initiative Podcast Host and David Kilcoyne, PE Teacher and Head of Rugby at Desborough College.
The team pick out the key takeaways from each piece of great content and discuss how it can be applied to coaching.
This week’s content
- The Playbook (Netflix) – Partick Mouratoglou
- Developing Gen Z at Ealing Trailfinders Academy – Jack Campbell
SUGGESTED CONTENT/WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
- Distorted Expectations are Ruining Your Reality – Steve Magness, The Growth Equation
- Empathy Is The Most Important Leadership Skill – Tracy Brower, Forbes
- How to Stop Languishing and Start Finding Flow – Adam Grant TedTalk
- How to Overcome Pressure – insights from monsters under the bed – Rich Hudson
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests: Tim Jones, director of The Developer Tribe, Stirling Ladies University Football Club, PhD student at Stirling University and Chris Jones, private tutor with Core Learning Tutoring in Jersey, former primary school teacher and mental health first aider.
The team pick out the key takeaways from each piece of great content and discuss how it can be applied to coaching.
This week's content:
Call for Coaches: Coaching Social and Emotional Skills in Youth Sports – Aspen Institute
SUGGESTED CONTENT/WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
- The Developer Tribe – Tim Jones
- Roundup Rodeo with Ed Hall - Rugby Coach Weekly
- Dr Alan Dunton. Skill Acquisition. Utilising Constraints To Enhance Coaching. Agility Or Change Of Direction. Occlusion Goggles – The Fallowers
- Dr Ed Cope & Prof Chris Cushion - Redefining Direct Instruction in Coaching Part 2 – The Sports Psych Show, Dan Abrahams
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests: Nick Davey, Director of Hockey at Sedbergh School and England Hockey performance centre head coach, Beckie Middleton former England and Great Britain hockey international, Guildford Men's 1st team head coach and coach educator and Helen Weston, Lymm Hockey Club head coach, England Hockey performance pathway coach and teaching assistant specialising in Maths, English and PE.
The team pick out the key takeaways from each piece of great content and discuss how it can be applied to coaching.
This week’s content
- A Boy in the Water – Tom Gregory
- The Long Win – Cath Bishop
- Move!: The New Science of Body Over Mind – Caroline Williams
SUGGESTED CONTENT/WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
- Frank Dick – What is Winning?
- Fear Less: How to Win Your Way in Work and Life - Pippa Grange
- Running with the Kenyans: Discovering the secrets of the fastest people on earth – Adharanand Finn
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests: Nic Evans, Course lead for Physical Education and Youth Development at St Mary's University, Level 4 Rugby Coach and Joe Harwood, Bristol Bears Community Foundation Community Coach, Level 3 Coach.
The team pick out the key takeaways from each piece of great content and discuss how it can be applied to coaching.
This week’s content
- Caring teaching and the complexity of building good relationships as pedagogies for social justice in health and physical education – Moen & Gerdin, (2019)
- Big Shot - Disney
SUGGESTED CONTENT/WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
- 10 Bell Hooks books that are a must read – Bell Hooks
- Care research by Nel Noddings – Nel Noddings
- Care research by Colum Cronin – Colum Cronin
- Eightypercentmental Olympic Review – Pete Olusoga and Hugh Gilmore
- Dave Collins Deep Dives with Simon Nainby – Rugby Coach Weekly
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guest: Jess Bunyard, Editor Women's Rugby Coaching magazine, Head of women's and girls rugby and assistant academy coach at Huddersfield RUFC.
The team pick discuss their experiences of pre-season so far, how the return from Covid has been managed and it's impact on planning and delivery.
Women's Rugby Coaching – Rugby Coach Weekly
SUGGESTED CONTENT/WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
How To Sustain Success ft Adam Peaty - From Paper to Podium
How Humble Leadership Really Works – Harvard Business Review
Doing hybrid management work in elite sport: the case of a head coach in top-level rugby union – Hall et al, (2020)
Effective Sports Coaching: A Systematic Integrative Review – Mills and Clements (2021)
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guest:
Dan Cox, Lecturer at SGS Filton, Phd Student at Edinburgh University, Old Redcliffians RFC Head Coach, Bristol Bears Pathway Coach and Somerset RFU Senior Men's Head Coach.
Dan and Phil discuss their experiences of pre-season so far, how the return from Covid has been managed and it's impact on planning and delivery.
SUGGESTED CONTENT/WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
- Can You Be Great Without Being Obsessed?
- How have Dual Career Athletes Coped During the Covid-19 Pandemic?The 18 best motivational podcasts that could change your life
- The emergence and perpetuation of a destructive culture in an elite sport in the United Kingdom
- You Can’t Know What You Need Until You Know What You’ve Got – Jack Dodd
Dave Collins is a Professorial Fellow at the University of Edinburgh and director at Grey Matters Performance Ltd. As an academic, Dave has over 350 peer review publications and 70 books/chapters. As a practitioner, he has worked with over 80 World or Olympic medallists plus professional teams and performers. He has coached to national level in three sports, is a 5th Dan Karate, Director of the Rugby Coaches Association, Fellow of the Society of Martial Arts and BASES, Associate Fellow of the BPS and an ex Royal Marine.
https://www.greymattersuk.com/
info@greymattersuk.com
In this Deep Dive we discuss all things mentoring:
- What does mentoring mean to Dave?
- The importance of Conditional Knowledge - "It Depends"
- What happens when there is a mismatch between mentor/mentee expectations of how the relationship should work
- Letting go as a mentor and aiming to make yourself redundant
- The difference between Competencies and Competence - developing expertise through mixed mode mentoring
- Dave's research on professional judgement and decision making and its use as a framework for coaches
- Naturalistic and Classical Decision Making - high stakes, fast decisions and slow deliberate thinking
- Using Classical Decision Making to aid Naturalistic Decision Making under pressure
- The big five questions coaches can use to reflect on their decision making process. What did you do? Why with what goals? What alternatives did you consider? What would have changed in the context to make you choose an alternative? How will you know and when that you've made the right decision?
- The Applied Cognitive Task Analysis framework as a tool of reflective practice
- Assessing the effectiveness of a mentor/mentee relationship - process vs outcomes
- Two way challenge in the mentor/mentee relationship - the Zone of Uncomfortable Debate
Research mentioned:
Making Mentoring Work: The Need for Rewiring Epistemology - https://bit.ly/MakingMentoringWork
The importance of an effective mentor in developing Coach expertise https://bit.ly/ReflectionInMentoring
Professional Judgment and Decision Making: The Role of Intention for Impact - https://bit.ly/PJDMCollinsMartindale
Muscular collision chess: A qualitative exploration of the role and development of cognition, understanding, and knowledge in elite level decision making - https://bit.ly/MuscularCollisionChess
Developing coaches’ professional judgement and decision making: Using the ‘Big 5’ - https://bit.ly/PJDMBig5
Professional Judgement & Decision Making in Sport: To Jump or not to Jump - https://bit.ly/PJDMJumpOrNot
Cognition at the Crime Scene: Identifying Cognitive Demands on Professional Judgement & Decision Making in Expertise of Crime Scene Examiners - https://bit.ly/AppliedCognitiveTaskAnalysis
Host Phil Llewellyn in a departure from the Rodeo, reflects on what he's learned from coaching during a week on Sedbergh Courses.
This week's guests:
Jason Duffy, Sedbergh Courses Manager and Adam Gallagher, Rugby Coach at Trent College and Sedbergh Courses.
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests:
Ian Ridge, Community Football Coach and Sports Coaching Masters Student at Worcester University and Tom Reid, Head Coach Stourbridge Ladies Football Club and Sports Coaching Masters Student at Worcester University.
The team pick out the key takeaways from each piece of great content and discuss how it can be applied to coaching.
This week's content
- Threshold Concepts in Physical Education – Fiona Chambers
- Determinants of Cycling Performance: a Review of the Dimensions and Features Regulating Performance in Elite Cycling Competitions - Kathryn Phillips and William Hopkins
SUGGESTED CONTENT/WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
- Threshold Concepts in Practise – Ray Land
- On Point – Disney Plus
- When Eagles Dare - Amazon Prime
Dan Cottrell speaks to awarding winning coaches Dan Lycett and Ross Williams about their approach to coaching. Dan is head of PE and Sport and Ross is head of Athletic Development at St David's College, in North Wales.
They've won the Independent Schools Association award for outstanding sport (small school) and been nominated for the Independent Schools Association award for innovation, recognising their provision during lockdown.
We chat about how they have introduced a more ecological approach to their coaching, allowing their players to find meaning and have a more self-determined approach.
In a wide-ranging discussion, here are some of the key topics we covered:
- How do you make fantastic athletes, even with a very diverse group of players
- What is meant by finding meaning and why it is so important
- How do you frontload training
- What is a rich environment and how does this lead to self-determination
- What are the challenges of setting up this type of curriculum
- How long does it take to develop this sort of approach
- Using "bingo" to challenge players helping players to reflect
- Fitting gamification and scaffolding into a session
- What does an ecological approach mean
LINKS
https://www.stephenrollnick.com for more on Motivational Interviewing
Dan speaks to RFU national panel referee Adam Wookey about age grade tackle height changes, ball carrier height laws plus the new 50:22 and drop outs instead of 5m scrums being trialled at international rugby.
They discuss:
- How to referee the tackle height
- What does the ball carrier height into contact mean
- What do both look like
- Why a community referee has one shot, so best ways to deal with that
- How to referee this area sympathetically but firmly
- What are the new laws around the 50:22 kick and how referee that
- What are the new laws around the ball being held up over the line
- How both might allow the game to work more effectively
Links to the Laws
From The Rugby Paper on 50:22 and 5m scrums
From the RFU on tackle height and the ball carrier dip experiment
Dan speaks to Bristol Bears defence coach, Omar Mouneimne.
Omar has coached with the Springbok 7s, the Sharks and Stomers Super Rugby teams, the Italian national team, Stade Francais, Edinburgh, Worcester Warriors as well as plenty of consultancy work.
He set up his coaching website, Whistle-2-Whistle during lockdown, which provides lots of defence coaching resources, plus support and growth leadership for coaches.
In the podcast Omar and Dan cover these topics:
- What do you look for when you first arrive at a new club
- How do change weak tacklers into great tacklers
- How do you energise players to become better defenders
- What are the key techniques good defenders need
- Why do you NOT coach low tackles for young players when the start their tackle journey
- What system do you use at the ruck
- How do you change players into skilful defenders who make better decisions
- Why shouldn't use tackle tubes and ruck shields
- How do you balance contact time in training with keeping fresh for games
Dan speaks to coaches Mike Pope and Rhys Williams about how they've used what they've learned from reading Doug Lemov's book: A Coach's Guide to Teaching.
Here are some of Doug's thoughts after listening to the podcast (more notes on the Rugby Coach Weekly website):
- Until it comes unprompted when we aren’t reminded to think about it, we probably haven’t learned it.
- “Interleaving is always with something you’ve already talked about.” Hugely important clarification for coaches that I hadn’t thought to make… though I will now.
Here are the key areas Dan, Rhys and Mike discussed:
- Rhys's six week plans: how they work in the context of what he took from the book
- Using feedback more effectively: examples, scenarios and maintaining flow in the session. Plus shortening the feedback loop
- How interleaving makes learning stick
- How the Forgetting Curve works for rugby players
- Tough feedback which creates pressure
- Desirable difficulty in training
Rhys is a youth rugby coach, plus works with Saracens DPP.
Mike is a school's head of rugby , senior mens coach, plus a lead coach with Bath DPP.
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests:
Ian Hollingworth, Andy Stevens and Nick Wilkinson all of whom are preparing for the Rugby Advanced Coaching Award.
The team discuss their thoughts and preparation for the up coming England RACA course and this is the first in a four-part series which will follow them across the next 12 months.
SUGGESTED CONTENT/WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
- Understanding Organisational Cultures in Elite Sport - Dr Niels Feddersen (Pt1) - Meaningful Sport Series
- Create great conversation – The Coaching Lab
- The Magic Academy with Doug Lemov
- Coach A Long Social – Wimbledon – UK Sport
- Euro 2020: how football managers and coaches control the narrative
- Neuroscientists Have Discovered a Phenomenon That They Can’t Explain
- Dare to speak your mind and together we flourish
- Simon DeDeo on How Explanations Work and Why They Sometimes Fail
- Taking the Next Step: Ways Forward for Coaching Science
- Understanding Unconscious Bias
- Is It Time To Introduce Emotional Intelligence Into Sports Coaching?
- Talking Performance Episode 51 with Special Guest Ed Coughlan
- The Rogue Monkey Podcast with Richard Cheetham
Nick Scott is director of rugby at Rugby Colorno. He previously spent 20 years helping to build a world respected coaching department at England Rugby, with 9 years as National Coach Development Manager.
We chatted about:
- Why Nick isn't a reflective coach
- When not to use questions
- Speaking a different language in a different country
- Building better relationships with people, not just players
- Changing perceptions for players based on their previous coaching experiences
- Interpreting what fun means
- How to plan your sessions
- Playing full contact at U6s
- How much should we concentrate on "all-court" skillsets for every player
- What Nick's daughter's "rat under the sofa" taught him about the coaching process
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests:
Cody Royle, former Head Coach for Canada Men's AFL, author and coach mentor, Doug Lemov, author and educator and Darren Lewis, former performance analyst and founder of Codex Analysis.
The team pick out the key takeaways from each piece of great content and discuss how it can be applied to coaching.
This week's content:
- Chris Petersen reflects on the busyness, the imbalance, and the ‘out of control’ recruiting grind of college football – The Athletic
- Lessons in Practise from the Seattle Seahawks - Doug Lemov's Field Notes
- Swarms, X-Teams, and Routine vs. Critical Communications – Mission Critical Team Institute Teamcast
SUGGESTED CONTENT/WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
- The Tough Stuff – Cody Royle
- Why Don't Students Like School - Daniel Willingham
- Motivated Teaching – Peps Mccrea
- Belonging: The Ancient Code of Togetherness – Owen Eastwood
- Calling Bullshit: The Art of Scepticism in a Data-Driven World – Carl Bergstrom
Bird and LJ talk to Aileen Richards, who was the first women on the board of directors of Welsh Rugby Union.
Here are the questions posed to Aileen:
- Growing up what were thoughts on a career - did any female role models influence you on your journey?
- Why rugby?
- What is the most memorable event in your career?
- How did you progress to the role of senior exec at Mars? What life experiences provided you with the skills to do this role?
- You’ve been a Welsh rugby fan for over 50 years do you think there are any lessons to learn from the men’s game at community, club and International level?
- From your experience of working in Mars a global company. In terms of brand what do you think needs to happen for women’s rugby to secure more financial backing and access mainstream media?
- What was it like being the first woman on the board of the WRU? How did it happen?
- Where do you feel your influence has created the greatest change in Welsh rugby?
- What would be your advice to any female with a passion for rugby, who wants to support and make rugby a game for everyone about how to get involved at a strategic level in the game? What qualities/skills would they need?
- You’ve just become chair of the new cricket team Welsh Fire. Can you tell us a bit more about this role and set up? What can rugby learn from other sports such a cricket
- What one tip you would give to a young person looking to succeed? What is your next big goal that you would like to achieve?
Aileen Richards is a non-executive Director of WRU. She was a senior Executive with Mars Incorporated until 2015. As executive vice president of Mars, she was responsible for the Human Resources strategy for the company's 85,000 employees and she also led Mars Global Services (Mars IT, Mars Financial Services and Mars Associate Services). In her 30 years with Mars, she also held senior international roles in Procurement and Manufacturing and lived in Washington DC and Brussels.
She is currently an independent non-executive director on several boards, including Mars Nederland, Jacob Douwe Egberts, Pret A Manger and Welsh National Opera. She was also the first woman on the board of directors of the Welsh Rugby Union and chairs the Board of the new Cricket Team Welsh Fire.
She has been a Welsh rugby fan for over 50 years, has travelled to many World Cups. Married with two children, all of whom played rugby.
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests:
Caz Morgan, Senior Analyst with England Rugby, Dan Cooper, Senior Analyst with Bath Rugby and Jack Lawrenson, Senior Analyst with Welsh Rugby Union Women's national team
The team pick out the key takeaways from each piece of great content and discuss how it can be applied to coaching.
This week's content:
- Jane Ludlow – Striking the right balance between innovation, empowerment and the fundamentals- State of Play Series
- Learning Styles & the Importance of Critical Self-Reflection - Tesia Marshik – TedX
- James Smith – Not A Life Coach – James Smith
SUGGESTED CONTENT/WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
- Steve Kerr and Pete Carroll with Brene Brown - The Flying Coach Podcast
- The Culture Code – Daniel Coyle
- Outliers – Malcolm Gladwell
- Deep Work – Cal Newport
- “Learning by Design”: What Sports Coaches can Learn from Video Game Designs
- Using Challenge Cards to Put the Athlete at the Centre of Their Learning
For this episode I’m joined by two coaches I hold in high regard for the information they share and the positive outlook they portray as coaches.
Adam Gillings is U12’s Coach at Bracknell RFC, Kids First Mentor but primarily, dad to his two kids.
Rhys Davies is now a Coach Developer with the RFU after stints at London Irish and the Honourable Artillery Company.
The conversation revolved around a following a player-centred approach especially after such a lay off during lockdown and how to incorporate some session design elements that don’t always spring to mind.
The excellent London Irish Session Design Toolbox gives some great ideas and my guests talk about the Tactical Warfare and Meta-Cognition elements, and how block practice still has its place.
You can find information on the London Irish Session Design Toolbox here.
We also talked about adaptive games following Rhys’ excellent recent article for Rugby Coach Weekly. You can find his article on Fiji Touch here.
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests:
Charlie Hayter, Great Britain Rugby 7s Men's and Women's team leader and assistant coach, Craig Morris, Great Britain Canoe slalom coach and Ian Johns, British Judo Head Para-Olympic Coach.
This week is an Olympic and Para-Olympic special where the team discuss their preparations for the upcoming Games in Tokyo.
SUGGESTED CONTENT/WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
International Performers Podcast – Brian Levenson
Webcast Ecological Dynamics of Skill - Interdisciplinary Centre for the Study of Human Performance
Coaching Project Podcast – TJ Manastersky
A systematic review of small sided games within rugby: Acute and chronic effects of constraints manipulation - Zanin et al, (2021)
What Cognitive Mechanism, When, Where, and Why? Exploring the Decision Making of University and Professional Rugby Union Players During Competitive Matches – Ashford, Abraham & Poolton, (2021)
Coach Well-being: Taking Time for Yourself – UK Coaching
Alan Dymock is Features Editor of Rugby World Magazine. He specialises in long-reads and detailed studies, as well as stories of far-flung events and quirky characters.
In this Deep Dive, we discuss Alan's features on pain killer and performance-enhancing drug use in rugby.
- Alan's playing background & how he transitioned to journalism
- Why Alan decided to investigate doping
- Did Alan have any apprehension about investigating such a thorny issue?
- Where did the investigation start?
- Why do players take banned substances?
- Pain killer use and the slippery slope of their use
- The advances in medical science that have occurred around pain & how we should be looking to the long term and psychological interventions Issues around Therapeutic Use Exemptions
- Is there a genuine appetite to catch drug cheats?
- How we should be looking to prevent use rather than catching cheats
- Why we need to constantly re-visit the discussion around doping
- How widespread is doping in rugby?
The features we discuss can be found here:
Doping in rugby: a Rugby World investigation - https://www.rugbyworld.com/countries/france-countries/doping-rugby-41475
Playing through the pain: an investigation into painkiller use in rugby - https://www.rugbyworld.com/news/blogs/playing-pain-investigation-painkiller-use-rugby-77805
Chronic Pain, Cannabis & Rugbyhttps://www.rugbyworld.com/featured/chronic-pain-cannabis-rugby-113821
All of Alan's investigations can be found here -https://www.rugbyworld.com/tag/investigation
Informed Sport Supplement Check Service - https://www.wetestyoutrust.com/
England Rugby Anti Doping & Illicit Drugs - https://www.englandrugby.com/governance/anti-doping-and-illicit-drugs
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests: Jamie Cudmore, Rugby Canada Development Academy Head Coach and Senior Men's Forwards Coach, Scott Manning, Castaway Wanderers Head Coach and Canada U18 Assistant Coach and Sean White, James Bay Athletic Association Head Coach, Canada U18 Backs Coach
The team pick out the key takeaways from each piece of great content and say how to use it on the pitch, at all the levels of the game.
This week's content:
The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters – Priya Parker
Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ – Daniel Goleman
SUGGESTED CONTENT/WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
Brene Brown Podcast – Unlocking Us
Brene Brown – Dare to Lead
The Tough Stuff: Seven Hard Truths About Being a Head Coach – Cody Royle
Understand the Game in its Simplest Form – Cody Royle blog post
Coaching Champions with Dave Hadfield - Coaching Confidential Podcast
Challenges and stresses experienced by athletes and coaches leading up to the Paralympic Games – Dehghansai, Pinder, Baker & Renshaw, (2021)
The Rugby Coaches Corner Podcast with Chris Campbell – Hosted by Andy Plimer
CALL FOR RESEARCH
Call for research participants –
Study 1Survey “A Study on coaching philosophy in rugby union” John Widdowson https://edinburgh.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/a-study-of-the-artifacts-beliefs-values-and-philosophy
Study 2Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) - Global screening of high-performance and recreational athletes - All athletes (male and female, recreational to elite, able-bodied or para-athletes), over the age of 15 are invited to participate in this survey
https://www.surveymonkey.ca/r/REDS-Global
Dan chats to Lisa Lane Brown about how we can practically improve mental toughness with our athletes and players.
Drawing on her experience, first as a world-class ice hockey player and then as a mental skills coaches, she gives us recognisable steps for flipping the switch from nerves into confidence.
She explains her three Cs, why her mother inspired her to shoot more, why do you lose your confidence and how to get it back.
To find out more about Lisa Lane Brown's guides to mental toughness, visit her at Courage to Win.
Rugby Coach Weekly subscribers can download her free guide: Never Choke Again, Stop Losing and Start Winning Today, here.
Lisa Lane Brown is the world’s leading personal success coach using the power of the Courage to Win.® She is famous for helping people create success and unconditional happiness fast, without superficial self-help or never-ending therapy. Entrepreneur Magazine called the Courage to Win®, "A straightforward guide to success, highly recommended."
A 3-time World Champion in her sport, Lisa has worked with over 7,652 executives, Olympic athletes, and high achievers in over 34 countries to help them reach their goals.
Bird and LJ welcome to the podcast Carol Isherwood, OBE.
Carol was a founder member of the women's RFU, captain Great Britain and England international teams in their games. She was the first woman to achieve a L3 coaching award in England and was performance director of women's rugby in England too.
As well as being awarded an OBE for services to women's rugby, she is in the World Rugby Hall of Fame and consults for World Rugby.
They asked Carol the following questions:
- Take us back to 1981 when you first set up a women’s team at Leeds University. What was it like to be a women’s rugby player back then, how hard was it to set up and get people to take Women’s rugby seriously?
- You were the first secretary of the Women’s Rugby Football Union/Board When did the RFU come on board and what were the benefits of merging with them?
- In 1987 you were appointed as National Coaching and development Officer then Technical Director in a voluntary role from 1987-1995 ( 8 years!). Both massive roles: What was your full-time job during this time and how did you manage both roles? (were you still playing then?)
- You held a variety of coaching roles from 1992-1998 and were the first woman to receive the RFU L3 coaching Award. What was it like being the only female on the course? How have things changed for females aspiring to become coaches?
- From 1997-2008 you became a paid Performance Director for the RFUW. What changes did you implement and what were you most proud of achieving in this role?
- In 2009 you became lead in Rugby Performance and Governance for Scotland women’s rugby. What changes did you implement here?
- You are currently a consultant for World Rugby and have set up the women’s high-performance coaching programme. What growth have you seen across the world in terms of female coaches and what needs to happen now in different countries to support this programme?
- What was it like working in the FA? What was the biggest learning/ differences from working in football and rugby?
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests:
Andrew Wilesmith, Chair of Rugby Development with England Schools RFU, John Fletcher, Magic Academy founder, coach and mentor and Russell Earnshaw, Magic Academy founder, coach and mentor.
The team discuss the upcoming England Rugby Schools Age Grade Coach Development days
This week's content:
England Rugby Schools Age Coach Development Days
Booking link here:
http://www.englandrugby-schools.com/dev/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/AGRDD-2021-Registration-Pack.pdf
SUGGESTED CONTENT/WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
Dr Don Vinson & Victoria Huckle - Examining Landscapes of Practice in Sports Coaching – The Sports Psych Show hosted by Dan Abrahams
Speaking of Psychology: Your brain is not what you think it is, with Lisa Feldman Barrett, PhD – American Psychological Association
Don't Tell Me The Score with Billy Monger – hosted by Simon Mundie
The Pyramid of Myth – The Effortful Educator Blog
Why You Need To Hit The Cognitive Threshold – Soma Technologies article
7 (and a half) Myths About Your Brain – Science Focus article
Wittgenstein, AI, and the Emergence of Empathy – Medium.com article
Gavin Grenville Wood on Success in Competitive Golf for Parents and Juniors – On The Mark Golf Podcast
CALL FOR RESEARCH
Call for research participants from John Widdowson – Survey “A Study on coaching philosophy in rugby union.”
https://edinburgh.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/a-study-of-the-artifacts-beliefs-values-and-philosophy
The remarkable and untold story of the 2014 Rugby World Cup winning England side from the view of their coaches, Gary Street and Graham Smith.
In this episode, winning a World Cup twice, watching the same game every week, abandoning a bus on a traffic island, ‘Paul McGinley didn’t coach them did he?’, Alex Payne, Johnny Hammond, Nick Heath’s 'Never Forget' and ‘It wasn’t our choice'.
Gary and Graham speak to Eamonn Hogan and Jess Bunyard.
The producer and editor is Eamonn Hogan.
Credits:
Course of Time – Alex Stoner, Royalty Free
Download Track https://taketones.com/track/course-of...
Music was taken from www.taketones.com.
Canon in D Major by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...)
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-...
Artist: http://incompetech.com/
Katy McLean and Gary Street Post Tournament Interviews
England Rugby You Tube Video / O2 Inside Line
20 Aug 2014
Gary Street Stand Down Announcement
Sky Sports News Video
https://www.skysports.com/watch/video/sports/rugby-union/9673185/street-steps-down/more/9
BROADCAST DATE: 25th January 2015
Jerusalem
Composed Sir Hubert Parry (died 1918) / Edward Elgar (died 1934)
Words: William Blake (died 1827)
ROYAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
Provided to YouTube by The Orchard Enterprises
Music Publisher: Public Domain
Percussion powerful action sport strong beat No copyright music
Audio Junction
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzz9JutOt38
Matches
Audio taken from: World Rugby Video You Tube Channel
Commentary: Jonny Hammond and Sue Day
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests: Cath Bishop, Olympic rower, silver medallist, author of The Long Win, Rachel Hooper learning, education and development manager for British Rowing, former coaching education advisor for UK Coaching and Katelynn Slade, PhD student at Loughborough University with a research focus on challenging situations in the coach athlete relationship.
The team pick out the key takeaways from each piece of great content and say how to use it on the pitch, at all the levels of the game.
This week's content:
- “I know what is it like to be at rock bottom”, Shanaze Reade – Rouleur
- The Happiness Advantage - Shawn Achor - Tedx
- Care in Sport Coaching: Pedagogical Cases – Colum Cronin
SUGGESTED CONTENT/WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
- The Long Win – Cath Bishop
- Don't Tell Me The Score – Simon Mundie
- Think Again 'The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know' – Adam Grant
- Sports Stories - Dave Levine
- Last Chance U – Netflix
- Athletic Development 'A Psychological Perspective' – Caroline Heaney, Nichola Kentzer and Ben Oakley
- The Shortest Guide to Dealing with Emotions – Stephen Hayes
- Why Coach Wellbeing Matters - MVMT
Call for research participants from Katelynn Slade – Any high performance athletes with experiences of dealing with de-selection please get in touch with Katelynn at K.Slade@lboro.ac.uk
The remarkable and untold story of the 2014 Rugby World Cup winning England side from the view of their coaches, Gary Street and Graham Smith.
In this episode, approaches to the selection of Captain, why its not a sacrifice to play for your country, ‘you’re not fit to wear the shirt’, guns, bullets and the team begin their journey at the 2014 Rugby World Cup in France.
Gary and Graham speak to Eamonn Hogan and Jess Bunyard.
The producer and editor is Eamonn Hogan.
All Match Audio taken from: World Rugby YouTube Page
Commentary: Jonny Hammond
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests: Greg Mannion, Leicester Tigers Junior Academy Manager, Ben Lazenby, Former Leeds Carneige Academy Manager and Tony Fretwell, Womens Super League FA Head of Academies.
The team pick out the key takeaways from each piece of great content and say how to use it on the pitch, at all the levels of the game.
This week's content:
- 'What if Money Was No Object' – Alan Watts
- The High Performance Podcast with Shaun Wane – hosted by Jake Humphrey and Damien Hughes
SUGGESTED CONTENT/WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
- Dr Ed Cope & Prof Chris Cushion - Redefining Direct Instruction in Coaching – hosted by Dan Abrahams
- Dr Oliver Eslinger - How to Turn a Losing Team into a Winning Team – hosted by Dan Abrahams
- Let's Talk Coaching with Ian Costello – The LooseHead Podcast
- Coach Developer Conversations Sarah Green – UK Coaching
- The Sports Initiative Podcast Sam Holmshaw – hosted by Michael Wright
- The Learning Journeys Podcast Robbie Phillips – hosted by Doug Macdonald
The remarkable and untold story of the 2014 Rugby World Cup winning England side from the view of their coaches, Gary Street and Graham Smith.
In this episode, recovering from a World Cup final loss, the power of a Post It note, ‘Toughen Up Tuesdays’, random Tornado's and how a 'wet Wednesday in Waikato’ in 2013 was so significant.
Gary and Graham speak to Eamonn Hogan and Jess Bunyard.
The producer and editor is Eamonn Hogan.
Gary Street Interview with New Zealand Television: All Blacks YouTube Page Published 21 July 2013
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests:
Jack Moran, Norwich School Head of Rugby, Leicester Tigers Pathway Coach, Mark Grigg, Assistant Director of Sport and Head of Rugby at St Joseph’s College, Ipswich and Andy Skeehan, Director of Rugby at St Michael’s College, Dublin, and Leinster Schools Head Coach.
The team pick out the key takeaways from each piece of great content and say how to use it on the pitch, at all the levels of the game.
This week's content:
- EIS and UK Sport Position Statement
- Seeing What Other's Don't – Gary Klein
- The Coach’s Guide to Teaching – Doug Lemov
SUGGESTED CONTENT/WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
- Wind Yer Neck In Steve Hansen – with Nial Annett
- Wind Yer Neck In Damien Hughes – with Nial Annett
- Aotearoa Rugby Pod – with Ross Karl
The remarkable and untold story of the 2014 Rugby World Cup winning England side from the view of their coaches, Gary Street and Graham Smith.
In this episode, early forays into the women's game, creating monsters, hotels 'down the road’, how one tackle in 2006 changed the face of English women’s rugby and the how pain of the 2010 World Cup Final loss drove them both towards 2014.
Gary and Graham speak to Eamonn Hogan and Jess Bunyard.
The producer and editor is Eamonn Hogan.
Music and sound credits:
Hum at the start of the episode – Also Sprach Zarathustra – Richard Strauss
Music ‘post-hum’ – background to the try montage: Furious Angels Rob Dougan BMG Music 2002 All Rights Reserved
2010 Rugby World Cup Final Clip World Rugby Video Commentator: Jonny Hammond
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests:
Ian Davies, Director of Rugby Christs Hospital School, former Director of Rugby at Cornish Pirates, Neil Harris, Director of Rugby at St George's School, Harpenden and USA Eagles assistant coach and Paul Turner, Head Coach at Ampthill RFC, former coach at Dragons, Wasps, Saracens and Sale.
The team pick out the key takeaways from each piece of great content and say how to use it on the pitch, at all the levels of the game.
This week's content:
- The Sports Psych Show Dr Oliver Eslinger - How to Turn a Losing Team into a Winning Team – hosted by Dan Abrahams
- The Magic Academy with Kevin Bowering and Nigel Redman – hosted by Russell Earnshaw and John Fletcher
- Inside the All Blacks – Robin McConnell
SUGGESTED CONTENT/WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
- The Championship Clubs Podcast – Michael Case and Ben Gulliver
- Eighty Percent Mental – Hugh Gilmore and Peter Olusoga
- Running on Emotion Lawrence Dallagio – Alaistair Eykyn
- BF Analysis – Brian Fitzgerald (link will be shared when available)
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests:
Ed Hall, researcher and lecturer at Northumbria University, Ryan Thomas, lecturer at Plymouth Marjon University and Adam Nichol, teaching fellow at Durham University, coach with Northumberland Cricket board and Coach develop with the ECB.
The team pick out the key takeaways from each piece of great content and say how to use it on the pitch, at all the levels of the game.
This week's content:
- Remember The Titans – Available on Disney+
- ‘Handshakes, BBQ’s & Bullets’ - Paul Potrac, (2013)
- Leadership Contemporary Critical Perspectives - Brigid Carroll, Jackie Ford and Scott Taylor
SUGGESTED CONTENT/WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
- Sport Coaching Cultures – Robyn Jones, Kathleen Armour and Paul Potrac
- Notes on a Nervous Planet – Matt Haig
- The Sociology of Sports Coaching – Robyn Jones
- Constraints Based Methodologies in Sports Coaching - Keith Davids and Colleagues
- Don't Tell Me The Score with Rupert Spira – hosted by Simon Mundie
- The Lamentable Lemmings of Talent Development – Stuart Armstrong
- Playing The 'Big Moments' – Rich Hudson
In this episode of the Women's Rugby Coaching podcast, Jess Bunyard is joined by Vicky Alexander.
Vicky has a number of rugby roles including Petersfield RFC Senior Men’s Coach and Cobham Girl’s Rugby Lead.
The episode discusses Vicky's coaching work at Cobham including recognising and supporting female players with their mental health.
As well as detailing her own experiences, Vicky has advice for other coaches and clubs wishing to better support players' mental wellness.
Jess and Vicky also chat about Girls Rugby Club and plans for their first session back after lockdown.
Dan catches up with one of the leading lights of ecological dynamics, Rob Gray.
Rob is professor of Human Systems Engineering at Arizona State University. In the coaching world, he is better known for the Perception and Action podcast.
I ask Rob to give us a basic guide to what is meant by ecological dynamics and perception-action coupling in a sporting context. It includes an outline of how the constraints-led approach gives the players opportunities to develop.
The discussion moves around the following topics:
- How does our training sessions need to adjust?
- What are we doing already which is probably effective, though we didn't know?
- How do we coach areas of the game which need players to have a safe understanding of the movements involved?
- How would you coach place-kicking and how do we add pressure effectively.
- In a team context, how does a constraints-led approach work?
- How close to the real game do we need to get, and conversely, how far away can we get too?
To find out more about Rob's extensive work and research go to perceptionaction.com
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests discuss the current state of the game in this Roundup Rodeo 'Special'
This week's guests:
Alan Zondagh, former director of rugby Bulls Rugby Franchise (South Africa), director of rugby Saracens, head coach London Scottish, head coach Western Province, head coach and director of coaching at Eastern Province and director of coaching Western Province, South Africa.
Ian Costello, currently Wasps Rugby defence and kicking coach, formerly Nottingham Rugby head coach and Munster Rugby senior and academy coach.
Nick Wood, currently master-in-charge of rugby at Radley College, Premiership official and citing officer for the RFU.
Episode 3 features Mark and Rob Shotton, two of the founder members of LooseHeadz, the rugby apparel brand supporting mental health through a group of high profile ambassadors and a grassroots academy. We are joined by Elliott Blackmore, a social, emotional & mental health specialist teacher and highly experienced rugby coach, including coaching in the Saracens Developing Player Pathway.
Conversation includes;
- The automatic association of mental health is bad, so how we can promote good mental health
- How easy it is to reach out and help people
- How we can support our players on their return to rugby after such a long break
- Who will struggle more? A relatively new player? Or those far up the ladder..?
- The parent / child, coach / player relationship
- Being kind
LooseHeadz can be found at https://looseheadz.co.uk
All profits from apparel sales are reinvested into raising awareness of mental health.
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests:
Rosie Collins, sport and exercise psychology consultant with GreyMatters, senior lecturer at Oxford Brookes University, Serena MacLeod, sport and exercise psychology consultant with Leyton Orient WFC and Oxford University through Optimise Potential and Alex Stoyel, sport and exercise psychology consultant with Optimise Potential.
The team pick out the key takeaways from each piece of great content and say how to use it on the pitch, at all the levels of the game.
This week's content:
- Striving for excellence: A multi-action plan intervention model for shooters – Bortolo et al, (2012)
- Guardiola has made me think Spurs shouldn’t have sacked Pochettino – The Athletic, Jack Pitt-Brooke
- What the All Blacks can teach athletes about accepting mental vulnerability – The Conversation
SUGGESTED CONTENT/WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
- Luke Shaw opens up about Mental Health – ManUtd.com
- Invisible Women – Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men - Caroline Criado Perez
- The Happiness Trap: Evolution of the Human Mind – Dr Russ Harris
- The Decline of Play – Peter Gray, TEDx
- Coach Conversation on Transition – UK Coaching Nick Levett and Jenny Coady
- Exuberant Animal – The power of Health, Play and Joyful Movement – Frank Forencich
Bird and LJ welcome Vicky Macqueen.
Vicky, who received a British Empire Medal for services to sport, was an England international with 34 caps, plus also representing England at 7s.
She has coach men's rugby with Hinkley, was director of women's rugby at Loughborough University, as well as coaching at Lichfield Women.
In 2015 she founded didi Rugby UK and now has franchises across the UK, New Zealand, Australia and Italy.
She has also featured as a radio commentator at Women's World Cups and on Leicester Tigers games.
Here are the questions we asked her:
- Talk is through your coaching and playing journey.
- What made you leave teaching and set up didi Rugby?
- What have been your biggest learning points since starting up your business?
- What advice would you give to anyone wishing to do this?
- What has been the biggest impact of didi Rugby, on young children and any young coaches involved?
- When working with young children, what would you say are the most important skills to develop?
- What has been your most amusing moment working with young children?
- Do you find any similarities when coaching children or adults?
- How do you differentiate the sessions for 18 months to 6 yr olds?
- What skills from your teaching have you found most useful when coaching?
- How do you ensure learning occurs when planning a session for young children?
- You have an extremely successful franchise in England how easy was it to set up in NZ, Italy and Australia?
- What was it like receiving your BEM?
- What has been the proudest moment of your rugby career?
- How have you adapted during lockdown?
- What’s next for you?
Click on the link to find out more about didi Rugby.
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests:
Emma Taylor, head coach Stamford women and girls, American Football coach and trainee energy psychologist, Matt Coldrey, programme manager of the sports coaching degree at Hartpury College and Emma Humes, primary PE teacher, netball and tennis coach .
The team pick out the key takeaways from each piece of great content and say how to use it on the pitch, at all the levels of the game.
This week's content:
- Using failure, movement & balance to learn faster. Podcast #7 – Huberman Lab (Video version https://youtu.be/hx3U64IXFOY)
- PE: More than Sport – Lewis Keens
- Balance is Better Philosophy – Sport NZ
SUGGESTED CONTENT/WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
- The creative brilliance of dyslexi Tedxbrighton - Tedx talks – Kate Griggs
- The Power of Vulnerability – Brene Brown
- Sevens Heaven – Ben Ryan
Si Nainby deep dives with Pete Arnott. Pete is a golf coach with a research interest in skill acquisition.
In this episode we discuss:
- What is skill and what does it mean to be skilful?
- Why did coaching become so de-contextualised?
- Simplification not Decomposition - why we should build skills by simplifying tasks rather than breaking down techniques.
- The issues around de-contextualising practice by using artificial coaching tools such as a lineout net or a bowling machine.
- The concept of Haptic Touch or Extended Mind Theory and how de-contextualised practice can be helpful in building attunement.
- Pete's approach to introducing novices to a sport and how he builds relationships.
- How to identify "Rate Limiters" with intermediate players: the key things that will most quickly improve their game.
- What role does the player's intuition play in the coaching process?
- How walking a mile in your player's shoes (figuratively) helps co-creation of great practice environments.
- How consequences can have a huge impact on development - Ed Coughlan, https://twitter.com/DrSkillAcq, has been a big help to Pete in his work on individualising consequences.
- How Pete uses the Constraints Led Approach - learnings from his biggest mistakes.
- Using sounds, rhythms and verbal cues to influence sessions.
- The impact of technology and data in coaching.
- How Pete uses video review.
- Pete's new project - Train like a Tiger - lessons from Tiger Woods development
Links to books and videos mentioned:
9mins 30s - Inside the All Blacks by Robin McConnell - https://amzn.to/39MeyP2
16mins - Cristiano Ronaldo Documentary - https://youtu.be/4achmhzLNoY
16mins 50s - Jennie Finch strikes out Albert Pujols - https://youtu.be/gm9iZnqGMvY
18mins 30s - Ross Pinder Paper on Bowling Machine Technique - http://bit.ly/PinderBowlingMachineResearch
20mins 50s - Andy Clark Extended Mind Theory - http://bit.ly/ExtendedMindTheory
47mins 30s - How Wolves change rivers - https://youtu.be/ysa5OBhXz-Q
55mins 25s - Will Stubbs - https://twitter.com/WillStubbs1
59mins - The Pressure Principle by Dave Alred - https://amzn.to/36HTqrj
59mins 45s - The Checklist Manifesto - https://amzn.to/3cAWvx0
1hr 20mins 50s - The Language of Coaching: The Art & Science of Teaching Movement by Nick Winkleman -https://amzn.to/39POP84
1hr 37mins - Elite coaching and the technocratic engineer by Shaun Williams & Andrew Manley -http://bit.ly/TechnocratEngineer
Also - ‘We’re not run on Numbers, We’re People, We’re Emotional People’ by Shaun Williams & Andrew Manley -http://bit.ly/WeArePeopleNotNumbers
1hr 37mins 45s - The Hawthorne Effect - http://bit.ly/HawthorneEffct
Website - www.peterarnottgolf.com
Twitter - https://twitter.com/PeterArnottGolf
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/peterarnottgolf/
Train Like a Tiger - https://www.trainlikeatiger.com/
A Constraints-Led Approach to Golf Coaching - https://amzn.to/39LSnZ2
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests:
Laurie MacDonald, Coach Developer for Sport Scotland and Coaching Discourse Podcast Co-host, Chloe Brown, Head of Girls Talent Pathway Northamptonshire FA, Peterborough United Ladies Assistant Manager and FA Tutor and Ellie Gennings, Lecturer at the University of Winchester and PhD student studying the impact of outdoor physical activity on children's well being.
The team pick out the key takeaways from each piece of great content and say how to use it on the pitch, at all the levels of the game.
This week's content:
Coach Communication with Stephen Rollnick – Player Development Podcast www.stormbreak.org.uk – Take a step to better physical and mental health
SUGGESTED CONTENT/WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
- Determining the role of sport coaches in promoting athlete mental health: a narrative review and Delphi approach – Bissett, Kroshus, Hebard, (2020)
- Motivational Interviewing – Stephen Rollnick
- The Developer Tribe – Russell Earnshaw with Tim Jones
- Coach-a-long social – UK Sport
- Coach Conversation - with Nick Levett and Jenny Coady
- Allianz Premier 15s Match Footage – England Rugby YouTube
Women's Rugby Coaching magazine editor, Jess Bunyard, goes to the very top of the English game to chat with Simon Middleton and Amy Turner.
Simon has been the Head Coach of England Women since 2015, winning 2 Six Nations titles and taking the team to the 2017 World Cup final.
Amy is Performance Pathway Officer for England Rugby and is currently undertaking a coaching internship with England as part of the Rugby World Cup 2021 programme.
Amy and Simon discuss what makes a successful coaching dynamic, how they're working together and whether there's the potential for future coaching internships in men's and women's rugby. They also remember their early playing and coaching memories and discuss the importance of grassroots coaching.
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests:
Elliott Newell, Sports Psychologist with the English Institute of Sport, Hugh Gilmore, Sports Psychologist with British Weightlifting and British Athletics, co-host of the Eighty Percent Mental Podcast and Dr Pete Olusoga, senior lecturer in Psychology at Sheffield Hallam University and co-host of the Eighty Percent Mental Podcast
The team pick out the key takeaways from each piece of great content and say how to use it on the pitch, at all the levels of the game.
This week's content:
- Principled Curriculum Design – William, 2013
- When Change Orientated Feedback Enhances Motivation, Well-being and Performance – Carpentier & Mageau, 2012
- Losers - Netflix
SUGGESTED CONTENT/WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
- Eighty Percent Mental Podcast – Pete Olusoga
- Last Chance U – Netflix
- The Good Ancestor: How to Think Long Term in a Short-Term World - Roman Krznaric
- The Highs and the Lows—Exploring the Nature of Optimally Impactful Development Experiences on the Talent Pathway – Taylor & Collins, 2020
Bird and LJ welcome Kate Burke, Lead Pathway Analyst with England Rugby. Kate has an MSc in Sports Analysis. After working in Wales with academy teams, she moved to the RFU in 2008, working with U18s and covering the men's teams. She then joined Bath for two years as head of analysis, before returning to the RFU to oversee analysis provision across the pathway, women's, 7's and referees' departments.
In the podcast, Bird and LJ asked the following questions:
- Why did you choose to study sports analysis?
- Has rugby always been the sport you wanted to work within?
- What would you say have been your biggest challenges working within rugby?
- Have you worked with any coaches or in any environments that have had a lasting impression on how you now operate in your day-to-day work?
- What might a typical week look like for a performance analysis working in a professional rugby environment?
- Have you seen the analysis role develop/change since you started in 2007?
- How/what do you feedback to players/coaches in terms of previews and reviews?
- How can a community coach, with a minimal budget, start building analysis into their environment? Are there any key areas that you would suggest focusing on?
- Are there any good online platforms/apps that you would recommend to coaches who want to utilise video footage more during their training week?
- What equipment would you suggest to get started?
- Have you seen any good practices from other sports that you think we could utilise in rugby to help develop our players and coaches?
- What current trends do you see developing within the game at the moment?
- Where do you see the game going over the next season?
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests:
Barry Maddocks, assistant coach with the Dragons in the Pro 14, AB Zondagh, assistant coach with Toulouse in the French Top 14, Warren Abrahams, head coach with the WRU for Wales Women.
The team pick out the key takeaways from each piece of great content and say how to use it on the pitch, at all the levels of the game.
This week's content:
- Coaches Guide to Teaching – Doug Lemov
- Continuous Development During Chaos – Fergus Connelly
SUGGESTED CONTENT/WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
- Game Changer – Fergus Connelly
- Improving the Quality of Practise for Better Learning – The Learner Lab
- The Good Psychopaths Guide to Success – Kevin Dutton and Andy McNab
Dan speaks to Jess Bunyard, the editor of the world's first Women's Rugby Coaching magazine.
Jess tells us why it's the right time to launch, what's different about it, and why it's all about growing the women's rugby community.
She talks about the features of this issue, including dealing with menstrual cycle for players, growing a new club time and the speaking with the inspirational Sarah Ebd Albaki. Plus, she highlights some of the great activities to help girls and women develop their skills and game awareness.
To find out more, visit www.womensrugbycoaching.com
Also, drop Jess a line at editor@womensrugbycoaching.com if you want to be involved.
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests:
Danny Newcombe, Oxford Brookes senior lecturer in Sport, Coaching and PE, Coach Educator and Wales Men's Hockey national team head coach. Michael Ashford, Coventry University lecturer in Sport Coaching and Coach Educator. Luke Taylor, Oxford Brookes lecturer in Sport and Coaching Sciences and Physical Performance Coach for the FA.
The team pick out the key takeaways from each piece of great content and say how to use it on the pitch, at all the levels of the game.
This week's content:
- The Varieties of Human Work – Steven Shorrock
- Attentional Focus and Cueing for Speed Development – Nick Winkelman
- What works in coach learning, how, and for whom? A grounded process of soccer coaches’ professional learning – Stodter & Cushion, (2017)
SUGGESTED CONTENT/WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
- A Move Towards Reconceptulising Direct Instruction In Sport Coaching Pedagogy – Cope & Cushion, (2020)
- All Alone We Go Faster, Together We Go Further: The Necessary Evolution of Professional and Elite Sporting Environment to Bridge the Gap Between Research and Practice – Brocherie & Beard, (2021)
- Sports Principles – Sam Jarman
- How Learning Happens - Paul Kirschner and Carl Hendrick
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests:
Kev Mannion, head of academy performance at Gloucester Rugby and Rich Middleton. academy S&C coach at Exeter Chiefs.
The team pick out the key takeaways from each piece of great content and say how to use it on the pitch, at all the levels of the game.
This week's content:
The Rocky Road to the Top: Why Talent Needs Trauma – Collins and MacNamara, (2012)
Pacey Performance with Nick Winkelman – Pacey Performance Podcast
SUGGESTED CONTENT/WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
TedX – Conscious Listening – Julian Treasure
Dan Cottrell chats with Nick Hart.
Nick is head of Courthouse Junior School in Berkshire, a CPD provider and an educational writer on his blog Thisismyclassroom. He has a sports science degree and played semi-pro soccer as a goalkeeper.
Our main discussion is around scaffolding in coaching. It is probably something most of us do in some format but we might not always know why it works. Plus, it would be good to explore some other great ways to scaffold our players’ learning.
For me, this pod helped embed better practice in my own mind, as well as clear up some of my misconceptions around the processes involved.
In the podcast we talked about:
- The similarities and differences between classroom learning and on-the-field learning.
- What is meant by scaffolding?
- Ten different methods, and works well when?
- How coaches might use scaffolding in different situations.
Follow Nick on Twitter
@MrNickHart
and his blog
thisismyclassroom.wordpress.com
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests:
Ross Ensor, Lecturer at Worcester University, UEFA B Football coach for Wolves FC and Tim Jones, PhD Researcher at Stirling University, Technical Director of Syngenta Juvs FC and host of The Developer Tribe Podcast.
The team pick out the key takeaways from each piece of great content and say how to use it on the pitch, at all the levels of the game.
This week's content:
Questioning for learning in game-based approaches to teaching and coaching – Harvey, & Light, (2015)
Skillful Neglect – Beverley Labbett
SUGGESTED CONTENT/WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
The Sports Psych Show - Fergus Connolly and Cody Royle on High Performance Coaching – with Dan Abrahams
The Coaching Discourse Podcast - Decision Making with Ceriann Davies & Mike Ashford – The Coaching Discourse
Discussing Boundaries in Coaching – UK Coaching
Coach Conversation – Managing Transition with Nick Levett and Jenny Coady
Game Spirituality: How Games Tell Us More than We Might Think – Carlson, (2017)
Si Nainby deep dives with Sam Portland.
Sam is a strength and conditioning coach and performance consultant who has worked for Wasps and Ealing Trailfinders. He's consulted with Kenya 7's and many individual pro-players from NFL to bobsleigh.
Here's what they covered:
- Sam's background and why he is so passionate about speed development
- Why rugby coaches should approach speed as a skill to be developed in the same way as passing or tackling
- The basics that underpin speed and sprinting
- The difference between speed development and speed expression
- Heuristics and cues for coaching acceleration and maximum speed
- The benefits of Extensive Plyometrics for developing a base of tolerance and teaching speed
- Programming speed training into weekly and monthly cycles of rugby training
- The importance of consistency in programming drills and exercises
- How to blend multi-directional speed with basic acceleration training
- Why you should avoid too much competition and racing in speed development
- How Sam developed Speed Golf and how it teaches players to understand "Slow is Smooth and Smooth is Fast"
- Common mistakes in speed development
- How Sam programs gym training to support speed development and the Rollover Principle for weekly planning
- Moving from working for a pro team to becoming a freelance coach
- Developing streams of income within a freelance business
- How Sam is using the lessons from his time in coaching to develop other coaches through his mentorship
To find out more and contact Sam:
(w) www.coachsportland.co.uk
(e) sam@coachsportland.co.uk
(i) instagram.com/Coach_Sportland
Dan talks to Abingdon School's director of rugby Matt Gold.
We discuss his own experiences of speaking to a stellar cast of coaches in his own lockdown podcast series, Goldy's Rugby Podcast. We reflect on the lessons he learned from speaking to coaches like Ben Ryan and Sir Gordon Tietjens, especially on resilience and dealing with pressure.
We then explore how he developed an all-embracing season plan at Abingdon. Matt tells how he and his team of staff introduced the plan, the importance of a team approach and how he sold it to the players and the rest of the staff.
We delve into the detail of a session. I challenge Matt on how his team of coaches allow for a differentiated environment and what a typical session might look like.
One of the main lessons from the podcast must be that while the sessions might look rigid on paper, the coaching group is actually adjusting it all the time to suit the players.
We also discuss when and how you empower your players. His story about a particular crucial half time team talk brings into shark relief the power of this approach.
Matt is always delighted to chat with other coaches. Catch him on @gold_matthew or email him at matthew.gold@abingdon.org.uk.
The link for his podcast is: Goldy's Rugby podcasts
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests:
Tom Hartley, Senior Coach Developer at UK Coaching, Doug MacDonald, Coach Developer and Mentor for Scottish Canoe and Andrew Bradshaw, Senior Coach Developer at UK Coaching.
The team pick out the key takeaways from each piece of great content and say how to use it on the pitch, at all the levels of the game.
This week's content:
- The Tim Ferris Show – A Past Year Review – Tim Ferris
- Coaching Athletes to Be Their Best: Motivational Interviewing in Sports – Stephen Rollnick
- Cynefin - Weaving Sense-Making into the Fabric of Our World – Dave Snowden
SUGGESTED CONTENT/WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
The Tim Ferris Show – Dr. Jim Loehr on Mental Toughness, Energy Management, the Power of Journaling, and Olympic Gold Medals – Tim Ferris
How to Organise a Children's Party – Cognitive Edge
Hegarty on Creativity: There are No Rules – John Hegarty
Doug Lemov - The Coach’s Guide to Teaching – The Sports Psych Show hosted by Dan Abrahams
The Magic Academy with Aiden McNulty – hosted by John Fletcher and Russell Earnshaw
The Magic Academy with Scott Sneddon – hosted by John Fletcher and Russell Earnshaw
The Magic Academy with Rob Mason – hosted by John Fletcher and Russell Earnshaw
Let’s Talk Coaching: Bernard Jackman - The Loose Head Podcast
Let’s Talk Coaching: Shaun Edwards - The Loose Head Podcast
Bird and LJ welcome Katie Sadleir, general manager Women's Rugby with World Rugby since 2016 and was recognised as one of the top 10 rugby influencers (Rugby World Magazine 2020).
Here are the questions they asked Katie:
- What has been your driving force to keep working at a strategic level?
- What does a typical day look like in your role as World Rugby’s General Manager?
- What has been your greatest moment of change/influence?
- How and why did you become involved in rugby?
- Did your educational journey help you in your passion for sport or was it outside influences that shaped you?
- What have you learnt/taken from your personal participation and experience at a strategic level in other sports?
- What advice could you give to any female’s wanting to hold a position of influence/change within sporting organisations?
- What are your aspirations for women’s rugby over the next five years?
- What has been your greatest challenge in your involvement with women’s rugby?
- Does the development of women in rugby include female coaches as well as players? What plans are there to grow the number of female coaches across the game and how can we support at grassroots level (as local recruitment is normally a players’ mum)?
Katie is a Commonwealth Games medal winner and in 2016 was awarded Sport NZ Life Time Achievement Award for contribution to sport and recreation sector in NZ. Her impressive CV included general manager roles with NZ Academy of Sport and the NZ Sports Foundation.
Jamie Taylor PhD is the former head of Academy at Leicester Tigers and now working with Grey Matters as a Senior Coach Developer and the English Institute of Sport as the coaching and curriculum lead. He is a coach, coach developer and researcher in coaching science with a particular focus on talent development.
In this podcast, we follow up with Jamie to take an even deeper dive into teaching, learning and decision making.
We discuss:
- Is coaching teaching?
- Can classroom research transfer to sports coaching?
- Which pedagogical principles can help coaches plan and deliver sessions
- Why a coach needs to be much more than an environmental designer
- The role of cognition in learning
- How coaches can use professional judgement and decision making to decide which principles and methods to use and when
- What factors does it depend on when we say "it depends"
RESOURCES/REFERENCES
Robert Bjork Desirable Difficulties:
https://bit.ly/DesirableDifficulty
Pam Richards Research on Shared Mental Models:
https://bit.ly/NetballCaseStudy
https://bit.ly/HolisticSMMFramework
Implementing the Five-A Model of Technical Refinement: Key Roles of the Sport Psychologist:
https://bit.ly/5AModel
Professional Judgement and Decision Making in Sport
Coaching: To Jump Or Not To Jump:
https://bit.ly/PJDMPaper
Visit Jamie at:
https://twitter.com/jattaylor
Jamie@greymattersuk.com
Dan talks to Barry Frost of Pass Analysis about how you can get more all the analysis that might be available for your team. This is a very practical insight into getting more from the data, at all levels.
Here are some of the main topics we touched on:
- What is analysis
- How analysis creates new thoughts
- How do we make analysis easy to use for coaches to make sense of it
- What is the most essential information available
- Winning the battle of the metrics
- What does "opportunities taken and missed" mean for a coach
- How do you have positive conversations with players with the data
- What is a perfect pass?
- How can we analyse decision making
- What sort of analysis can you do when you are simply watching the game
For more on Pass Analysis visit www.passanalysis.co.uk
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests:
Dave Collins, Director of GreyMatters Performance Ltd and Professor at Edinburgh University, Jamie Taylor, senior coach developer with GreyMatters Performance Ltd and coach with Loughborough University and Andrew Cruickshank, sport and performance psychologist and lecturer at University of Central Lancashire
The team pick out the key takeaways from each piece of great content and say how to use it on the pitch, at all the levels of the game.
This week's content:
Tacit Knowledge in Expert Coaching: Science or Art? - Nash and Collins, 2012
Effective Skill Development: How Should Athletes' Skills Be Developed? - Abraham and Collins, 2011
What You Think – What You Do – What You Get? Exploring the link between Epistemology and PJDM in Cricket coaches – Crowther, Collin and Holder, 2017
Developing Coaches professional judgement and decision making: Using the 'Big 5' – Collins and Collins, 2020
SUGGESTED CONTENT/WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
Improving "impoverished practice environments" - a conversation Ian Renshaw, Peter Arnott and Graeme McDowell – The Talent Equation hosted by Stu Armstrong
Coach Developer Conversations: Bob Muir – Navigating The Terrain of Coach Learning – hosted by Andy Bradshaw
Curious Coaching Podcast: Elaine Rice, Tandy Haughey & Lucy Moore – Sport Northern Ireland
Rugby Coach Weekly: Reviewing research into what keeps good young players in the game with Jonny McMurtry from Coachingthecoaches.net – hosted by Dan Cottrell
Liza Bird Burgess and LJ Adams catch up with former England international flanker Maggie Alphonsi MBE.
Maggie, who is now a regular TV pundit and writes in The Daily Telegraph, was one of the world's best players, with 74 caps for England and 28 tries. She helped England win a World Cup and seven consecutive Six Nations crowns.
In the pod, Bird and LJ ask Maggie (who Bird used to teach!) the following questions:
- What did you want to be growing up?
- You played a lot of different sports when you were growing up in school, what was it that attracted you to rugby and what kept you playing it?
- When you look back at your rugby playing career, is there any particular advice you would have given to your younger self and to young players now aspiring to be international players?
- What is your favourite rugby memory?
- Talk us through your transition from a player to media professional; what support did you have? Were there any barriers and what advice would you give anyone wanting to pursue a role such as this?
- What other aspirations do you have?
- Where do you see women’s rugby going in the next five years?
- What is the hardest lesson/ biggest disappointment when playing rugby and how did you overcome this?
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests:
Sandro Fiorino, Rugby Canada Women's head coach and 7s academy head coach, Jack Hanratty, Rugby Canada academy coach and Canada Women U20s head coach and Graeme Moffat, Director of Rugby for Rugby Alberta and Wolf Pack
The team pick out the key takeaways from each piece of great content and say how to use it on the pitch, at all the levels of the game.
This week's content:
- Building your inner coach with Brett Ledbetter - TEDxGatewayArc
- How to stop comparing and start competing with Brett Ledbetter – TEDxGatewayArch
- The Sport Psych Show podcast with Dan Clements – Hosted by Dan Abrahams
- The Test - Amazon
SUGGESTED CONTENT/WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
Strategising effective questioning within the TGfU model – Ryan White (Blog)
How England Select Cricket Teams – Matt Roller (ESPN CricInfo) (Article)
Game Feedback: What happens in the AFL coaches box? - Rob Mason (Blog Part 1)
When given feedback isn't feedback received – Rob Mason (Blog Part 2)
The Magic Academy Podcast with Alex Lascu and Courtney Winfield – Russell Earnshaw
Let's Talk Coaching Part 2 with Fiona Hayes – The Loose Head Podcast
Andy Stevens sits down to chat with Richard Cheetham and James Clark about coaching, coach development and skills of being a coach.
The main topics were:
- A picture of ideal coach development.
- How transferable coaching skills can be, and does a coach need an in-depth knowledge of their sport.
- The importance of reflection and who to include in the process.
- Key reading and resource recommendations.
Richard Cheetham MBE, a Senior Fellow in Sports Coaching at the University of Winchester, with a holistic approach to coaching and experience across a wide range of sports.
Twitter: @twowheelprof
James Clark, a highly respected rugby coach and passionate coach developer. A proud member of The Front Row Club.
Twitter: @JSClarky3
Dan Cottrell invites Dave Sharkey, Ged Hall and Edd Conway to say how they would use Doug Lemov's latest book, The Coach's Guide to Teaching in their own environments.
Bestselling author and teaching guru Doug has drawn on his vast practical classroom experience to see he can help coaches produce better players. The panel discusses their main takeaways from the book in the context of their own coaching.
The main areas covered are:
- Decision making
- Practice design
- Feedback
The book is enormously rich in stories, practical examples, sourced from people like Wayne Smith, Nick Winkleman, Dave Hadfield, Johan Cruyff, Steve Kerr and Pete Carroll.
Click here to buy a copy of the book.
Here's the book blurb.
The mark of a great coach is a constant desire to learn and grow. A hunger to use whatever can make them better. The best-selling author of Teach Like a Champion and Reading Reconsidered brings his considerable knowledge about the science of classroom teaching to the sports coaching world to create championship caliber coaches on the court and field. What great classroom teachers do is relevant to coaches in profound ways. After all, coaches are at their core teachers. Lemov knows that coaches face many of the same challenges found in the classroom, so the science of learning applies equally to them. Unfortunately, coaches and organizations have a mixed level of understanding of the research and study of the science of learning. Sometimes coaches and organizations build their teaching on myths and platitudes more than science. Sometimes there isn't any science applied at all. While there are thousands of books and websites a coach can consult to better understand technical and tactical aspects of the game, there is nothing for a coach to consult that explicitly examines the teaching problems on the field, the court, the rink, and the diamond. Until now. Intended to offer lessons and guidance that are applicable to coaches of any sporting endeavor including everyone from parent volunteers to professional coaches and private trainers, Lemov brings the powerful science of learning to the arena of sports coaching to create the next generation of championship caliber coaches.
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests:
Rich Hudson, Managing Director Buckinghamshire Cricket and ECB level 4 coach and Ian McClurg, UEFA A football coach.
The team pick out the key takeaways from each piece of great content and say how to use it on the pitch, at all the levels of the game.
This week's content:
- Pressure Myths: Understanding the Psychology of Performance – Book by Rich Hudson
- Perform Beyond Pressure: The Keys to Realising your Potential – Book by Rich Hudson
- Tom Bates Website – Webinar not available for repeat
SUGGESTED CONTENT/WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
UK Coaching Coach Developer Conversation – Tom Hartley chats with a Fighter Pilot
The Sports Psych Show with Dr Amy Whitehead – Host Dan Abrahams
Amateur Rugby Podcast chats with Dan Cottrell – Host Tim Tunnicliff
The Barefoot Coach – Paddy Upton
Play the 1v1 Way: Soccer Tips from an Emerging Talent Centre – Ian McClurg
Si Nainby talks in depth to William Wayland.
William is a certified strength and conditioning coach and owner of Powering Through Performance Gym in Chelmsford, Essex http://www.powering-through.com/.
He works with a wide variety of sports and athletes including rugby, motorsports and the PGA European Tour. His background is in applied sports science.
In this episode we discuss:
- William's approach to S&C with his local amateur Rugby team, Chelmsford RFC.
- How he assesses and programs the S&C for the team using the Dynamic Strength Index.
- What a typical week of sessions looks like for one of his players.
- How the Triphasic Approach has helped improve movement competence and strength levels with the team.
- Working around injuries & micro trauma with contact athletes to show players how they can always train and improve.
- The importance of neck training for rugby players in improving contact skills & reducing concussion risk.
- Lessons from training MMA fighters that help when coaching rugby players.
- How he uses the philosophy of the Pragmatic Approach in his coaching to direct his decision making and assess theory and practice.
- A case study of the Pragmatic Approach in action to coach superbike rider Danny Buchan.
- How the OODA loop can assist coaches and athletes to adapt and overcome less than ideal circumstances such as lockdown.
William's Linktree - https://linktr.ee/Poweringthrough
William's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/poweringthrough/
William's Twitter - https://twitter.com/WSWayland
William's Strength Training Guide for Grapplers https://techniqly.com/shop/william-wayland-practical-strength-for-grapplers/
Keir Wenham-Flatt's Tempo Conditioning Guide - https://rugbystrengthcoach.pages.ontraport.net/tempo
Mladen Jovanovic's Strength Training Manual - The Agile Periodisation Approach - https://complementarytraining.net/store/
Jordan Peterson's University Lecture Series "Personality & its Transformations" https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL22J3VaeABQAOhH1CLMNnMl2R-O1abW1T
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests:
Tristan Mayglothling, professional rowing coach and PhD student at the University of Essex, Peter Prickett, football coach and author and Ian Johns, Paralympic head coach for GB Judo.
The team pick out the key takeaways from each piece of great content and say how to use it on the pitch, at all the levels of the game.
This week's content:
- Technique is the basis of everything – Pepijn Lijnders (Liverpool Football Club Assistant Manager)
- Athlete A – Netflix
- The Impact Code: Live the Life You Deserve – Nigel Risner
SUGGESTED CONTENT/WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
Believed – Athlete A Podcast follow up
'Only by speaking out can we create lasting change': What can we learn from the Dr Larry Nassar tragedy? - Mountjoy, (2018) – Free research paper following up Athlete A
Consilience with Hugh Gilmore – Shannon Beer
Motivational Interviewing and Beyond – Stephen Rollnick
A Boy in the Water – Tom Gregory
Who Moved My Cheese: An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life – Spencer Johnson
Turn the Ship Around!: A true story of Building Leaders by Breaking the Rules – David Marquet
Liza “Bird” Burgess and LJ Lewis discuss a round of questions about the practicalities of the game. In this episode, they are with Sophie Bennett, the Bath team manager.
Sophie, having played and coached rugby herself, she was the WRU National Programme Co-ordinator. This role included team management of Wales U16s boys, Wales Women (XVs and 7s) and Cardiff Blues age groups. She was also team manager of Great Britain 7s.
Here are the questions posed to Sophie:
- Can you give us a little detail on how you moved from coaching into the WRU Women’s Manager role?
- What led to you getting the team manager role with Bath Rugby?
- What would you say is the most challenging part of your role as team manager?
- If you could go back in time, what advice would you give your younger self? (When you were coaching?)
- Did you think you would make a career in men’s professional rugby? Have you faced any obstacles?
- How do you manage family life with your full-time career as team manager for Bath Rugby?
- What advice would you give to young females wanting to pursue either a playing, coaching or managerial role in rugby?
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests:
Pat Metcalf-Jones, Oxford University co-head coach, Oxford Brooke's women's head coach and Oxford Harlequins women head coach, Clarissa Murphy, RFU Coach Developer and Sheffield Ladies RUFC head coach, Benedicte Williams, head of women's development at Worcester Rugby and women's lead at Worcester RFC.
The team pick out the key takeaways from each piece of great content and say how to use it on the pitch, at all the levels of the game.
This week's content:
The Rugby Dungeon - with Rob Baxter
Empathy by Simon Sinek
The Sports Psych Show – with Amy Price
SUGGESTED CONTENT/WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
How to improve the learning environment through modelling - The Learner Lab
Communication skills for coaches with Hugh Gilmore – Shannon Beer podcast
The Essence of Leadership with Randall Stutman – The Knowledge Project
Great Leadership in Female Sport with Anson Dorrance – UK Coaching
Andy Stevens and David Sharkey join Jess Bunyard on Breaking The Pane to discuss themes and storytelling. With each person at a different stage exploring themes, the group travel through their own experiences offering a guide to anyone wishing to add theming to their coaching toolbox.
The trio also discusses whether there are any differences in storytelling within men's and women's teams and at what age can a team be introduced to theming.
David Sharkey is currently teaching English at Hampton School alongside coaching at the Honorable Artillery Company. He combined his love of rugby and a fascination with stories through his work as an English teacher into using theming and storytelling as a tool within coaching. He runs a website thegreatwhitesharkey.wordpress.com exploring the use of storytelling within rugby.
Andy Stevens is a coach with Ellingham and Ringwood RFC, taking the lead with U12 boys and U15s girls, as well as assisting with the other girl's teams. Stevens also coaches within the RFU All Schools program and his own coaching company Cobra Sports Academy.
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests:
Tamara Taylor, England rugby player (World Cup winner), RFU Coach Development Officer and player coach with Saracens and Emily Scott, Olympian, Commonwealth Games medallist, England rugby player and head coach at Thurrock RFC.
The team pick out the key takeaways from each piece of great content and say how to use it on the pitch, at all the levels of the game.
This week's content:
- The Playbook on Netflix
- High Performance Podcast with Shaun Wayne – Jake Humphrey and Damien Hughes
SUGGESTED CONTENT/WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
- Skill Acquisition with Ed Coughlan and Stuart Lancaster - UK Coaching
- Principles of Great Coaching: Person Centred – UK Coaching, Helen Holmes, Karla Burton and Sophia Jowett
- UK Coaching Resource Bank – UK Coaching
- An insight in to coach mentoring with Mick Thomas - The Sports Coaching Podcast
Andy Stevens, in his first Glass Half Full podcast, looks at the challenges and opportunities around the women's game.
His guests are Bryony Cleall, an England international, Duncan Johnson, leading the girls' section at Ellingham and Ringwood, and Mary Ann Collins, Kids First Mentor and still playing at Crowthorne Ladies.
The conversation talked around:
- The historical challenges faced by girls and women wanting to play the game they love at a higher level.
- The potential future of the game with the new Allianz deal supporting the Elite and Grassroots game and with RWC2021 on the horizon.
- The seemingly simple changes needed to nudge the female game across the whitewash to bring it more in line with the male game.
@BryonyCleall
@JohnnersD
@miseymoo8
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests:
Ed Coughlan, lecturer Cork Institute of Technology and Movement & Skill Acquisition Ireland co-founder, Rick Shuttleworth, coaching developer and skill adaptation specialist and Mark O'Sullivan, AIK Head of Youth Football (8-12) and Youth Player and Coach Developer.
The team pick out the key takeaways from each piece of great content and say how to use it on the pitch, at all the levels of the game.
This week's content:
- South Africa Rugby documentary - Chasing The Sun Episodes 1 to 4 (Available for 7 days from 6th November)
- South Africa Rugby documentary - Chasing The Sun – Episode 5 Part 1 (Available for 7 days from 6th November)
- South Africa Rugby documentary - Chasing The Sun - Episode 5 Part 2 (Available for 7 days from 6th November)
- An Ecological Approach to Learning in (Not and) Development – Adolph, 2019
- Learning to be adaptive as a distributed process across the coach–athlete system: situating the coach in the constraints-led approach – Orth, van der Kamp & Button, 2018
SUGGESTED CONTENT/WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
‘Knowing as we go’: a Hunter-Gatherer Behavioural Model to Guide Innovation in Sport Science – Woods, Robertson, Rudd, Araujo & Davids, 2020
Learning in Development Framework – Mark O'Sullivan (AIK Football Club)
Foundations of Task design slide - Mark O'Sullivan (AIK Football Club)
PEAQ slide – Ed Coughlan (Cork Institute of Technology and Skill Acquisition and Movement Ireland)
The Magic Academy Episode 16 with the Miami Sun 10s – Dave Ross and Ian Gibbons chat with Russell Earnshaw
The Sport Psych Show Communication that Builds Rapport – Dan Abrahams speaks with Laurence Alison
Rugby Hive with Clark Laidlaw – Dallen Stanford & Robin MacDowell
Liza “Bird” Burgess and LJ Lewis discuss a round of questions about the practicalities of the game. In this episode, they are with Worcester Warrior coaches, Jo Yapp and Sian Moore.
LJ's team Wasps had just beaten the Warriors, so there was a bit of fun to be had before they delved into these questions:
- How have you grown women's rugby across all your roles?
- What are your thoughts on the player pathway?
- What are the key skills for young players, especially those aspiring to the pro-game?
- How do you transition from player to coach?
- What strengths do you feel you bring to your team?
- How do you refine and develop your coaching?
- What's your best Covid-19 compliant activity?
- Who are your mentors?
- Are you a ruthless coach when it comes to selection?
- Tips for team talks.
- What are coaches getting better at these days?
Jo won 70 caps for England and was captain at the 2006 World Cup. She was head coach at Exeter University, England U20s and has been director of rugby at Worcester since 2019. She is also a level 4 coach.
Sian won 19 caps for Wales. She was an assistant coach at UWE mens before moving to the Warriors to be the lead coach. She is still playing.
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests:
Paul Westgate, Nottingham Uni DoR and RFU Mentor, Giles Heagerty Assistant Head of Sport and Head of Rugby at Cheadle Hulme School and Ben Wills, Reading RFC Head Coach
The team pick out the key takeaways from each piece of great content and say how to use it on the pitch, at all the levels of the game.
This week's content:
The High Performance Podcast with Shaun Wane – Jake Humphrey and Damien Hughes
The High Performance Podcast with Jonny Wilkinson - Jake Humphrey and Damien Hughes
The Language of Coaching: The Art and Science of Teaching Movement – Nick Winkelman
SUGGESTED CONTENT/WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
The Playbook with Patrick Mouratoglou - Netflix
Jocko Willink Leadership and Discipline – Jocko Willink
The Sports Psych Show with Cath Bishop – Dan Abrahams
Dan Cottrell caught up with Jonny McMurtry of coachingthecoaches.net to talk about his current research.
Having been involved in high-performance age-grade rugby programs across Australia for nearly 10 years, he is currently completing research in conjunction with the University of Queensland and Rugby Australia, looking at age-grade player's engagement and understanding what motivates, engages and drives players' participation.
In the podcast, they explore some of his findings and align it to coaching. They pick out how individuals can sit within a team structure, what makes for a happy player in a high-pressured environment and why conversations have different outcomes depending on which position is played.
Drawing on their own lived experiences, Dan and Jonny delve into motivation and coaching styles.
Jonny is an experienced rugby coach and NLP practitioner. He has worked extensively with the ARU to develop coaching and player experiences.
If you want to contact him directly, his email is jonny@coachingthecoaches.net.
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests:
Richard Cheetham MBE, senior fellow at Winchester University and Derek O'Riordan, Coaching Partnership Manager at Sport Scotland
The team pick out the key takeaways from each piece of great content and say how to use it on the pitch, at all the levels of the game.
This week's content:
Feedback for coaches: Who coaches the coach? - Nash et al., (2016)
Coaches’ perceived pitfalls in delivering psychological skills training to high-level youth athletes in fencing and football – Fedderson et al., (2020)
SUGGESTED CONTENT/WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
The High Performance Podcast – Frank Lampard with Jake Humphrey and Damien Hughes
The Learner Lab – Emotions, Learning and Resilience - with Susan David and Marc Brackett
A Communal Language for Decision Making in Team Invasion Sports – Ashford, Abraham & Poolton. (2020)
Si Nainby talks in-depth to Jamie Taylor PhD.
Jamie is the former head of Academy at Leicester Tigers and now working with Grey Matters as a Senior Coach Developer and the English Institute of Sport as the coaching and curriculum lead. He is a Coach, Coach Developer and Researcher in Coaching Science with a particular focus on Talent Development.
@jattaylor
https://twitter.com/jattaylor
In this podcast we discuss:
Part I: Psycho-behavioural Characteristics of Developing Excellence - the mental traits and states that underpin Talent Development
- Why are they important? Jamie discusses his research showing how a lack of mental skills was a key factor in players who were expected to make it to the top but didn't
- How PCDEs can be used to evaluate Players' needs analysis
- Practical Implementation of PCDEs
Part II: Deep Dive on Coach Development
Jamie's reflections on his early Coaching & Teaching career - the importance of declarative and procedural knowledge
- How his early mentors supported him via challenging him
- The importance of "Why?" in appraising & implementing methods & knowledge
- The value for Coaches in Teacher training
- Developing Professional Judgement & Decision Making as a Coach
- Cognitive Load Theory
LINKS
The role of psychological characteristics in facilitating the pathway to elite performance. Part 1: Identifying
mental skills and behaviours
http://bit.ly/PCDEPart1
The Role of Psychological Characteristics in Facilitating the Pathway to Elite Performance Part 2: Examining Environmental and Stage-Related Differences in Skills and Behaviors
http://bit.ly/PCDEPart2
Talent Development: A Practitioner Guide - http://bit.ly/TalentDevTextBook
Coulda, Shoulda, Didnae - Why Don’t High Potential
Players Make it? http://bit.ly/CouldaShouldaDidnae
“I Didn't Make It, but…”: Deselected Athletes' Experiences of the Talent Development Pathway
http://bit.ly/DidntMakeItBut
Professional Judgement & Decision Making - http://bit.ly/PJDMPhd
Developing coaches’ professional judgement and decision making: Using the ‘Big 5’ http://bit.ly/Big5ReflectivePractice
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests:
Dan Abrahams, Freelance Sport and Exercise Psychologist and Dr Abbe Brady, Sport and Exercise Psychologist and Head of Psychology and Pedagogic Science at St Mary's University
The team dissect the book The Long Win: The Search for a Better Way to Succeed by Cath Bishop.
WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
The Leaders State of Play Series - Owen Eastwood
The Knowledge Project; Less Certainty, More Inquiry - Maria Konnikova
SUGGESTED CONTENT
Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men – Caroline Criado Perez
Fear Less: How to Win at Life Without Losing Yourself – Pippa Grange
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests:
Sam Jarman, professional Golf coach, Chris Campbell, Hinckley RFC Head Coach, Paul Archer, Newbury RFC Head Coach
The team dissect Jonny Wilkinson's performance on the Jake Humphrey High Performance Podcast.
This week's content:
The High Performance Podcast with Jake Humphrey and Damian Hughes - Jonny Wilkinson
WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
Malcolm Gladwell's 12 Rules for Life – Revisionist History with Malcolm Gladwell
The Big Man Can't Shoot – Revisionist History with Malcolm Gladwell
Is Confidence Overrated? - Eighty Percent Mental with Dr Pete Olusoga and Hugh Gilmore
SUGGESTED CONTENT
Thinking Fast and Slow – By Daniel Kahneman
Clarity: Clear Mind, Better Performance, Bigger Results – By Jamie Smart
Pressure Myths: Performance Psychology Inside-Out – By Rich Hudson
Sam Jarman's suggested websites on Non Duality
https://non-duality.rupertspira.com/home
https://www.bernardokastrup.com/
https://advaitachannel.francislucille.com/en/about/
We are delighted to host the guys from Eighty Percent Mental to run their own version of the Haunted House, where coaches have to say how they will deal with tough situations.
Here are the scenarios the group discussed:
- A 17-year-old is transitioning into the senior team but the senior team has a strong drinking culture. How do you advise the coaches and teams?
- A verbally abusive committee member constantly berates the team and staff at training but is friendly with the manager. This is causing an underperformance and training attendance is dropping.
- The captain has said that the team must kneel for black lives matter. Some of the players disagree and refuse too.
- The players get fined for being fat after returning from offseason. One of the better players refused to pay his and then finally the club gives in. This causes a disturbance in the club.
Eighty Percent Mental
Dr Pete Olusoga host of EightyPercentMental.com podcast has been a Senior Lecturer in Psychology for the past 15 years and worked in sport, consulting with athletes from boxing to table tennis. His research area of expertise is coach burnout, and he has played basketball competitively for most of his life.
Hugh Gilmore is an applied performance psychologist and has worked with Olympic and Paralympic Athletics for the past two Olympic games, primarily in athletics and para-powerlifting. He is the co-host of Eightypercentmental.com podcast.
Guests
Andrew Wood is a Practioner psychologist, who spends his time based at Manchester Met University, as well as working as the lead psych for the England B1 football team.
Ross Shand is a Sport and Exercise Psychologist/PhD student at Leeds Beckett University.
Twitter
@EPMPodcast
@PeteOlusoga
@HughJGilmore
@woodington89
@RossShand
Liza “Bird” Burgess and LJ Lewis discuss a round of questions about the practicalities of the game. In this episode, they are with Kim Oliver.
Kim is currently in her fourth season as head coach at Premiership team Bristol Women's team. She won 43 caps for England as a centre, worked as a community coach with Bath and spent two years in Gibraltar as a rugby development officer.
In the podcast, they covered the following topics:
- What have been your biggest lesson you have learnt, transitioning from player to coach?
- How would you introduce your defence philosophy/structure to your players? As the season progresses how would you measure the success of your philosophy/structure?
- How would you build confidence in a player around tackle/collision skills?
- What ideas do you have on structuring your training session, to ensure you cover your attack and defence philosophies? E.g. how you use your coaching team, defence/attack is coached at the same time, games/drills/skill isolation.
- What does a successful defence look like?
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests:
Nick Jackson, Recreational Expanse Financier with England Rugby and Tom Bowen-Hall, DoR Mad Dog Sport.
The team pick out the key takeaways from each piece of great content and say how to use it on the pitch, at all the levels of the game.
This week's content:
- Creativity: A short and cheerful guide – John Cleese
- The LooseHead Podcast – Bernard Jackman
WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
- The Coaching Discourse - Leadership and Culture – with Derek O'Riordan, Laurie MacDonald and Dr Anna Stodter
- The Winning Mentality – Steve Black
- Eighty Percent Mental – What is psychology anyway? - Dr Pete Olusoga & Hugh Gilmore talk to Dr Jonathan Fader
COMING UP
- Stripped Back Sport - Kirsty Gallagher and Maro Itoje
- The Barcelona Way - Damien Hughes
In episode 3, Dr Anna Stodter and Dr Ed Hall, give Jess Bunyard and listeners a tutorial in all things coach development and learning.
The group tackle:
- what effective reflection as a coach looks like,
- diversity within coach education
- what the future holds for coach education.
Whether you want to discover what it takes to research coach education or how to make your coach learning better for you, this is the pod for you.
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests:
Peter Walton, Gloucester Rugby Academy Manager, Magic Academy founders Russell Earnshaw and John Fletcher.
The team pick out the key takeaways from each piece of great content and say how to use it on the pitch, at all the levels of the game.
This week's content:
- Winners Take Control – Robin Van Persie
- Champion Minded – Vicky Williamson
- Praise and Affirmation. A deep dive - Professor Stephen Rolnick
- The High Performance Podcast with Jake Humphrey and Damian Hughes - Jonny Wilkinson
WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
- Feel Better, Live More – The secret to making new habits stick - BJ Fogg
- Brain Booster – Karl Morris
- The Knowledge Project - Learning How to Learn – Barbara Oakley
- The Eddie Jones Coaching Podcast – Joe Roff
- The Coaching Discourse - Leadership and Culture – with Guy Richardson, Elliott Newell and Dr Simon Phelan
- The Sports Psych Show – Helping Players Improve Game Understanding – with Amy Price
- The Swan Cast – Rugby Gives you Confidence – Jimmy Lowes
COMING UP
The Coaching Discourse - Two Beer Minimum Review of Episode 1 – with Derek O'Riordan, Dr Anna Stodter, Laurie MacDonald, Chris Stott and some bloke called Phil Llewellyn (shameless plus, apologies)
If you haven't done so already please assist Dr Anna Stodter with part of her academic research:
Research Survey - Analysing the professional development activities of Sports Coaches' during the COVID-19 pandemic – Dr Anna Stodter and Dr Simon Phelan
Liza Bird Burgess and LJ Lewis discuss a round of questions about the practicalities of the game. In this episode, they are with Tania Rosser.
Tania won more than 50 caps for Ireland, is a level 4 coach, plus played international netball and touch rugby. New Zealand born, she featured in three world cups for Ireland. She currently coaches the Clontarf J1 men's team, balancing that with working as a primary school teacher.
- Having played and coached representative sport in netball, touch rugby and rugby union, what benefits has this experience across a range of sports provided you with when coaching rugby?
- How important is it for coaches to keep updated with developments in other sports?
- Drills v games: the best balance when coaching.
- Playbooks: what are the pros and cons.
- How do you manage motivation when working with players?
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests:
Marianne Davies, senior coach developer at UK Coaching, Jenny Coady, coach developer at UK Coaching, , Dr Anna Stodter, Senior Lecturer in Sports Coaching and PE at Anglia Ruskin University.
The team pick out the key takeaways from each piece of great content and say how to use it on the pitch, at all the levels of the game.
This week's content:
- Talking to Strangers – Malcolm Gladwell
- The Learning Journeys Podcast – Lesley McKenna
- The Magic Academy – Rob Townsend
WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
- The Empty Brain – Robert Epstein
- The High Performance Podcast – Ben Ainslie
- UK Coaching, Understanding Your Emotions – Joe Montemurro
- Adventure Thinking Live – Paul Pritchard
- The Magic Academy - Eilidh Gibson
- A Move Towards Reconceptualising Direct Instruction In Sports Coaching – Ed Cope and Chris Cushion
- Eddie Jones Coaching Podcast – Justin Langer
COMING UP
- The Coaching Discourse – Episode 1 – Derek O'Riordan, Anna Stodter and Lauire MacDonald
Please assist Anna with part of her academic research:
Research Survey - Analysing the professional development activities of Sports Coaches' during the COVID-19 pandemic – Dr Anna Stodter and Dr Simon Phelan
Dan Cottrell challenges Nick Wilkinson, Nathan Gosling and Ian Hollingworth around coaching in the current climate.
They bounce ideas off each other, share what works and what needs to be adjusted. It's all about practical ways to improve your team, at all levels of the game.
- Breakdown work: making more effective at Stage D
- Mixing skills zones into game zones
- Apply the Laws of the game in training
- Refereeing in training and in games
- Is it ever too early to introduce a game plan into training
- Swearing: what is permissible as a coach.
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests:
Mark Bennett, International Coach Developer (PDS Coaching), Stuart Armstrong, Head of Coaching at Sport England and Colin Moran, IRFU Training and Education Manager.
The team pick out the key takeaways from each piece of great content and say how to use it on the pitch, at all the levels of the game.
This week's content:
- How We Think – John Dewey
- Against The Rules – The Coach in Your Head
- Freakonomics – Think Like A Winner
WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
- The Sports Psych Show, Dan Abrahams – How to Build A Winning Team with Dr Matt Slater
- The Loose Head – Let's Talk Coaching – Episodes with Pat Lam, Noel McNamara, Andy Friend and Andrew Browne
- Eighty Percent Mental – Is there such a thing as a winning mindset? With Dave Collins
COMING UP
- Desire2Learn Fusion Conference – Taking place 3 times a month throughout October, November and December
- The Dot by Peter Reynolds
Dan catches up with Nick Elbourne and Tony Wilkinson, who are their club's respective club coaching coordinator and junior chair.
With the start of this season creating more than the usual challenges for organisations and their management, we explore some of the main issues they are facing and how they are going to deal with them.
Nick is CCC at Wimborne RFC in Dorset, Tony Junior Chair at Scunthorpe RFC in North Lincolnshire.
Here are the main areas we discussed:
- How do you retain coaches and attract coaches to the youngest age groups?
- How do you support the coaches' development?
- What are the challenges with training nights and Sunday training under the current Covid-19 regulations?
- With reduced subs and bar takings, what's got to give in the budget?
- Where do you go for support now that the RFU has reduced its workforce?
- What's changed for the better because of lockdown?
- What must we not forget when we return to training?
- What are you looking forward to when things are back and up running?
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests:
John Lawn, head of game development, RFU, Dusty Miller, a performance mentor at the English Institute of Sport and John Widdowson, match official development officer with England Rugby.
The team pick out the key takeaways from each piece of great content and say how to use it on the pitch, at all the levels of the game.
This week's content:
- The Oval World. A Global History of Rugbyby Tony Collins
- Shackleton’s Wayby Morrell & Capparell
- Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankindby Yuval Noah Harari
WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
- Rugby Reloaded Tony Collins
- The High Performance Podcast with Baroness Michelle Mone Jake Humphrey and Damian Hughes
- Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankindpodcast review by Yuval Noah Harari
- The Sports Performance Show – Dan Abrahams talks with Stuart Wilkinson
- England Rugby The Eddie Jones Podcast – Eddie and Conor O'Shea talks with Joe Schmidt
- The Innovation Show – Tactics for Disruptive Thinking – Jeremy Gutsche
- The Sports Coaching Podcast – Sam Holmshaw talks with Marianne Davies
- The Sports Coaching Podcast- Sam Holmshaw talks with Damien McGrath
"If you can't connect with people don't expect to make a change"
WARNING: This podcast does include swearing.
Johnny O'Connor is a strength and conditioning coach with Connacht Rugby. He previously played for the province as well as Wasps and Ireland. In this podcast he chats about:
Part 1
His background from playing rugby with Connacht & Ireland to S&C soach as the world's oldest intern at Arsenal.
Johnny's key takeaways from working with coaches such as Liam Hennessy, Craig White and Warren Gatland.
The three key aspects for developing young players - discipline, work ethic and the ability to accept failure and how important it is to set that standard as the coach.
Part 2 - The Deep Dive
The importance of creating connections with players but needing to understand yourself to be able to do that.
Cultural differences between soccer and rugby.
The influence of Shane McDonald
The environment at Wasps in the early 2000's
The psychological and emotional toll that builds over a rugby career
What rugby can learn from football
In the podcast this week, Jess is joined by Russell Earnshaw from the Magic Academy and Dusty Miller from the English Institute of Sport.
In a summer where not much happened on the pitch, off the pitch was a busy hive of hiring for the top rugby clubs. The team discusses the prevalence of ex-professional players transitioning into coaching and the upsides and downsides that come with this approach.
In a discussion around hiring and diversity, they also chat about previous RFU coach development for women and ways to enable more diversity within coaching. They also chat about coaching pathways, mentoring and all things coach development.
@russellearnshaw
@DustyMiller_A13
Liza Bird Burgess and LJ Lewis discuss a round of questions about the practicalities of the game. In this episode, they are with Karen Findlay, known to most in the game as Jocko, who is joint-head coach at Harlequins Ladies.
Jocko captained Scotland over 50 times and played in three World Cups, winning 85 caps. She went on to coach Richmond Ladies to five titles in the Premiership before joining London-based Quins in 2017, leading then to cup success in her first season.
She also works as a Chief Superintendent with the Metropolitan Police.
In this episode, they discuss the following:
- Shared head coach responsibility: the pros and cons.
- How much player input do you allow in developing the way you play?
- How do you create your own identity in an already established brand?
- What are the overlaps with a professional career and the coaching world: Leadership, strategic direction, people management, language.
- How do you use these overlaps to your advantage?
- How do you transition a player to front row?
This week in the first-ever Breaking The Pane podcast Jess Bunyard is joined by Lichfield Ladies Head Coach Maria Crowfoot and UK Coaching's Coach Developer Jenny Coady.
The team discuss the recent BBC Sport survey into the social media abuse and sexism experienced by elite British sportswomen. One striking result to emerge from the survey was that 65% of the athletes had suffered from sexism but only 10% felt comfortable enough to report it.
The team also share some of their own personal horror stories and discuss how the sports community can make progress into an accepting and diverse landscape.
Read more about the survey here:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/53593459
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/53593465
Contact the team:
@RugbyCoachJess
@MariaCrowfoot7
@JennyCoady10
Dan Cottrell catches up with John Widdowson, described by Phil Llewellyn as the coach observer he is most scared of...in a good way.
John is a Match Official Development Officer for the RFU. He is a RFU level 4 coaching qualification and has been a pathway coach and age-grade coach. He is also a World Rugby Trainer/RFU Senior Developer/ Mentor delivering a full range of CPD Coach/Referee education courses and support services. And he is currently a PhD student with the University of Edinburgh.
We discussed the following areas:
- What does the Match Official Development exactly do?
- What can coaches do better in their interactions with referees?
- What makes John's questions so "scary"?
- What can we do more efficiently on our coaching courses?
- What's the PhD research and how can we help?
If you want to drop John a line, his email is: john.widdowson@hotmail.co.uk
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests Danny Milton, Darren Fearn and Will Garnett review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
The team pick out the key takeaways from each piece of great content and say how to use it on the pitch, at all the levels of the game.
This week:
- The Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Impact – By Dan Heath
- The High Performance Podcast – Jake Humphrey and Damian Hughes talk with Shaun Wane
- Eleven Rings – By Phil Jackson
WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
- The Sports Performance Show – Dan Abrahams Sports Psychology and Coaching
- The Magic Academy – Rusty talks with Jeremy Holt
- The Sports Psych Show – Joan Ryan – Team Chemistry
- Way of Champions - Be the Best Player for the Team, not the Best Player on The Team: A Conversation with 4x Olympian Bo Hanson
COMING UP
- The Magic Academy – Redundancy Support Webinar with Lucy Moore and Alex Stacey. Thursday 20th August 7pm (hosted on the Coach Development Platform on Coach Logic)
- UK Coaching Curious Coaches Club – Coaching 5-8s the nature of little ones Monday, 17th August 14:15 – 15:15
- Inspiring Coaching – Brian Ashton Webinar. Wednesday, 19th August 19:00
- Nicholas Anelka Documentary on Netflix – Anelka: Misunderstood
- The Test on Amazon Prime
- Radical Cander – Kim Scott
- Three team and organisational culture myths and their consequences for sport psychology research and practice – McDougall, Ronkainen, Richardson, Littlewood & Nesti
- 13 Minutes to the Moon – BBC Podcast on Apollo 11 (Season 1) and Apollo 13 (Season 2)
Dan Cottrell speaks to Jess Bunyard, Andy Stevens and Jamie Green about their approaches to Return to Play.
Jess is director of women and girls rugby and RDO at Huddersfield YMCA RFC. Andy is chair of mini and juniors at Ellingham and Ringwood RFC. Jamie is director of rugby at Royston RFC. They all coach across a wide range of age groups.
I asked them the following questions:
- What's exciting you most about returning to coach, not just RTP?
- What are the main challenges for your players in RTP...and your solutions?
- Should we be concerned about potential modifications to the game on our RTP?
- We hope we have become leaner coaches with all this time to reflect. What have you cut from your coaching diet and what's replaced it?
- Return to contact...what does this look like for your teams?
- What do you think rugby will look like come September...
Three links mentioned in the podcast:
- The Roundup Rodeo: Reviews of podcasts and webinars with Phil Llewellyn
- Dave Sharkey: The power of stories
- The Magic Academy: A huge catalogue of interviews with a wide range of top coaches
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests Giselle Mather and Jo Yapp review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
The team pick out the key takeaways from each episode and how to use it on the pitch, at all the levels of the game.
This week:
- The Sports Psych Show - Lisa Alexander - Reflections on Developing a World-Class Winning Coaching Programme
- Don't tell me the Score with Simon Mundy – Interview with Cath Bishop
WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
- Way of Champions - How to Overcome Disruption and Build More Team Unity with Dr Wade Gilbert and Dr Jerry Lynch
- The Magic Academy – Rusty talks with James Gee
- Don't tell me the Score with Simon Mundy – Interview with Sam Allardyce
- The Sports Initiative Podcast with Michael Wright – Interview with Danny Talbot
- Don't tell me the Score with Simon Mundy – Interview with Mel Marshall
- The Sports Psych Show - Dr Scott Goldman Interviews Dan Abrahams
COMING UP
- The Sports Psych Show - Dr Natalie Campbell - Pop Psychology Friday 7th August
- UK Coaching Curious Coaches Club - The New Season Ahead (Return to Training and Competition after COVID 19) Monday, 10 August 14:15 - 15:15
- UK Coaching Workshop - Understanding Unconscious Bias Wednesday 12th Aug 09:30 – 11:00
Si Nainby delivers a two-part podcast with Mark Williams. He is interim Lead Strength & Conditioning Coach for Basketball England, a Lecturer in Sports Science and former Head of S&C for GB Basketball & Southend United FC.
1. The commute: Some quickfire takeaways
Mark's story from semi-pro rugby player to a professional S&C coach
Lessons from the Covid lockdown
The value in focussing on the basics of movement
2. The Deep Dive
The story behind Mark's PhD and why player autonomy became central to his thinking
The Paradox of S&C - How can the controlled environment of the gym carry over to the chaos of sport?
Completing the circle - Marks' evolution of thinking, from questioning the importance of S&C to the role he now sees it playing in developing players
A note from Si:
At the end, we talk about degeneracy and I had redundancy on my brain, as I'd been reading about it that day, and gave the wrong definition. This is what I should have said: Degeneracy is the ability of elements that are structurally different to perform the same function or yield the same output.
LINKS FROM THE PODCASTBasketball England 8 week Athletic Development Program
Basketball England Parkour Videos
Tom Farrow YouTube
Robin Eager RFU VIDEOS
Dan Cleather book
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests Aaron James, James Farndon and Paul Baty review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
The team pick out the key takeaways from each episode and how to use it on the pitch, at all the levels of the game.
The main three reviews are:
- English Rugby Shake-up – News article
- Ben Mercer - Fringes: Life on the Edge of Professional Rugby
- Man Down: The Anti-Man-Up Movement - Jamie Clements talks Positive Masculinity with Dr Dan Guinness
COMING UP
- UK Coaching - Back To Coaching: Teaching Games For Understanding - Tom Hartley Friday 7th August – 12 - 1pm
- The Sports Coaching Podcast - Contextual Interference - with Dan Walker
- Rio Ferdinand and Owen Farrell | Talking mental health for Heads Up #SoundOfSupport
- Walker Talks Coaching Podcast By Dan Walker - Andi Manley: Resilience, Soft Skills & Setting Standards
Liza Bird Burgess and LJ Lewis discuss a round of questions about the practicalities of the game. In this episode, they are with Exeter Chiefs director of rugby, Susie Appleby.
Susie played over 50 times for England. She was assistant coach to the England women's sevens team and coached Gloucester-Hartbury Ladies in the Premiership until the end of the 2020 season.
In this episode, they discuss the following:
- How do you prioritise what to focus on when pulling a new squad together?
- What will the first session look like when players are back in training
- How can you use 7s' drills/skills to upskill 15s players?
- With a renewed focus and clarity around the breakdown, do you think we can learn from sevens when approaching training in this area of the game?
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests Harry Jones and Simon Leader review some of the many great podcasts and webinars from the last week.
The team pick out the key takeaways from each episode and how to use it on the pitch, at all the levels of the game.
The main two reviews are:
- Julie Rice on The Creation of SoulCycle and The Importance of Community
- The Score Takes Care of Itself – Bill Walsh, My Philosophy of Leadership
ONES YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
- The Sports Coaching Podcast - Geometry & the eco-system, tactical concepts & coaching practice in football - with Peter Prickett
- Dan Abrahams talk with Rory Mack and Andrew Wood - Communication for Change
- The Sports Initiative Podcast - Takumi Nishida (Japan 7s S+C Coach)
- Training Ground Guru Podcast - Nick Cox - Youth development the Man Utd way
- The Rebel Movement Blog - PhD Podcast
- Walker Talks Coaching Podcast - Dan Walker is joined by Gerwyn Griffiths
COMING UPLessons in Leadership & Learning Episode 5 – George Ross talks with Phil Llewellyn
(I promise I'll stop plugging myself soon! Honest!) Out on Monday 27th July
UK Coaching - Athlete A documentary - Implications for Coaches
Monday 27th Jul 2020, 2:15pm - 3:15pm
Dan Cottrell finally corals the RCW Round-Up Rodeo host Phil Llewellyn into his own round-up as they delve into the detail of Phil's thoughts on coaching. After interviewing over 40 coaches in the last three months for his show, it was time to put Phil into the hot seat.
They explore:
- Can sevens training and tournaments work for all levels and types of player
- How "jargon" can be used effectively, and made relevant
- The pros and cons of ex-players moving straight into coaching
- What is meant by "exciting" rugby to watch
- Should a coach know a lot about a little or a little about a lot
Phil has worked in Player Development for both England and Ireland Rugby and is a former national league head coach with Hinckley RFC. He has recently returned from coaching and coach development work in Canada. This season, amongst other things, he will be studying for a Masters in Sports Coaching and coaching the Oxford University Women's team.
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests Don Vinson, Andy Abraham and Alison Croad review some of the many great podcasts and webinars from the last week.
The team pick out the key takeaways from each episode and how to use it on the pitch, at all the levels of the game.
The main three reviews are:
- Dr Etienne Wenger: Learning in Landscape of Practise – University of Brighton
- Coaches’ perceptions of decision making in rugby union
- The Sports Psych Show Dan Abrahams talks with Justine Siegal - Coaching Against the Odds
COMING UPLessons in Leadership & Learning Episode 4 – George Ross talks with Dusty Miller
Out on Monday 20th July
Coach Developer Conservations (S2) (EP 6) Derek O'Riordan - The Changing Coach Developer Landscape – Out Now!
Curious Coaches' Club: Using Games to Ignite Learning and Motivation
Out Now!
Open University FREE COURSE! - Coaching Other to Coach
Rugby Coach Weekly Podcast – Dan Cottrell talks with some bloke called Phil Llewellyn (another shameless plug, apologies!)
Out on Wednesday 22nd July
Liza Bird Burgess and LJ Lewis discuss a round of questions about the practicalities of the game. In this episode, they are with Wasps Ladies Director of Rugby, Giselle Mather.
Giselle played for England, winning the 1994 World Cup. She then went onto coach England women’s development teams, before working with London Irish Academy and Teddington men, with great success. She is a trailblazer in women’s coaching and the first women's holder of a Level 4 coaching badge.
In this episode, they discuss the following:
- How would you develop your players' ability to run/catch /pass and kick?
- What practices can you use to develop your players' ability to find/see space?
- Structure v Unstructured? How much structure would you want to give your team?
- What's the ideal recipe for a game plan? What factors do you need to consider?
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests George Tavner, Jack Pattinson and Damien McCabe review some of the many great podcasts and webinars from the last week.
The team pick out the key takeaways from each episode and how to use it on the pitch, at all the levels of the game.
The main three reviews are:
- The Knowledge Project with Shane Parrish - Annie Duke: Getting Better by Being Wrong
- The Magic Academy – All things leadership with Calum Arthur
- Goldy's Rugby Podcast – Sir Gordon Tietjens
OTHERS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED
The Rugby Coach's Corner Podcast – Andy Plimer talks with some bloke called Phil Llewellyn (shameless plug, I apologise!)
The Rugby Hive – Bryan Habana talks with - Dallen Stanford and Robin MacDowell
Lessons in Leadership & Learning Episode 2 – George Ross talks with Kerry Packer
Lessons in Leadership & Learning Episode 1 – George Ross talks with Russell Earnshaw
The Sports Psych Show – Dan Abrahams talks Coach Education with Andrew Abraham
COMING UPSt Marys University – The Rugby Union Landscape with Sir Clive Woodward
Thursday 16th July 11:00am – 12:00 Noon
The High Performance Podcast – Jake Humphrey and Damian Hughes talk with Andrew Strauss
Leader's Locker with Phil Davies - Building a High `Performance Culture
Book recommendation – Owen Slot, The Talent Lab – How to turn potential into world-beating success
Liza Bird Burgess and LJ Lewis discuss a round of questions about the practicalities of the game. In this episode, they are with Loughborough BUCS women's coach, Maria Crowfoot.
Maria has nearly finished her Level 3, and has coached men's rugby at De Monfort University where she was the 1st XV coach.
- University recruitment and keeping in touch with players during lockdown
- Does telling players off work?
- Do you want your players to challenge or agree with you?
- Recovering from a coaching set back
- Referees and the laws of the game: how much do you as a coach need to know?
- Would you coach a player to cheat?
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests Jess Bunyard, Maria Crowfoot and Anastacia Long review some of the many great podcasts and webinars from the last week.
The team pick out the key takeaways from each episode and how to use it on the pitch, at all the levels of the game.
The main three reviews are:
- England Rugby – Race, Rugby and the Women's Game
- UK Sport – Curious Coaches Club: Coaching Mavericks
- The Magic Academy – IDP with Aiden McNulty
COMING UP
- UK Coaching – Curious Coaches Club; What does a debrief look like?
- The SwanCast – David Sharkey talking Swan Lake, Rockets and Irish Rebel
- Lessons In Leadership and Learning – George Ross Episode 2 out Monday 6th
Link here to Episode 1 - https://www.buzzsprout.com/1180421/4362422
USEFUL LINKS
- The Rugby Coach's Corner Podcast with Eddie Jones
- UK Coaching – Coach Developer Conversations
Si Nainby delivers a two-part podcast with Andre Quinn. He is Head of Athletic Performance at Cavan GAA. He was previously a strength and conditioning coach at London Irish and sport scientist at Harlequins.
1. The commute. 30 minutes with Andre to pull out some coaching takeaways.
2. The deep dive. In depth conversations around personalities and realities of playing and coaching.
In the podcast, the following areas are discussed:
- Where Andre's curiosity for improving performance came from
- How the day-to-day training in a Premiership club is set up and why
- Training considerations for amateur clubs
- How the team coped unexpectedly well with a huge increase in workload demanded by a new head coach
- Brendan Venter's approach to motivation and the organisation of training at London Irish Andre's experiences of dealing with cancer and how he approached his treatment
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests Martin MacTaggart, Brett Igoe and Mark Jefferys review some of the many great podcasts and webinars from the last week.
The team pick out the key takeaways from each episode and how to use it on the pitch, at all the levels of the game.
The three main presentations in the show:
Athlete Agility Lab – Decision Making in Team Agility Sport with Robin Eager
http://www.athleteagilitylab.com/episode-24-decision-making-in-team-invasion-sports-with-mike-ashford/
The Rugby Analysis Deep Dive – Geraint Davies with Lewis Ludlow
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prBzYdYpEOA&feature=youtu.be
England Rugby – Preparing Player for Pre-Season with Robin Eager and Tim Hall
https://www.englandrugby.com/news/article/weekly-online-coaching-webinars
COMING UPThe Rugby Analysis Deep Dive – Geraint Davies with Joe Larkin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prBzYdYpEOA&feature=youtu.be
Getting the performance culture right – Ben Ryan with Kenya Rugby
Friday 28th June – 10:00pm UK Time
Zoom ID – 892 3561 3492
The Curious Coach Club – Coaching Mavericks
https://www.ukcoaching.org/courses/workshops/curious-coaches-club-open-webinar/32103
Liza Bird Burgess and LJ Lewis discuss a round of questions about the practicalities of the game. In this episode they are with former Wales international captain, Rachel Taylor.
She's the first female Welsh Rugby Union regional academy skills coach. She also coaches men's team Colwyn Bay RFC in North Wales.
They cover these topics:
- Creating the right environment to motivate players to come back to training
- Would you prefer to coach a team with a good work ethic versus a skilful team?
- How do you prioritise training sessions to get the most out of individuals and team?
- Does storytelling have a place in coaching?
- What does a session look like to ensure learning takes place for players?
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests Dave Sharkey, Mark Rees and Andrew Brownhill review some of the many great podcasts and webinars from the last week.
The team pick out the key takeaways from each episode and how to use it on the pitch, at all the levels of the game.
The main three reviews are:
- Reflective practice, not reflection. Making sense of improving ourselves, from UK Coaching.
- Lara Mossman challenges Russell Earnshaw on how he coaches.
- Changing cultures: real differences that translate into success with Sean Dyche.
The links for these shows:
The Curious Coach Club – Getting Better at Reflection
The Magic Academy Podcast – Lara Mossman
The High Performance Podcast – Jake Humphries with Sean Dyche
COMING UP
All Chats Pod – The George Floyd Chat
The Flying Coach - Gregg PopovichDrs Joel Porter and Stephen Rollnick - Supporting Autonomy: How Long is a Piece of String;
https://www.stephenrollnick.com/motivational-interviewing-and-beyond-live-webinars/
The Training Ground Guru - Nick Cox - Youth development the Man Utd way
The Magic Academy – Rusty chats with Jean Côté
USEFUL LINKS
Eddie Jones Podcast - England Rugby
Training ground Guru podcast
In discussion with Chris Morgan, director of sport at Tonbridge School in Kent, we talk about:
- Why paying players brings challenges, for players and coaches.
- The consequences in the long term of paying players at lower levels of the game.
- How schools and academies can work together.
- What might make the academy process more efficient.
- The Half-a-game rule and the experience of schools.
- How to return to play and what sessions might look like.
Chris was head of cricket at Reigate Grammar before moving to Tonbridge. He then ran the rugby at Tonbridge for eight years, including success in the Champions Trophy and Rosslyn Park Sevens.
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests Edd Conway, Mitch McGahan and Melanie Liley review some of the many great podcasts and webinars from the last week.
The team pick out the key takeaways from each episode and how to use it on the pitch, at all the levels of the game.
The main three reviews are:
- Refereeing the scrum with Wayne Barnes and Matthew Carney
- Phil Dowson's experience of becoming a coach at the Saints and working with Chris Boyd
- Joe Lydon and Tom Biggs on how looking at the game differently, from a Rugby League perspective
The links for these shows:
Jack & Fish: Saturday Breakfast Show – Phil Dowson
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2zskyMQ
Apple: https://apple.co/2LaSIHT
Google: https://bit.ly/2LeyjBE
RFU Tuesday Training – Refereeing the scrum
https://www.workcast.com/register?cpak=4284626647061418
The Magic Academy Half Time Huddle – Joe Lydon and Tom Biggs
https://www.coach-logic.com/magic-academy/
https://www.themagicacademy.co.uk
https://www.coach-logic.com
COMING UP
Jack & Fish: Saturday Breakfast Show – Eddie Jones
Saturday 13th June https://www.buzzsprout.com/1059754
OTHER USEFUL LINKS
Eddie Jones Podcast - England Rugby
https://www.englandrugby.com/news/article/the-eddie-jones-coaching-podcast-coaching-structure
England Rugby Watch Back
https://www.englandrugby.com/news/article/weekly-online-coaching-webinars
The Magic Academy
https://www.buzzsprout.com/205642
Jack & Fish: Saturday Breakfast Show
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1059754
The Talent Equation Podcast
https://www.spreaker.com/show/the-talent-equation-podcast
The Rugby Coach's Corner Podcast
https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/rugby-coachs-corner-podcast/id1049150761
Jouez & Jugs - Oxford Brookes University RFC
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/jouez-jugs/id1508737093
The Scottish Rugby Podcast
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-scottish-rugby-podcast/id1195370479?mt=2&app=itunes
The Sports Coaching podcast with Sam Holmshaw
https://samuelholmshawfootballcoach.wordpress.com/podcast/
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests George Ross, Ged Hall and Alex Grieve review some of the many great podcasts and webinars from the last week.
The team pick out the key takeaways from each episode and how to use it on the pitch, at all the levels of the game.
The main three reviews are:
England's John Mitchell on the breakdown
Steve Kerr and Pete Carroll from the Flying Coach
Rich Shorter (Non-Perfect Dad) on coach, parent and athlete relationships.
COMING UPJack & Fish: Saturday Breakfast Show – Phil Dowson Saturday 6th June
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1059754
RFU Tuesday Training – Refereeing the scrum 7:00pm Tuesday 9th
https://www.workcast.com/register?cpak=4284626647061418
Sport UCLAN - George Holmes Recruitment Analyst for Brighton FC Wednesday 10 June 2pm
Email dbanks5@uclan.ac.uk for registration
Jenny Coady, Matt Johnson and Nick Levett – UK Coaching review of The Last Dance Monday 8th June 2:15 – 3:15
https://www.ukcoaching.org/courses/workshops/curious-coaches-club-open-webinar
OTHER USEFUL LINKSEddie Jones Podcast - England Rugby
https://www.englandrugby.com/news/article/the-eddie-jones-coaching-podcast-coaching-structure
England Rugby Watch Back
https://www.englandrugby.com/news/article/weekly-online-coaching-webinars
The Magic Academy
https://www.buzzsprout.com/205642
Jack & Fish: Saturday Breakfast Show
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1059754
The Talent Equation Podcast
https://www.spreaker.com/show/the-talent-equation-podcast
The Rugby Coach's Corner Podcast
https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/rugby-coachs-corner-podcast/id1049150761
JOUEZ & JUGS - Oxford Brookes University RFC
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/jouez-jugs/id1508737093
The Scottish Rugby Podcast
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-scottish-rugby-podcast/id1195370479?mt=2&app=itunes
Si Nainby delivers a two-part podcast with Tom Farrow is the Head of Strength and Conditioning for England 7s and owner of Areté Performance - www.arete-performance.com.
1. The commute. 30 minutes with Tom to pull out some coaching takeaways.
2. The deep dive. In depth conversations around personalities and realities of playing and coaching.
1. The commute
- Lessons from 7's for all rugby players.
- What young players should focus on in order to make the leap to being a professional player.
- The PLAY (Physically Literate Athletic Youths) and Freedom frameworks Arete uses with young players.
2. The deep dive
- Tom's varied and chaotic path to coaching at the elite level and his immersive approach to personal development.
- The story behind Tom's mission to cultivate heroes and the influence of Eastern philosophy on his approach.
- What Comedians can teach coaches.
- The importance of body control in contact skills and what it means to "Be like water".
Liza Bird Burgess and LJ Lewis discuss a round of questions about the practicalities of the game.
In this episode they are with former Ireland international Sophie Spence, who is now coaching Penclawdd mens team.
Here are the topics they cover:
Making contact training realistic: The role of equipment, when and where, bone on bone and mindset.
Tackle training v D systems: Planning how and when to use equipment, coaching technique and introducing systems in D. Planning to build and cover detail against technique and trust/communication.
Ending a session before game day: Poor team run v good team run, how to overcome this, reinforcing game plan, not speaking for too long and bringing players together with a huddle, chant and ownership of the process.
Telling a player they are dropped: Difficult conversions as a coach, importance of being clear with selection policy, keeping feedback precise and achievable, sharing with rest of coaching team so that single message from all coaches, sticking with it as a coaching team and chatted through various options for feedback depending on time with players. Face to face, phone call, email, zoom?
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests Paul Shepherd, Alex Field and Russ Bolton review some of the many great podcasts and webinars from the last week.
The team pick out the key takeaways from each episode and how to use it on the pitch, at all the levels of the game.
- Richard Cheetham on embedding learning into your sessions
- Will Greenwood and Brian Ashton on England's most recent performance against New Zealand
- Cut, bleed and bandage feedback with Ed Coughlan and Stu Armstrong
Also, there’s a preview of the highlights for the coming week.
Here’s the list of podcasts and links:
DISCUSSED
Magic Academy – Brian Ashton and Will Greenwood join Fletch and Rusty
https://www.coach-logic.com/magic-academy/
https://www.themagicacademy.co.uk
https://www.coach-logic.com
The Talent Equation - Developing coaches through 'Cut, Bleed & Bandage' - A Coach Logic 'Breakfast Club' with Ed Coughlan
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/developing-coaches-through-cut-bleed-bandage-coach/id1209549739?i=1000475497458
Richard Cheetham – England Rugby – Embedding learning into your regular coaching/refereeing practice'
https://www.englandrugby.com/news/article/weekly-online-coaching-webinars
WHAT ELSE WE MISSED
Some of content we didn't get a chance to discuss but that you may be interested in...
The Rugby Journal - Rugby in Lockdown #7 - The life of an England Sevens player
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=12&v=XDu6GimFHhg&feature=emb_title
Understanding and Improving Tough Conversations - A talk by Ken King
https://cross-canada-coaches-clinic.heysummit.com/talks/understanding-and-improving-tough-conversations/
Scouting Your Own Team - A talk by Matt Gamblin
https://cross-canada-coaches-clinic.heysummit.com/talks/tbd-7/
The RPA – Supporting Yourself and Others - Matt Leek, Ben Morris, Tom Lindsay and Jake Woolmore
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNThVP_kiuo
The RPA – Career Insights: Working In Schools
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pTidDRmD-0
The Rut Podcast – Tom Lindsay
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-rut/id1513039398#episodeGuid=Buzzsprout-3798485
COMING UP
England Rugby Tuesday Training - Coaching the Breakdown with John Mitchell
7:00PM Tuesday 2nd June
https://www.workcast.com/register?cpak=1702553597012693
Tongan Head Coach Toutai Kefu - Rugby World Cup campaign Coaching philosophy, Team Profile, Game Plan, Motivation.
11:00am Wednesday 3rd June
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd0Dt43SLfp4hURQRSearmEheL_z9iYJ_LIPYc764JQfiPH0Q/viewform
UK Coaching - Coach, Parent and Athlete Relationship
Monday 1st June
https://www.ukcoaching.org/cou
Welcome to the Rugby Coach Weekly...Haunted House, featuring:
Andy Stevens, Academy Chair and Club Coaching Coordinator at Ellingham and Ringwood, Level 2 coach, working with the clubs U11s, plus U13s and U15s girls, and coaching U18 boys at the local college.
Jess Bunyard, Director of Women and Girls Rugby and Rugby Development Officer at Huddersfield YM RUFC. Head coach of University of Huddersfield Women's Team. Level 2 coach, assisting Yorkshire U18s Girls team
Nathan Gosling, a teacher, coaching his son's club team, coach at Exeter DPP, county U20s coach and just appointed head coach at Crediton RFC.
These three unsuspecting coaches were invited to enter the Haunted House. I led each one into a room where they faced a terrifying rugby scenario. Each one was challenged to find a coaching solution. On the spot, no preparation and no get out clauses. Sink or swim.
The other two coaches listened on, and at the end of the solution offered alternative views. One acts as the Devil's Advocate, offering a completely different angle to the first two.
At the end, we also reveal the Skeleton in the Cupboard.
Please drop your own solutions in Twitter @rugbycoachweek
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests Chris Dengate, Mike Pope and Roy Davies review some of the many great podcasts and webinars from the last week.
The team pick out the key takeaways from each episode and how to use it on the pitch, at all the levels of the game.
- Leinster Rugby on tactical periodisation, including interesting stats on ball in play time at different levels of the game.
- Kevin Bowring and Nigel Redman on coach development
- Being creative in session design with Moritz Kossman
Also, there’s a preview of the highlights for the coming week.
Here’s the list of podcasts and links:
DISCUSSED
Practical Solutions to applying Tactical Periodisation Model to Rugby – St Marys University in conjunction with Leinster Rugby
No video currently available but some info is available here:
https://www.leinsterrugby.ie/coaching-webinar-practical-solutions-to-applying-the-tactical-periodisation-model-to-rugby/
Additional link to video with Mike Ashford
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4jwRSRYA5g&feature=emb_title
Research Paper on Tactical Periodisation
https://journals.lww.com/nsca-scj/fulltext/2018/10000/a_tactical_periodization_approach_for_rugby_union.1.aspx
Moritz Kossman - Being Creative in Session Design – Modern Soccer Coach Podcast
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/modern-soccer-coach-podcast/id1318510028?i=1000474891351
Magic Academy – Kevin Bowering and Nigel Redman join Fletch and Rusty
Wednesday 20th May 7:00pm
https://www.coach-logic.com/magic-academy/
https://www.themagicacademy.co.uk
https://www.coach-logic.com
Magic Academy Half Time Huddle – U20 RWC Review – Harry Mallinder and Martin Haag
https://www.coach-logic.com/magic-academy/
https://www.themagicacademy.co.uk
https://www.coach-logic.com
COMING UP
Richard Cheetham – England Rugby – Embedding learning into your regular coaching/refereeing practice'
7:00PM Tuesday 26th May
https://www.workcast.com/register?cpak=5152126882713434
IRFU Analytica 2020 Global Sports Analytics Webinar Live
Thursday 28th May 12:00 – 4:00pm
https://www.irishrugby.ie/2020/05/15/irfu-analytica-2020-global-sports-analytics-webinar-live-next-week/
Team GB – In conversation with Alex Davis (Mental Health Awareness week)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAhwHJPZP3k&feature=youtu.be
Magic Academy Wednesday and Half Time Huddle Friday
https://www.coach-logic.com/magic-academy/
https://www.themagicacademy.co.uk
https://www.coach-logic.com
OTHER USEFUL LINKS
Eddie Jones Podcast - England Rugby
Si Nainby delivers a two-part podcast, with former England 9, pro-team coach and now a director of sport, Paul Hodgson
1. The commute. 30 minutes with Paul to pull out some coaching takeaways.
2. The deep dive. In-depth conversations around personalities and realities of playing and coaching.
Paul is Director of Sport at Cranmore School in Surrey and a former England international 9. He has coached at London Irish Academy and was most recently their first team attack coach.
In this podcast, Paul shares stories and experiences from his playing, coaching and teaching careers. We chat about:
- Paul's lessons from pro-sport that he now uses to develop young players.
- Formative experiences at Bristol with Jack Rowell, Agustin Pichot and Felipe Contepomi
- Lessons on work ethic and building a fitness base from Mike Catt and Jonny Wilkinson.
- The importance of good communication and relationships with players, especially around selection.
- Working with the elemental force that is Brendan Venter.
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests Rich Freeman, Joe Winpenny and Phil Powell review some of the many great podcasts and webinars from the last week.
The team pick out the key takeaways from each episode and how to use it on the pitch, at all the levels of the game.
Also, there’s a preview of the highlights for the coming week.
Here’s the list of podcasts and links:
DISCUSSED
Gilbert Enoke - #8: Life After Rugby | Coping with the Uncertainty of Non-Rugby Life
https://open.spotify.com/episode/6xKWbwLqCK6GVzmq6hTFxF
Join Drs Joel Porter and Stephen Rollnick - Listening in a Time of Uncertainty
https://www.stephenrollnick.com/motivational-interviewing-and-beyond-live-webinars/
Dan Cox – Magic Academy
https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/season-5-episode-5-with-dan-cox/id1434710237?i=1000474134625
Chris Duncan - Building success through teamwork – Coachlogic
https://www.coach-logic.com
COMING UP
Mel Marshall (Adam Peaty Swim Coach) – Creating an Athlete-Centred Environment
Monday 18th May
https://www.ukcoaching.org/courses/workshops/curious-coaches-club-open-webinar
Practical Solutions to applying Tactical Periodisation Model to Rugby – St Marys University in conjunction with Leinster Rugby
Thursday 21st May 7:00pm
https://www.leinsterrugby.ie/coaching-webinar-practical-solutions-to-applying-the-tactical-periodisation-model-to-rugby/
Magic Academy – Kevin Bowring and Nigel Redman join Fletch and Rusty
Wednesday 20th May 7:00pm
https://www.coach-logic.com/magic-academy/
https://www.themagicacademy.co.uk
https://www.coach-logic.com
IRFU Analytica 2020 Global Sports Analytics Webinar Live
Thursday 21st and Thursday 28th May 12:00 – 4:00pm
https://www.irishrugby.ie/2020/05/15/irfu-analytica-2020-global-sports-analytics-webinar-live-next-week/
Andre Tredoux – How to build your defence
Tuesday 19th May 6:30pm
To book on email – info@wjkcoaching.co.za
https://www.wjkcoaching.co.za
Sara Cox and Luke Pearce – England Rugby – Refereeing Positioning
7:00PM Tuesday 19th May
https://www.workcast.com/register?cpak=5152126882713434
Martina Navarro - Athletic Skills Model 'A different way of thinking about movement'
Friday 22nd May 1:00pm
https://uop.webex.com/ec3300/eventcenter/mobile/eventInfoMobile.do?siteurl=uop&confID=161066149608425562&meetingKey=955177680&backUrl=%2Fmw3300%2Fwireless%2Fmeetinglist.do%3Fsiteurl%3Du
Welcome to the Rugby Coach Weekly...Haunted House, featuring:
Richard Cheetham, Senior Fellow in Sports Coaching at the University of Winchester, was awarded the MBE in recognition for his work in Community Education and Sport, working with the RFU as well as many other top sports governing bodies
Rachel Taylor,first female Welsh Rugby Union regional academy coach, a former international with 67 caps as well as captaining the side, coaching the Barbarians team plus head coach of Colwyn Bay RFC mens team,
Russell Bolton,a level 3 coach, course RFU course director, coached in Italy, and now the rugby professional Magdalen College, Oxford
These three unsuspecting coaches were invited to enter the Haunted House. I lead each one into a room where they faced a terrifying rugby scenario. Each one was challenged to find a coaching solution. On the spot, no preparation and no get out clauses. Sink or swim.
The other two coaches listened on, and at the end of the solution offered alternative views. One acts as the Devil's Advocate, offering a completely different angle to the first two.
At the end, we also reveal the Skeleton in the Cupboard.
Please drop your own solutions in Twitter @rugbycoachweek
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests Stuart Dixon, Alan Hubbleday and Dan Cox review some of the many great podcasts and webinars from the last week.
The team pick out the key takeaways from each episode and how to use it on the pitch, at all the levels of the game.
Also, there’s a preview of the highlights for the coming week.
Here’s the list of podcasts and links:
DISCUSSED
Steve Kerr and Peter Carroll Podcast
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/flying-coach-with-steve-kerr-and-pete-carroll/id1507792638
Kevin Till – Talent Development Systems, Friend of Foe
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkCHFe6Ugao&t=330s
Will Greenwood Podcast with Scott "Razor" Ruddock
https://play.acast.com/s/skysportsrugbyworldcup/https%3A%2F%2Fapi.spreaker.com%2Fepisode%2F2580896
Rugby Coach Weekly Podcast - Andrew Brownhill – Mental Health My Personal Journey
https://www.rugbycoachweekly.net/rugby-coaching/podcasts/mental-health-my-personal-journey/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=Sendible&utm_campaign=RSS
COMING UP
Eamon O’Shea - GAA Coach Webinar Series
7:30PM Tuesday 12th May
https://learning.gaa.ie/gaacoachwebinar2020
Simon Amor – England Rugby - Knowing yourself as a coach
7:30PM Tuesday 12th May
https://t.co/lWc0iL5OQ5?amp=1
Stuart Armstrong – Coach Logic - We Gotta Game for That
8:00am Monday 11th May
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_bCxQkGQpS2yhpKjrfvd_rQ
Magic Academy – Guest TBC
Wednesday 13th May 7:00pm
https://www.coach-logic.com/magic-academy/
https://www.themagicacademy.co.uk
https://www.coach-logic.com
In Conversation with Alice Tai MBE – Pro Noctis
3:00pm Wednesday 13th May
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEsd-6hrDkpHdO83rr-sjUDe6XZWy0NWhIo
Building success through teamwork | Chris Duncan
2:00pm Wednesday 13th May
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_DfR5ifvmSE-QixYjgX96kw
The Sports Psych Show Podcast – Jamie Taylor - Why High Potential Players Don't Make It
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-sport-psych-show/id1434313037?i=1000456449662
Jamie's Research to support the above conversation
https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/tsp/33/2/article-p85.xml
The WellySport podcast - where the aim is to provide interesting sports related conversations with anyone from the world of sport, including Old Wellingtonians now involved in sport or other individuals who now work within sport
https://dukeboxradi
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests Richie Williams, Aaron Takel and Gerard Mullen review some of the many great podcasts and webinars from the last week.
The team pick out the key takeaways from each episode and how to use it on the pitch, at all the levels of the game.
Also, there’s a preview of the highlights for the coming week.
Here’s the list of podcasts and links:
DISCUSSED
Magic Academy – Coaching the High Numbers with Lee Blackett and Jacob Umaga
https://www.coach-logic.com/magic-academy/
https://www.themagicacademy.co.uk
https://www.coach-logic.com
Wade Gilbert – Video not currently available but his slides are here:
https://learning.gaa.ie/gaacoachwebinar2020
7th Heaven Podcast
https://shows.acast.com/seventhheavenrugbypod/episodes/the-ruaridh-mcconnochie-marcus-watson-whopper
COMING UP
England Rugby – Stuart Lancaster
Tuesday 5th May
7:00pm UK time
https://www.workcast.com/register?cpak=4672826314203047
Monday Amigoss – BC Rugby, Rugby Alberta and Rugby Nova Scotia
Monday 4th May
10pm UK Time
Zoom Meeting ID – 810 0126 6959
Link to time and info via Tiwtter - https://twitter.com/jackhanratty/status/1255861223226249221?s=20
Steve Kerr and Peter Carroll Podcast
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/flying-coach-with-steve-kerr-and-pete-carroll/id1507792638
GAA Webinar Series
Tuesday 5th May
7:30PM UK time
https://learning.gaa.ie/gaacoachwebinar2020
St Mary's University Performance Analysis Department
Monday 8th
10am UK time
https://stmarys.zoom.us/webinar/register/4015880633779/WN_FfsperFSSzyj-MVwHu-PqA
OTHER USEFUL LINKS
Eddie Jones Podcast
https://player.acast.com/the-eddie-jones-coaching-podcast/episodes/trailer-the-eddie-jones-coaching-podcast
Andy Brownhill, head of rugby at Park House School, Newbury, a pathway coach with Gloucester academy and a coach with Scotland U16s, opens up about his struggles with mental health.
In this moving story, he shares with us what happened, how he found help and how we can help ourselves and help each other.
Frankly, I love doing podcasts to find out more about rugby and sport.
This podcast was on a different level for me. First, that Andy is so brave. Second, because I was in completely uncharted territory for me, yet it made so much sense. And third, due to the impact it has made on my life and my way forward.
I implore you not to pay lip-service to mental health education, support and development.
Even if you don't listen to the podcast, please take time to visit some of the links I've put below.
Thanks to Rich Berry and Sam Jarman for their support.
If you feel you need to reach out to anyone, or find out more, then all four of us are more than happy to listen.
E: andrewbrownhill91@gmail.com
T: @AndrewBrownhil
E: dan.cottrell@rugby-coach.com
T: @Dan_Cottrell
E: richberry@grfu.org
W: Easier to build strong children than broken men
W: https://keepyourbootson.co.uk/supporting-mental-health-in-rugby-webinar/
E: Sam@sportsprinciples.com
W: sportsprinciples.com
W: https://sportsprinciples.com/2019/07/11/its-ok-not-to-be-ok/
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests Geraint Davies, Liam Dunseath and Andy Fradgley review some of the many great podcasts and webinars from the last week.
The team pick out the key takeaways from each episode and how to use it on the pitch, at all the levels of the game.
Also, there's a preview of the highlights for the coming week.
Here's the list of podcasts and links:
Discussed
England Rugby – Stuart Lancaster – Principles of Attack
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KFAeo2soNzvBxHQ8f18MmPk0GqiAt5BT/view
Practice Design with Danny Newcome & Ed Hall
https://app.coach-logic.com/video/296588
Rugby Ontario – Research to Practise Series – Amanda Visek - FunMaps
https://youtu.be/xLMkeK3_KTI
Movement & Skill Acquisition Ireland with Ric Shuttleworth
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mLtKBTlgyk&feature=youtu.be
Coachlogic - Warren Abrahams – Practice Design
https://www.buzzsprout.com/981331/3223468-great-practice-design-how-to-support-player-development-warren-abrahams
Magic Academy – Eddie Jones
https://player.fm/series/the-magic-academy/season-4-episode-16-with-eddie-jones
England Rugby – Tuesday Training with Eddie Jones
https://www.englandrugby.com/news/article/weekly-online-coaching-webinars?jwsource=cl
COMING UP THIS WEEK
icoachkids: Talent Development Systems Friend or Foe? Prof Kevin Till
Day - Friday 1st May
Time - 2pm UK
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMMDMadlmu15v-Wo4-c-vOw
Tracy Neville – The high performance podcast
Currently Available
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/tracey-neville/id1500444735?i=1000471298944
British Columbia Rugby Union – Ladies Who Lead series – Heather Wilson-Banks
Day – Tuesday
Time - 3am UK
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUlc-GorD0qH9EqfZCoF1pLdPmPyYcv4fwq
Magic Academy – John Fletcher, Russell Earnshaw and Guests
Day – Wednesday
Time - 7pm UK
https://www.themagicacademy.co.uk
https://www.coach-logic.com/magic-academy/
Other Useful Links
Gary Neville opens up on his time at Valencia & explains why he'll never coach again | Off Script
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qk04dh4Rxg
UK Coaching – Skill Acqusition – Stuart Lancaster
https://www.ukcoaching.org/resources/topics/podcasts/skill-acquisition?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=organic-social&utm_campaign=social-subscription&utm_term=resource-free&utm_content=skill-podcast-lancaster-160420
Movement and Skill Acqusition Ireland – Professor Keith Davids
Welcome to the Rugby Coach Weekly...Haunted House, featuring:
Bruce Aitchison, housemaster at Merchiston Castle School, Level 3 coach, former coach at cup winning Boroughmuir, played and coached across the globe. Creator of Happiness is Egg Shaped.
Geraint Davies, Head of PE and Games at Leicester Grammar School, Head Coach at Nuneaton RFC, a coach with Gloucester Academy and a Senior Coach Developer and Level 3 mentor, video analysis guru on Twitter and YouTube.
Phil Llewelyn, just back from coaching in Canada, former Player Development Officer with England Rugby and Talent Developer with Ireland Rugby and a former national league head coach with Hinckley RFC.
These three unsuspecting coaches were invited to enter the Haunted House. I lead each one into a room where they faced a terrifying rugby scenario. Each one was challenged to find a coaching solution. On the spot, no preparation and no get out clauses. Sink or swim.
The other two coaches listened on, and at the end of the solution offered alternative views. We then commented on those solutions, before we went off to the next room.
Please drop your own solutions in Twitter @rugbycoachweek
For more details on the brilliant answers we hear about in the episode, go to:
Peter Russell is very experienced coach, having worked with premier teams across the rugby globe. He was head coach of Hawkes Bay, assistant coach with the Highlanders Super Rugby team, head coach at the Newcastle Falcons and the NEC Green Rockets in Japan. He is now head coach at the Manawatu Mitre 10 Cup team.
In the pod, he was keen to chat about the game plan concept, trends and the exposure of defence systems.
In this detailed podcast, here are some of the many areas we covered:
- What is meant by an attacking part of a game plan
- What are the key elements to this game plan
- How does an attack breakdown the modern, aggressive defensive systems
- Why "shape" comes second
- How does "shape" work, for example, with a 1,3,3,1 system
- What happens in training to enable the game plan to work
- What's the role of kicking in a game plan
- Why we need to think about the width of passes from the base of a ruck
- What the All Blacks disastrously forgot against the Lions in 2017
To find out more around the topics covered this podcast, go to the Rugby Coach Weekly page on this podcast.
Rhys Davies is an Academy Coach Development Officer at London Irish, as well as head coach with HAC mens team in London and Berkshire Ladies. He has taken social media by storm with his great resources around being more effective as a coach when using different games.
In this podcast, we develop his themes around challenges, effective coaching and how to manage training to give players a fantastic game experience.
Here are the main areas we covered
- How do you challenge coaches positively
- Common threads/areas that need to be challenged
- What are you challenging in the way they are coaching though their types of practice
- What is the balance between games and other activities in training
- Drills – why this is still okay to use as a word
- Preparing questions before training to help guide a plan
- How to react to a session which goes off in a different direction
- Using constraints to change ways to succeed
- Why innovation shouldn’t always be a surprise to you
- Good ways to create problem-solving situations
- Do all players want to play games in training, all the time
- How drill videos online are relatable to players
- What makes games in training more powerful
- What’s the most efficient way to introduce a game
- What’s missing because we concentrate on winning
- How do we intervene effectively during a game
- Giving players more autonomy in training – practically, so all players can be access the opportunities
- The benefits of using balls from other sports and the right balance
- What are the measures of success in a game
- How do we create differentiated questions, because not all the players need them same challenges
To get in touch with Rhys to find out more:
@rugbyrhys9
Rhys.davies@london-irish.com
Gordon MacLelland, CEO of Working With Parents in Sport, outlines the key elements for an effective communication policy between the coach and parents.
He identifies the key difficulties, practicalities and what parents want to hear and when.
It is part of a series of podcasts on working effectively with parents.
To find out more visit Working With Parents In Sport.
Mark is head coach of Scottish Premiership one club, the Currie Chieftains. He is also co-founder of Coach Logic, a collaborative video analysis platform for sports. Their mantra is to #connectthegame through video.
In this pod we talk about the how video analysis can be used positively by coaches, recognising that it can come with some health warnings and pitfalls.
Here are some of the areas we cover:
- From a novice coach's point of view, where do you start when you look at footage
- What is meant by "priming" the player through video
- Filming effectively with your phone
- Examples of how we can watch back footage more effectively
- Questions around players who are "off the ball"
- Effectively communicate our findings
- How to avoid too many "targets"
- Positive outcomes which makes players who want to be on film
- Ways to keep all the different positions involved, even if they have less "ball time" than others.
- How to use video of yourself to improve your own coaching
Due to the extraordinary circumstances that face clubs, Coach Logic are offering their platform free to coaches for the next three months ('til June 2020).
For more on Coach Logic, click here.
Ged Hall coaches across a wide range of ages and abilities. A deep thinker about his coaching, he shares with us practical solutions and thoughts around what a good training session might look like.
Ged is a DPP coach with Sale Sharks, youth development manager with Sandbach RFC and a coach at Haberdashers’ Abraham Darby School.
In this podcast, we delve into:
- What does practice design really look like
- Getting the right balance between planned and unplanned
- What mastery means for different age groups
- Defining purpose
- What does your coaching plan look like on a piece of A4 paper
- How long should run an activity for - getting your timings right
- How to use skills zones at the right time
- Coach interventions: when, how and what should be said
- The detail of coaching the tackle
- Contesting possession: what might a good practice session look like
- What mistakes do you see your players making and how do you help them resolve them
- Creating "shape" even in a chaotic game - why that might work
Sophie Spence, former Irish XV’s and 7’s rugby international player and now coach of Penclawdd Men’s Division 1 team, talks about her coaching journey as a converted netball player with Liza "Bird" Burgess.
Her passion, love and enthusiasm for the game shines through the podcast, along with her relentless drive to become a better coach.
In the pod, Bird and Sophie discuss:
- Moving late from netball to rugby, and how sports skills can transfer
- From international rugby player into coaching, women's and men's
- Moving the game into becoming professional
- Advice to aspiring coaches
- How to learn from listening to others, and being vulnerable
- Frustrations in developing the game
- Creating a girls rugby academy
- The differences between women's and men's rugby coaching
- Coaching a men's team in Wales
Are your training sessions giving the players the best learning? Is your coaching allowing them to become more creative?
Paul Kirschner and Carl Hendrick are leading experts in the learning world. In their latest book, How Learning Happens, they introduce us to 28 giants of educational research and their findings on how we learn and what we need to learn effectively, efficiently, and enjoyably.
Using Paul and Carl's expertise, we translate their findings into sporting contexts.
Here are some of the many areas we cover:
- The difference between playing and learning
- How the coach can intervene in play to enhance learning
- The inefficiency of discovery learning
- What's too much coaching
- How spaced practice can accelerate learning
- The key differences for learning between the classroom and the training ground
- What does "expressing yourself" really mean - and where it can go wrong
- Why we might have to suppress fun and playfulness at times
- Motivation and success - the myth
- Why you should be thinking more about your retrieval practices
- Why schools don't kill creativity and what lessons you can learn from that
- Top tips on practice design
- Learning why what you do works, so can keep doing it, or change to doing something else
How Learning Happens: Seminal Works in Educational Psychology and What They Mean in Practice is out now (4th March 2020). Click here to order.
And as a special offer to our listeners, you get a 20% discount if you apply this code: BSE20
Paul A. Kirschner is Emeritus Professor of Educational Psychology at the Open University of the Netherlands as well as Guest Professor at the Thomas More University of Applied Science in Belgium.
Carl Hendrick teaches at Wellington College, UK, and holds a PhD in Education from King’s College London.
Mark Saltmarsh, who is Head of Education and Age Grade Rugby at the RFU, tells us how the "Half a game" rule (HGR) has worked so far, and what have been the challenges.
Mark gives an honest assessment of the current roll-out, with plenty of practical ways to make it work for all clubs.
We covered:
- The principles behind the rule
- Why have a rule when good coaches should be doing this already
- Some of the main issues that have caused problems: cup games, keen players becoming demotivated
- The role of sanctions
- How conversations before games make it easier to implement
- How HGR is being integrated into courses.
For more resources on HGR go to the RFU website. Click here.
Mark Bennett MBE, a leading coach and coach developer, explains how he helps coaches to help players to think for themselves. He has very powerful methods to work across all levels of the game, to suit the player in front of you.
In this podcast, we explored these areas:
- What is meant by a coachable player
- How to make players think for themselves
- What tools to use, with players and with coaches
- The rule of three - how it is for you, not for them
- What to set as targets so there are intrinsic
- How to work with mixed ability groups
- Creating Ninjas in your coaching world
Mark is a former British Commando and senior instructor with the Army Physical Training Corps. He has had over 30 years of practice and research into developing his coaching and learning consultancy, Performance Development Systems (PDS).
He currently works as a consultant, coach trainer and mentor with various professional and national sport organizations, teams and universities around the world, as well as schools and community sports.
For more information and to contact him to see if he can help you, visit:
www.pdscoaching.com
Geraint Davies, who coaches level 5 men's club rugby and school teams from under 11 upwards, also publishes some of the best video analysis of top professional games on YouTube. He is currently just completing his level 4 coaching award.
In the podcast, Geraint explains...
- The benefits you and your teams get from reviewing video footage from top class games.
- How you translate what you see in the footage into training design.
- How you can vary your feedback on the footage to suit different age groups.
- Different ways to introduce a new technique or tactic.
- The right focus on when you are watching back videos.
- How can we watch our games in real time.
You can visit his YouTube channel
Or contact him via Twitter
Doug Lemov, author of Teach Like a Champion and world-renowned educational speaker, shows us how we can use simple and effective techniques on the practice ground. He has worked with sports organisations as well as his crucial work in the classroom context to create better learning outcomes.
He's studied thousands of hours footage and observed teachers and coaches in wide range of situations. His work is a reflection of the best practice at work.
In this podcast, we discuss:
- Why the classroom and sports field share so much common ground
- Why most weekly planning goes wrong
- How to mix up your training programme to create deeper learning
- How to correct mistakes effectively and quickly
- Using "Cold calling" for engagement and your own checkpoints
- Using "Turn and talk" to improve communication skills
- Using "Wait time" to help feedback
- How to avoid "rounding up" poor answers
To find out more about Teach Like a Champion, go to
https://teachlikeachampion.com
Also, his sports blog
https://teachlikeachampion.com/category/blog/coaching-and-practice/
Wilbur Kraak, a senior lecturer and rugby researcher at Department of Sport Science, Stellenbosch University, South Africa, has recently published his findings on the effects of a skills specific coaching education programme on the skill level of mini-rugby players.
Working with Jacques Basson, their conclusions shed further light on what good practice design looks like and what we should be encouraging coaches to focus on.
In this podcast, I ask Wilbur about
- The background to the research
- How they split the coaches and teams into a control group and experimental group
- What skills were they measuring and how?
- How they upskilled the coaches of the experimental group and how they reacted to this
- What skills programme did they follow and how would they improve on that
- What is meant by the fundamentals in movement skills and game skills?
- Which skills really improved, more than expected
- confirm or change views on what practice design looks like
Effect of a skills specific coaching education programme on the skill level of mini-rugby players | Basson | South African Journal for Research in Sport, Physical Education and Recreation https://ajol.info/index.php/sajrs/article/view/191634
Craig Gunn and I tackle some of the more difficult parts of coaching, especially with younger players.
First, we talk about how a coach can help a player who's frustrated that their team mates don't try hard in every training session. This often happens as players reach their teens.
Second, Gunny has been inspired by his recent visit to St David's College, in Llandudno (wait for him to try to pronounce that!).
We discuss how important it is to differentiate in training, what's practical to do and how you might do it with your team.
As usual, Gunny provides us with a range of evidence-based solutions which he's either used or seen work in practice.
For more on Gunny and the great work he does go to:
craiggunn.org
Or visit him on Twitter
@c_gunny73
An insight into Wasps Ladies Director of Rugby, Giselle Mather’s coaching journey and her top tips and advice for coaching rugby.
Giselle played for England, winning the 1994 World Cup. She then went onto coach England women's development teams, before working with London Irish Academy and Teddington mens, with great success.
She is a trailblazer in women's coaching and the first holder of a Level 4 coaching badge.
She talks about
- What she learned from the journey
- How she is herself and authentic is the way she deals with coaching
- How she persuaded doubting men of her ability to coach
- "If you can it, you can be it"
- "The revolution is on its way!"
Jamie Taylor, former head of academy at Leicester Tigers and now working with English Institute of Sport, challenges us to be better as coaches.
In this podcast, we discuss the following areas:
- How to manage the complexity of coaching
- Your coaching approach must suit the developmental needs of the players
- How former players can make great coaches
- Different language and outcomes for different players
- What are the best ways we can intervene into coaching situations
- The importance of using delayed feedback
- Why "drills" (not his word!) can play an important role in skill development
- How a tackle pad is still valid for contact work, but in the right context
He challenges himself, says we need to challenge ourselves and always make coaching interventions for a specific reason, not just because we've seen someone else do it.
Dale Sidebottom is a leading motivational instructor and coach educator who works across sport and business. He has inspired plenty of other coach educators to create better environments to maximise learning.
In this bumper podcast he shares his methods and some of the best ways to make a real difference in coaching.
- How to make ice breakers really engage
- First steps to creating the right culture
- How do work with those who don't want to engage
- Where we go wrong with games, and how to make them better Introductory level gamification - how to help the novice coach make sense of the power
To find out more go to
https://fitnessgameszone.com
When you check out to get 50% off the membership use the code word ‘ENERGETIC’
https://energetic.education
https://www.jugar.life
Sam Jarman works with coaches and athletes across a number of sports, including golf, rugby, football and cricket.
In this deep-thinking, revealing and practical podcast, we discuss...
- How our thoughts create our experience
- Is what happened in the past a reliable guide to the future?
- What to say (and not to say) to players before a big game
- Evaluating the evidence around performance – Can a thought really affect the flight of the ball?
- Misconceptions around confidence
- Nerves; understanding where they come from
- Evaluating and interpreting performance
Sam Jarman golf
Sports Principles
In this hugely positive podcast, Jennifer Fraser PhD, discusses with me how we define bullying, what it looks like and how we can reduce the impact of bullies. She has spent many years researching this area, particularly the neuroscience around the relationship between coach/teacher and children.
I was keen to know if, as coaches, we inadvertently bully our players. She was able to point to the research around how children react to pressure from coaches to perform. Crucially, we drew lines around what is acceptable and unacceptable.
We talk about language, experiences, childrens' brains, positive steps and ways to deal with bullies.
Jen is an author and educator. Her book, Teaching Bullies, is an alarming story of how the authorities didn’t deal effectively with bullying in a school environment.
It is a call to action those who want to protect children from bullying especially when it's done by teachers and coaches.
For more information, please visit her website:
www.NeuroParadigm.com
Bird Burgess, fresh from being appointed as the first woman on the WRU council, talks to former international team mate, Rachel Taylor. When this was recorded, both were still reeling from a famous victory for the mens' team against Australia in the World Cup that morning, but much of their focus is on the women's game.
"Tails" is also trailblazing in the coaching world, with WRU roles in age grade rugby, and more recently becoming the first woman to be a regional skills coach with the North Wales academy.
She doesn't hold back as she discusses the reality of developing a culture with a team. She also gives a honest and open insight into the differences between the men’s and women’s approach to rugby.
She talks about how spending time to get to know your players and finding out the ‘real' person behind the rugby player is an invaluable coaching tool.
Her motto: Every day is a school day!
Keri Lovell, a WRU hub officer, head coach with Vale U15s in the Dewar Shield and working across local schools, describes how he changed his approach to coaching.
He tells us how he made a big adjustment after chatting to Russell Earnshaw, and discovered how much more comfortable he could be dealing with the balance between winning and performance.
In the podcast we find out:
- How he connects with players
- What he does to give them more confidence
- How he adjusts games in training to develop players
- What he has changed, and continues to change
- The importance of mentors
- Creating excitement around the game and improvements
Katleho Lynch is a South Africa U17s elite development coach. His passionate about defence training U18s teams at schools, plus working with provinces, clubs and universities.
He has learned his trade from all parts of the rugby world and brings his energy and purpose into his sessions.
In this podcast, he outlines:
- The key techniques he looks for
- How he builds techniques into skills
- Ways in which you can make tackling more gamelike
- How he drives his players to higher standards
- What systems suit what situations
Jack Pattinson, academy and DPP coach at London Irish, in the South of England, talks to me about how he plans his coaching and what principles drive his sessions.
I challenge him about the balance between skills training and game training, what the future player needs to know and how he measures success.
We discuss:
- The difference between coaching grassroots and academy rugby
- How he helps players love the game
- How do we measure success in our coaching
- Creating World Class young mean and what that means for a 15 year old
- What are the primary principles of the London Irish academy
- Should we be coaching players for what the game might look like in five years’ time
- Why a coach needs to more than a “catch-pass” teacher
- What a plan looks like, and how much it might change
- Free play – how to incorporate it into sessions so it adds value
- A destination for your coaching plan
- The chicken or the egg – do you coach the game and then see what skills are needed or vice versa
- How new rules changes can create a better game
In this collaborative podcast, Dan Cottrell talks to six coaches across the grassroots spectrum. He asks them about the new regulation for teams up to U18s in England, where all match day squad players must play at least half a game.
We discuss:
- Why did it need to be implemented
- Will the sanctions work and how
- What changes you might need to make
- How do you deal with large squads
- What has been the experience in Wales where they have been using this rule already
The contributors
Nathan Gosling - Coach and teacher in Devon, North Devon DPP lead coach and a coach for Barnstaple u16s, coach mentor/helper Barnstaple Junior section
Ian Hollingworth - Kids First Coach Coordinator, Billericay RFC and DPP lead coach in Essex
Tim Ravenscroft - Age Grade chair with Gloucestershire and U12s coach
Ian "Spike" Milligan - co-author of Mini and Youth Rugby, and Club Coaching Coordinator plus coaches the Bury Foxes women's team
Andy Stevens, Kids First chair at Ellingham and Ringwood club, and U11s club coach
Mike Gravenor, coaching at Mumbles, Wales, with over 12 years experience coaching across three different teams
We spend so much time on coaching the usual suspects of technical, tactical and conditioning, that we can not spend enough time on the unusual suspects.
Andy Brownhill, head of rugby at Park House School, Newbury, a pathway coach with Gloucester academy and a coach with Scotland U16s discusses with me:
- How to use hot feedback to create tempo
- Using different questions with different players
- What he calls the unusual suspects and why
- What sessions can look like with different levels of player
- When there's a place for drills and when to use them effectively
Dr Anna Stodter specialises in how coaches learn. Her research gives us an important insight into the impact of coaching courses and how wider learning influences your knowledge and practice.
She's a lecturer at Anglia Ruskin university, plays for Saracens and has been capped by Scotland, plus coaches Cambridge University Women’s team.
In our conversation, we discuss:
- What might a coach need to learn
- Why that learning is different from what players learn
- How we can improve our experience of going on courses
- What are the three key aspects that courses could concentrate on
- How coaching context, biography, and intrapersonal skills make a big difference
Recovery is an absolutely essential part of any training regime. Recovery is the process where the body rebuilds itself at the cellular level following physical exertion, allowing those fitness gains to be realised.
With poor or inadequate recovery, not only can much or all the hard work in your training sessions be wasted, you may actually reduce your performance capability, and increase the risk of injury and illness.
Andy Hamilton, long-time editor of top sports training magazine, Peak Performance, outlines the importance of recovery, and how you can help your players to recover more effectively.
We discuss:
- What recovery looks and feels like.
- What to do straight after training.
- When to rest and when to come to training.
- How to mentally approach recovery.
- How to use friends and family to help the process.
For more on Peak Performance, go to www.peakendurancesport.com
In a highly energetic podcast, inspirational coach and educator, Craig Gunn completely messes up my idea of a structure to develop some brilliant ideas for better coaching.
We venture into session design, how to maintain control and where coaches sometimes lose sight of the real goals of a session.
We mention some gurus of coaching, including Brian Ashton, Lynn Evans, John Fletcher, Russell Earnshaw and Richard Cheetham.
We discuss how much experience counts, and how inexperienced coaches can build their own style piece by piece.
If you want to find out more on Craig, visit his website: craiggunn.org
Liza Burgess talks with former Scottish international and experienced coach, Donna Kennedy. She is passionate about the women's game, Scottish rugby and coaching as a whole. She talks about how the women's game needs to change to continue to move forward. Donna has coached at lots of levels of the game, including the Barbarians, and as director of rugby at Worcester.
The topics also include:
- How to organise team talks
- Are there difference coaching men to women?
- The highs and lows after playing and coaching rugby
- How can we benefit from ex International players by helping them to stay involved in the game
A podcast with the legendary Anna Richards talking about her progression from playing to coaching along with an insight into what is exciting her about the future of the women's game
- How to deal with situations on the playing field when things don’t go quite to plan.
- Top tips for a coach new to rugby.
- What’s it like to coach the famous Barbarians squad.
- An insight into coaching Hong Kong.
In our series of session walkthroughs, Chris Sweetapple discusses with a game he renamed "hot rucks", which was a development of the Rugby Coach Weekly game, Snap-back ruck game.
We start by chatting about the season review process, including his club's "speed-dating" session to improve each team's understanding of the coming season.
In the walkthrough, we discuss:
- How to set up the game.
- Key factors for quick games.
- How to coach effectively during the game.
- Why he renamed the game "hot rucks"/
- How you would change the game for different levels of player.
- What were the main outcomes and how this made a difference to the season.
- What ages this game would work for.
Click here to see the original session.
Rich Clarke, a highly qualified S&C coach, university lecturer and evidence-based trainer, talks us through how we can make simple changes to improve our agility training. He explains how we can use constraints, ensure a specific stimulus and where we might start with less athletic players.
Here are some of the highlights:
- Agility needs a specific perceptual stimulus
- Where to start with less athletic players
- How to coach basic techniques with simple constraints
- Having a clear rationale in session design
- Ladders, Box jumps and Hill running: Yes or No?
For more from Rich, go to:
richperformance.co.uk
Liza Burgess talks to LJ Lewis about her Level 4 journey so far. LJ is the forwards coach for Tyrrells Premiership team, Gloucester Hartpury, and former player with Loughborough.
Here are some of the highlights:
- Understand the person to help develop them into a better player
- Find out what you’re passionate about in the game and learn as much as you can about it
- Talk and ask questions of other coaches to develop your knowledge
- Understand what you’re trying to get across to the players and what you want them to achieve
- Use a variety of methods to deliver content, for example, iPhones to record, peer coaching and self-feedback
Liza "Bird" Burgess was inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame in 2018. With 93 caps for Wales and GB, she's also an experienced international and club coach. Now assisting Susie Appleby at Gloucester-Hartbury in the Tyrrells English Premiership, she shares her approach to coaching, what inspires her and how she's changed her delivery. These are exciting times for the women's game as more women take up the coaching reigns - it was great to catch with a good friend and a beacon for the game.
Experienced DPP coach, coaching coordinator and grassroots coach, Ian Hollingworth chats about how he has learned to take more risks. He tells us how he is passionately curious about his coaching and how that has changed his approach. He explains his escape routes if the session is not going quite right, how to maintain the tempo in training plus empowering players and coaches.
Ian is a lead coach with Essex DPP Under 15s, Billericay RFC Club Coach Coordinator and a Kids First Mentor.
Talking with experienced grassroots Chris Sweetapple, we look at a recent session he's run using a Rugby Coach Weekly activity. This episode is about "defence zone" which was the game activity as part of the practice plan, Standing in the tackle.
We also discuss, and not necessarily agree (!) on the following questions: "Who are we doing this for?" and "How do development and results coaches get along?"
What changes when you do a Level 1 course.
How has your "language" in coaching change.
Top tips on using demonstrations in training
What gets players back - not making fun "silly"
What does engaging the players look like
When do you drill the players
How long before new players can play contact
At what age do players start to think "team"
How do parents react to equal playing time
How do you deal with poor answers to your coaching questions
What do you do if the session hasn't worked
How do you play wizard touch
How can a nervous coach open up to the coaching community
How do you make praise make a real difference
I was delighted to catch up with Ed Robinson, attack coach with the Jersey Reds. His team had just served up a fantastic try in the English second tier competition, which went onto win Skys Sports 2018 try of the year.
I spoke to him to find out some of the background behind the try. And I found myself immersed in a great journey and really challenged to rethink some of my own thoughts.
In this insightful podcast find out:
- Why big life decisions don’t need to be risks
- How players can make 500-1000 touches on the ball every day
- Challenging the players so they become rugby players making rugby decisions
- The surprising background to the 2018 Sky Sports try of the year
- What training might look like to create tries from your own line
- How to analyse in-game without the need for video
- Planning for dreams
- What makes better players even better player
- Why I might need to rethink my views on age and coaching the basics
For more than a quarter of a century, international sports performance coach Wayne Goldsmith has influenced the coaching, thinking and teaching of some of the world’s leading athletes, coaches and teams.
His client list has included the Super Rugby Teams the ACT Brumbies, Western Force and Queensland Reds, the Wallabies / Rugby Australia, the NZRU / New Zealand Rugby Union High Performance Unit, NRL teams the Sydney Roosters, Wests Tigers and Gold Coast Titans, AFL teams the North Melbourne Kangaroos and Brisbane Lions and Tennis Australia / Australian Open Grand Slam Tournament.
Wayne has also worked with numerous Olympic teams including the Australian Swimming, Triathlon and Diving teams. He was a keynote speaker at the 2018 IRB World In Union Conference in NZ and is a current member of the National Rugby League’s Coach Development Advisory team.
In this podcast we discuss:
- How to observe a team more effectively
- What interventions work with the most difficult players
- What a great player does more than just a talented player
- Why we want “pigs” not “chickens”
- What coaches need to change about themselves
- Why values need to be more than just posters on the wall
Tim Ravenscroft, lead coach for his U12’s team in Bristol and also Sector Head Age Grade Rugby at Gloucestershire RFU discusses how coaching and fixtures are changing for the better at age group rugby.
Tim tells us about:
- Curry nights for coaches and light bulb moments
- Letting players play different sports – and hard choices
- Helping coaches find better ways to engage with their players
- New ideas for better fixtures for players
- The pressure for cups and success against the reasons to play in teams
Dan welcomes IRFU head of coaching and coach development Colin Moran to the podcast to discuss how best to keep players in love with the game.
Simon Nainby, an experienced S&C coach, coaching consultant and rugby coach, talks about how to give autonomy to your players, the power of stories, what is meant by action bias and why taking a netball team changed his approach to coaching
Giles Heagerty, who runs the rugby at a busy school, plus is head coach of England Counties U18 and also Waterloo Ladies, shares his insights.
Dr Suzanne Brown explains to Dan Cottrell how to understand the way players' minds work so you can coach them more effectively
I challenge Digby Webb, an experienced schools coach, to explain how to create the best environments for players.
Dr Sharief Hendricks outlines his research team’s findings on tackling. He says that, through in-depth video analysis, he has found: The key attributes to a safe and effective tackle. A step-by-step method of coaching that tackle. He tell us that: The best tackles are both powerful and safe. That technical understanding by coaches is the biggest barrier to progression. Tackle pads have a limited role to play in tackle progression. That you can improve tackling with the right conditioning. You can read more about his work at:
Dan talks to experienced Rugby League coach, sports lecturer and coach developer Stuart Wilkinson on how coaching needs direction within in a session.
With a number of international front-rowers only starting their trade after the age of 16, is their case to change the way we coach scrummaging? Dan Cottrell asks former front rower and coach developer Ian Diddams whether the scrum is relevant before 16 and if we shouldn’t actually spend more time on other skills.
The Southern Hemisphere’s top competition is stunning to watch. But we can do more to replicate that with our own training? Dan Cottrell talks to the experienced academy coach George Tavner who works with the some of the best young players in the English system, from ages 13 upwards.
He says that:
- Super Rugby is a fantastic spectacle and we can always learn from it.
- The UK game is different, and explains why.
- The move towards game-based training is making players more skillful and better decision-makers.
- We still need to balance skills training, but can do it with better organisation and less stoppages in training. Listen to his methods and thoughts on how you can improve your players’ training diet.
Dan Cottrell talks to experienced Australian U13s James Stevens about the new size and ability limits in his country’s youth rugby.
James was part of the pilot scheme and he describes how the system:
- Works for the many, not the few
- Benefits young players
- Challenges coaches to focus on skills
- Will be a challenge to some teams