​Having come out of the other side of some kind of time loop, from 2019 it is now apparently 2021. With that comes the fact that it is five years since I undertook a coaching trip to America. This became apparent to me whilst listening to the ‘Rugby Revealed’ podcast (thanks David Sharkey for the recommendation) featuring USA Eagles coach Greg McWilliams who I was fortunate to spend some time with whilst on my trip. The rest of my drive was spent fondly reminiscing on the experience and reflecting on what I had learned that had impacted my coaching in the five years since.
 
By 2016 I had been coaching full-time, self-employed since January 2014 and was keen to try to get into new environments and meet as many coaches as possible. Having forged a career in coaching, I knew I had to take it seriously and learn at every opportunity possible. This manifested in a series of interview blogs on this website, ‘Coaching Conversations’, with people such as Jamie Taylor, Peter Jeffrey, Vanessa Keenan, Miguel Rios and more. These were great but I wanted to get more hands on – joining environments for sessions, discussing the plan/reflections and being part of it. A trip to Las Vegas with my wife and a group of friends presented the perfect opportunity to expand my trip so I sent out loads of emails to coaches across America. It began to take shape: Las Vegas, New Haven in Connecticut to visit Yale and then Princeton in New Jersey.
 
Las Vegas
On the morning of Tuesday 5th April 2016 I was buzzing to get through breakfast and into the afternoon. I had arranged to spend time with Leonard Nel, a South African expat, and his Las Vegas Black Hawks high school rugby club. The uber came and immediately admitted he had no clue where we were going but that the SatNav should work. After a brief detour through some of the back streets that Vegas keeps tourists away from, we were soon pushing away from the Strip and into the suburbs towards a local park. Upon arrival there were some teenage boys starting to gather and then I spotted Leonard unpacking some rugby balls. The Natal Sharks rugby shirt was the giveaway and I went over to introduce myself and discuss the session ahead.

I loved it.

Leonard had set the rugby club up, in part due to his two rugby-loving sons who were at a local High School. He was trying to establish a rugby club…in the desert…with local American Football coaches not particularly keen to share their players or facilities. But Leonard’s sheer vision and enthusiasm had created something pretty cool. There were soon between 25 and 30 teenagers warming up, throwing rugby balls around and having a great time with their mates. Leonard welcomed me in, introduced me and got me involved with the session as we worked on some handling, tackling, split forwards and backs and then had a team run and game combination to finish. What shone through was how the boys were drawn to the experience, to Leonard and his family as much as they were to the sport. Talking to some of the boys, they spoke about long Sunday BBQs at the Nel household where they’d watch 6 Nations games together and hang out. They loved the opportunity to throw a rugby ball around, reveled in their participation in a contact sport “without pads” and loved trips away against opposition in different states.
​
The key lessons for me:

• Have a vision, build it and commit to it
• Sport and coaching is more than just training
• As a coach you have to let the players in – get to know them, let them get to know you.
• Connection and shared experiences are king

​
Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut

As my wife and friends, a little worse for wear, boarded their flight home to London, I was on my way to Hartford, Connecticut, Via Philadelphia. A delay meant that I was sprinting through Philadelphia airport to catch my connection and just about got to the gate in time. My bag did not. Fortunately, there was another flight slightly later so I waited in Hartford airport for it to come in, picked up my car and headed for my AirBnB in New Haven. Having been sitting by a pool in Vegas I was now needing multiple layers - icicles hanging from the street signs in April came as a bit of a surprise.
The next day Yale had an early-season home fixture and I was to meet their Director of Rugby, Greg McWilliams at the playing field. He had been there a year or two at this point and was in the process of trying to make the environment a bit more special for the boys. Lacking a proper changing room, he had converted a shipping container into a changing room and kit store and had the outside painted with the Yale Bulldogs logo. Congenial and welcoming, Greg soon had me pitching in checking the pitch for any stones or disruption from recent storms. Soon James English arrived, another Londoner who was their forwards coach, and the boys soon after.
​
Yale won the friendly convincingly but my main memory came during the first half when I was watching from behind the posts. Someone had wandered over and was stood nearby and soon we were talking. He was a kiwi and looked very, very much like Robbie Deans the former Crusaders and Australia coach. Soon enough, Robbie was explaining that his daughter attended Yale as she was a keen rower and he visited every year and had become involved with helping Greg’s development and coaching the boys.

The following day I headed to the Yale campus for a classroom based day. Greg had booked out a grand looking meeting room for the coaching staff to go through the detail of their playing philosophy that season – defensive systems, attack shape, language, training schedule, culture and more. I was fortunate enough to spend over 3 hours digging into incredible detail with Greg, James, Robbie and Craig Wilson who was, at the time, the Women’s coach but has since replaced Greg as DoR. It was a fascinating insight into how Robbie Deans (and all the coaches) viewed the game, players and coaching and something that was hugely enjoyable. Plenty of it I would end up using or adapting with my own University students the following season. This was then followed by a squad meeting to lay out the plans for the short, medium and long term and to talk through the shapes, frameworks and language that they would be introducing at training the next day.

First up, Craig had offered to meet me on campus for a coffee. He was coming towards the end of a Performance Coaching MSc with the University of Stirling and I had expressed interest in doing something like that, so he insisted we meet for a coffee and he’d show me what it looked like, how it worked and talk me through it. Understanding what was in store really motivated me and I started the same course 5 months later. I loved studying it, now considerably more engaged and enthusiastic than I had been as an 18 year old undergrad. I learned so much from it and there is every chance that I might not have done it were it not for the coffee with Craig. People have asked me about the MSc since and, when location allows, I’ve insisted we go for a coffee to discuss it.

The afternoon was a fun session, a good chance to see the personality of the boys come out a little bit more. What struck me was the need to be really careful around language and the use of jargon. Most of the players hadn’t grown up in a rugby environment like we had, which meant our language whilst coaching had to be really accurate, specific and something they would understand. I was soon struck by a familiar feeling from Las Vegas. I was coaching in such a different environment, thousands of miles from home and loving every second, trying to absorb and appreciate it as much as I could. There was to be another training session the next day and I was going to spend some time with the scrum halves, something I really thought I’d be able to add value to. I couldn’t wait.

Best laid plans and all that...

I walked out of my AirBnB and my rental car wasn’t there. Nowhere to be seen. Having walked up and down the street hoping I had completely forgotten parking elsewhere, the panic was well and truly setting in. Such was my state of confusion that I can’t even remember how I eventually found out that there was always street cleaning on this day each week, for which the roads had to be clear. Greg would later tell me that at the same time every week the tow truck companies all meet up with the street cleaning trucks and then clear the way for them. So now, on a British phone with a British credit card and no car, I was going to have to work out how to fix this. Greg was, at this point, receiving regular updates that it was looking less and less likely that I’d get there. Eventually I was able to locate the company that had my car and get an uber there to find it closed. So I sat in the cold and waited for the person to return and, having paid the fine, now had my car back. But the session was missed and it was getting late. I no longer had an AirBnB and I needed to get driving as I was bound for New Jersey.

Lessons:

• “Don’t take a job for what it is, take it for what it can be”.
• If you’re committed to building something special, be prepared to spend time picking stones out of the pitch.
• Encourage the personalities, let players be themselves and mould the rugby to them. As Greg said on the ‘Rugby Revealed’ podcast: “You’re going into the environment, the environment isn’t going into you”.
• Don’t take your coaching language and jargon for granted, make sure you are speaking in a way that they can understand.
• Share your time and experience with people. Go for a coffee.
• Keep an eye out for street cleaning dates in New Haven.

​Princeton University, New Jersey

The drive down was pretty cool, passing right through the hustle and bustle of New York and back out the other side into countryside. I found my AirBnB and carefully clarified all parking restrictions with the owner. The next day the temperature had picked up a bit and it finally felt like Spring had arrived on the East Coast. I walked into Princeton and explored the town and campus ahead of meeting their Head Coach, Richard Lopacki later in the day. I had had some unfortunate news, he wasn’t able to get permission from the university for me to attend training as he had hoped, so a coffee would have to do. Both Yale and Princeton are older than the country in which they are based and the history and tradition could be felt as I explored the campus. I soon happened upon the stadium which was in the middle of campus and seemed to be open. So in I went, waiting for someone to send me packing, but nobody did and I wondered the stands imagining what they would be like packed to the rafters with inebriated college students on an Autumnal Saturday. Soon I found the Yale basbeball team in the ball pen next door and in pre-season training ready for America’s favourite Summer sport to begin in earnest. So I sat down on the grass verge and watched the session, trying to pick out the coach’s language and doing my best not to judge his session design (about a sport I know nothing about, of course).

​Richard kindly gave me a couple of hours of his time, talking coaching and the rugby landscape in America. He had been coaching at Princeton for a long time and had seen how things were starting to change. It may not have been the training session I’d hoped for, but it was an interesting insight and opportunity to talk about the differences and challenges with coaching in America. It brought a close to my trip as the next day I was returning my car, getting the bus into New York and hurriedly exploring for 24 hours before my flight back to London.

Lessons:

• Resist the urge to judge other coaches, especially when you don’t know the intentions behind their session design and planning!
• Have more coffees with coaches to learn, discuss and aid personal reflection.

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​Conclusion

​If it isn’t obvious, I still remember the trip so fondly and believe I took so much from it. It was a rare opportunity to see how rugby is growing in a competitive environment with a different sporting culture, and by extension, how plenty of foreign coaches are adapting their practice accordingly. It has strengthened a desire in me to engage with as many coaches as possible in as many environments as possible to share experiences and learn from each other. It is so important to be open, share your knowledge and your time and welcome people in. It means you get to meet new people, build connections and gain an outside perspective on your practice. You may never know how impactful the experience could be for you or for the people you welcome in. For Greg, James, Robbie, Craig, Leonard and Richard they just had some random British guy spend some time with them in their environment for a bit. For me, it was a journey outside my comfort zone, taking on unexpected challenges, meeting new people, learning loads about rugby and life, challenging my ideas and building connections. It wasn’t just the rugby, it was the Lobster Grilled Cheese in New Haven, wondering the Princeton campus, the lights of Las Vegas. The learning and life experience was richer because of the new surroundings and reliance on myself to solve problems. As I drove down the Garden State Parkway through New York I felt inspired to be more ambitious and have confidence in what I was doing. After all, I had managed to get that damn car back from the impound.

A return to Coaching Conversations, this one with Akin Lord who joined Basingstoke Town as an Academy coach in July 2016. Akin is a UEFA B Licensed coach and BSc (Hons) Sports Coaching graduate, completing his undergraduate degree at Leeds Metropolitan University. Akin is currently studying a part-time masters in Athletic Development and Peak Performance at Southampton Solent University. At 24, Akin is an ambitious young coach and has spent the past 3 years working within the highly regarded Coerver Coaching programme. Akin also enjoyed spells working at Chesterfield FC, Farnborough FC and The FA Skills. Akin enjoyed relative success in his playing career, playing for a number of professional and semi-professional football clubs including: Kidderminster Harriers FC, AFC Wimbledon, Staines Town FC, Kingstonians FC, Fulham FC, Wimbledon FC. He also played and coached at Leeds Metropolitan University, where the football programme is ranked 2nd in the British Universities and College Sports standings.


When you transitioned from playing to coaching what was the biggest adjustment you had to make? 
Identifying that the standard of players I am coaching are not the same standard of players I played with. I.e. Certain drills/session ideas I participated in as a player were not appropriate for the players I was coaching. I recognised that I come from a playing performance background where the result meant something. The players I initially coached were playing for fun and participation alongside still learning the game
 
How would you describe your coaching?
Holistic - a multidisciplinary approach
 
What experiences have most contributed to you coaching the way that you do?
Informal - Experiences and reflection, imitation and apprenticeship
Formal - Time bound, facilitated, assessed, institutional
Non - Formal - CPD, Workshops, seminars, clinics, conversations, observation

What areas of your coaching would you prioritise to continue working on and improving in the coming years?
Communication - Had a stutter since childhood
Observation - Would like to continually observe other coaches/leaders from other sports, business etc.
Develop a greater tactical understanding of the game and how to develop situational practices rather than drills to help improve player performance on match day.
 
How did you find your BSc (Hons) Sports Coaching and are there any elements that still impact your day-to-day coaching life?

• Developed a greater understanding of self and academic theory based problem solving
• Developed a greater understanding of coaching pedagogy. Acknowledgement of academic theory and practice of education
• Developed understanding of technical and tactical skills in sport for children and young people
• Developed understanding of coaching process and practice in applied contexts
• Developed understanding of the bio-psycho-social needs of children and young people in sport

The Who, What, How Principle (Abraham et al ., 2009)
Who - ‘Who’ am I coaching? Understanding of learner (Needs and Wants)
What - ‘ What’ am I coaching? Understanding of curriculum (Skill and knowledge of the role)
How - ‘How’ am I coaching? Understanding of learning environment (Activity structure and coaching behaviour)
 
What are your thoughts on the formal coach ed available to coaches within football (FA, UEFA license etc)?
The current FA formal coach education format has been recently reviewed and I believe they have improved for the better. The removal of final assessment and instead the coach educators support coaches within their own environment.
My UEFA B experience highlights that. I saw some very good coaches fail on the day of assessment because they didn’t meet the criteria of the coach educator (Even though the participants were us coaches and we had to participate in 27 other 45 minute assessments). Some coaches choked on assessment day and failed, where I have seen them before on summative assessments and perform extremely well. I missed the assessment due to have a knee operation two weeks before the assessment day however when I recovered from my operation, I received support in my own environment and developed as a coach by getting support how to develop my players at my own club.
Also some coaches on the course coached U14’s,15’s etc and they were expected to coach men, where some may have had no experience in doing so. Whilst completing my UEFA B License, my coach educator videoed my session and watching myself back on DVD was a powerful education tool.

You work within a football Academy and the amount of players who make it to football's professional ranks is notoriously small - how does that impact on your coaching and treatment of players, if at all?
My coaching environment is slightly different as my club is semi-professional, so the players already have a slight realization they’re not going to turn professional.
The first aim for the majority of my players is getting a first team contract (The 1st team are full time). This impacts my coaching and treatment of the players with regular reminders of their behaviours and actions - I.e. Would they do the same thing if they were with the first team?

In 2015 I did a Coaching Conversation with Miguel Rios who commented that "too often football academies are run on fear - the fear of being released". Have you found this to be accurate in your experience and, if so, does it inhibit the learning and development of some players?
My previous experience within a professional academy there was more a “fear” from the parents than the players. This inhibited the learning and development of the players as their focus was elsewhere. Education to the parents is important so this “fear” doesn’t relay to the players and effect training/match day performance

Are there certain elements (coaching or club/environment) that you think are crucial in developing young players? 

• Freedom
• Opportunity
• Flexibility

 
I know some people who have worked within professional football and have heard that as a sport it can be quite resistant to change or new ideas at times - is this something you have found to be true?
Yes, the old notion of “we’ve always done it this way” and coaches/players aren't always receptive to new methods/ideas. However, they need educating as always doing a certain task one way will only produce a certain type of result. Allowing/adapting to a change will allow the scope for different successes/failures.
Football is open to new ideas regarding sports science/performance analysis etc as this field is still growing and developing. However, training methods/periodisation, coaches and players are still resistant to change.

It's great to have Coaching Conversations return after a bit of a break, this time meeting Vanessa Keenan. Vanessa is a Synchronised Swimming Coach based in Canada and was last year named on the CoachSeek Top 50 Influential Coaches for 2015. You can find more of her work at her website, The Online Synchro Coach, or her YouTube channel. 

Kate Boyd is a cheer leadership coach — giving cheerleading coaches the expertise and know-how they need to competently and confidently build their teams. She cheered from junior high to college and has coached on nearly every side of the industry — all-star, recreation league, high school, and camp instruction. Through Kate Boyd Cheerleading, she provides practical, online resources that fit into coaches’ busy lifestyles so they can build the program they want and give their teams the season they deserve. In 2015, she was named one of the 50 most influential coaches by CoachSeek.


Did you compete in cheer originally? If so, how did you find the transition from athlete to coach?
I started as a gymnast then switched to cheerleading when I realized I wasn't going to the Olympics so thought I might as well spend some time with my friends and keep up my skills. I cheered from junior high to college and completely fell in love with it. I started coaching it early on in high school, and I found it a little challenging to switch from athlete to coach. I had to learn to teach what I knew and not just do it. It was difficult at first, but after a couple of years it came a lot more easily as I watched others teach, which I did obsessively, and starting learning more of the mechanics of the things that came naturally to me.

What lessons did you learn along the way that are important to your coaching today?
I learned that you always have something to learn and I learned that establishing boundaries is very important. One of my first coaching jobs out of high school was for my alma mater. So I was coaching old peers. It made it very tricky, but we came through after a rough patch. That taught me that healthy boundaries and good communication are the key to just about everything.

You say Heart + Vision + Know-how = Hero. What made you settle on these ingredients? 
I took a little inspiration from Coach Taylor and Friday Night Lights here, but I really believe it's true. You need the heart, the passion, the desire to be better at what you do for your team. You need vision, a clear picture of the future of your program and your goals, especially what you want for the character of your athletes. And you need know-how, credibility, and coaching skills to make it happen. When you put those together you end up becoming the kind of coach people remember because you make a difference in people's lives, and those are the coaches I love working with.

How would your athletes describe you as a coach?
I haven't coached athletes in a few years, but I think they would say focused, creative, and passionate.

You mention running a practice, teaching stunts effectively etc which all require excellent communication skills. What do you think are the key things to keep in mind when communicating with and coaching athletes?
I think it's most important to communicate expectations at all times, and it's important to consider your goal when communicating. Are you trying to inspire, educate, inform, or something else? Then you can frame the communication properly. 

You describe travel as your number one hobby. Why is this? Do you think it has had any impact on you as a person and as a coach?
I can't explain my love for traveling. It's just been one of those desires that I've had since a child. Recently, I've had the opportunity to travel to quite a few places, and I absolutely love it and want more! It has certainly had an impact on me as a person to be someone who has more grace for others and focuses on what's important long-term and not just what seems important in the moment. 

Your website kateboydcheerleading is aimed towards helping coaches - what were you seeing out there that made you feel you could be of assistance? 
I was a rare case that was able to coach cheerleading part-time at a school. Many coaches I encountered were full-time teachers who happened to be cheerleading coaches, and many of those were handed cheerleading whether they had experience or not. I knew that I had a unique combination of skills that could help them with their trouble spots as a professional communicator, skilled teacher, and tech-savvy person. So they could get the education they desired from their home or their classroom in an affordable format.

Your website helps to educate coaches. Is there any form of official/formal Coach Education within the sport of cheerleading?
There are a few safety certification programs for school coaches through National Federation of State High School Associations and American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Advisors. However, these aren't required or formal. All-star coaches have their own certification programs through the US All-Star Federation that are level-specific, and this is a very formal process.

Are there any common themes that you see younger and less experienced coaches seem to struggle with?
Younger and inexperienced coaches tend to struggle to get organized at first, especially for such a long season. They usually have a lot of questions about stunts and they are encountering cheerleading parents--famous for their passion--for the first time. So they're learning to communicate, teach, and be administrative which can be tough all at once.

Interesting that you released your Guide to Problem Parents. I'm sure this is something coaches in all sports have struggled with at times. It mentions, among other things, how you introduce yourself, expectations of both you and them too. I know of a few schools and Academies within Rugby here in the UK that run parent forums to do a similar thing and it works really well. Why do you think it is so important to establish that 'working relationship' with parents?
Most of the time in cheerleading, you're relying on parents to get your athletes to and from events, practices, and games, and you need their permission for their child to participate. So it's important to have them on the same page from the beginning and also try to establish a relationship with them so they trust you and want to work with you rather than against you.

Really enjoyed one of your blogs called "3 Keys to Your Parent Plan", think it would be a good read for any coach who works with young athletes. Particularly agree with the points of over-communication and trust. Do you think there is any aspect of dealing with parents that you still need to work on and improve?
I think there is always room for improvement! I'm not always the best connector and tend to shy away from reaching out without a good reason, but I still worked on it because I know it's important for me and for athletes to have solid parent relationships.

After a particularly busy few months I knew I had to make time for a new Coaching Conversations opportunity and was delighted to be able to head to St Mary's University in Twickenham to meet Liam McCarthy. Liam lectures on the Physical and Sport Education undergraduate degree programme, and has an MSc in Sports Coaching from Leeds Beckett University. He has also worked as head of coaching for an NGB, four years with England Handball, which gives him a great insight into coach education and CPD. Our conversation allowed me to leave with just as many questions as answers and has prompted me to give serious thought to what I would like coach education to actually include and how it would most benefit working coaches...I'll try to organise these thoughts toward a future blog.
 
The below is loosely paraphrased from our conversation, and doesn't necessarily represent direct quotes:
 
What are your thoughts on coach education in an academic setting and also as run by NGBs? 
I don't really believe that NGBs should or can run coach education in its entirety, should that really be their remit? I’m not totally convinced. With England Handball we worked with 7 Higher Education Institutions (HEI) to recognise prior learning and provide a sport-specific top-up. We saw a better quality of coach come through our programmes; a model which i’d encourage other NGBs to embrace. Where the HEIs delivered what they were best at (coaching pedagogy, game design etc…) the NGB delivered what they were good at (technical, tactical models), providing context.  This works well in other countries too, where many European countries place greater value on what HEIs do for sports coaching; we have a long way to go in the UK i believe.
 
Is that something you think could grow? I'm not sure how many NGBs would want to lose the income from coach ed...
Generally speaking most NGBs weren't that interested to share that link between CPD and a university, which is a shame. We presented the model of coach development at conferences, with little subsequent uptake. I think there is an element of standardisation and control that they wouldn't want to lose either.  The irony for me is, there is a willingness to push complexity, chaos and ‘mess’ in player learning; yet when it comes to coach learning there seemed an obsession with linearity.
 
It may or may not be a contributing factor to their lack of interest, but there seems to be a bit of a disconnect between research and in-the-field coaches. Why is this?
I think the problem is that good research is very specific - it is studying this strategy, in this situation, with these people and looking at if/why it works. Coaches try to apply elements that they come across in research but it doesn't work because the context is different, they therefore disengage. There are plenty of coaches who want research to tell them what to do but that isn't really the aim of research, it is about trying to provide a rich and contextualised narrative of what is going on.
 
Is there any way this relationship could be improved?
Well I think there must be a common awareness that there are no golden rules for coaching, no silver bullet. The aim should be to take bits from research that appeal to the coach, try them out and marry it with past experience - we shouldn't want to have robots producing the same sessions. Learning is inherently messy and I feel we should be happier to embrace the complexity and take some responsibility for that. We need to produce more critical coaches and I often come back to the analogy of Cooks vs Chefs, which i was introduced to by Bob Muir and Andrew Abraham at Leeds Beckett. Cooks can be given the ingredients and a recipe and get on with it. There is a place for this, of course. However, we should want more Chefs who can make the best out of the situation they are presented with. 
 
Is there any way research could better help coaches in terms of accessibility and language?
Well, the language is the language, and I would encourage coaches to take responsibility for grappling with that. I always have google open when I’m reading, and always a pen to scribble on articles; rewriting sentences to make them meaningful for me. Coaches could be better helped with increased opportunity for mentoring and 1-2-1 analysis of their coaching and planning for the future. Leeds Beckett do some inspiring work in this field. I also know of FA initiatives where mentors are out there observing, supporting and reflecting with coaches. This is ace, and something which will go a long way to aid sense-making.
 
I've looked at a Masters in coaching a few times, would you recommend it? My main obstacle now is work and finding the time so I have considered studying an online Masters too...
The Masters I did was excellent as it kept everything in context and provided the chance to have a lot of 1-2-1 feedback. Deadlines for assessment were negotiable, as were assessment titles; the MSc at Leeds Beckett treats you like a professional. I appreciate the time constraints, however I don't think you can go totally online with learning, as tempting as it may be!
 
Are there any common themes you see among the young coaches on your courses here?
We have some brilliant coaches here at St Mary’s University; the programme is over 300 students strong, the majority practicing coaching weekly. We offer a 50:50 spilt on the programme between classroom and practical sessions; further we pride ourselves on having academic staff who are active too.  The students here are at a really interesting place in their education; for me, they enter as dualist thinkers and it’s about getting as many as we can over the line. This looks like producing relativist coaches who are constantly scaffolding knowledge, while understanding all knowledge is provisional! 
 
So what is it that you are looking for to determine if a student has managed to get there?
We use mixed modes of assessment, over a long period of time, to the point where we can really track the students progress.  The moments which make me most proud are when students are able to verbalise and write down their reasoning, rationale and self-critique. All of this being beyond a student delivering a good practical session in the field.
 
Looking back at my time at Bath, I'm not sure if I learned as such or just realised that I had to write in a certain way that the lecturers were looking for...
Our course allows students to learn in context with plenty of practical elements, mentoring, filming of sessions etc. They can really analyse their coaching behaviour in detail that way; using GoPro cameras and even a drone! We also utilise relationships with local schools to have them coach children they've not met before so that it is slightly more realistic than coaching their peers. On one module we are wanting the students to write an ongoing blog throughout so as to get them to express exactly what the content means to them as individuals. 
 
Are there any noticeable trends among the coaches that hint at what sport their background might be? If you didn't know them previously would you be able to watch their coaching and pinpoint that they are a rugby player, or netball, hockey....
That's an interesting question. I'm not sure really, certainly we see plenty of invasion games used in sessions which probably reflects their sporting backgrounds. During their time with us we hope to lessen the emphasis on the 'what' of coaching (from over-emphasis to a level which better reflects sports coaching) and focus more on 'who' and ‘how'.  We work with each coach to enhance their practice, i think that’s really important.  We’re not looking to diminish what coaches are doing, we want to improve it and provoke change where the student recognises it’s needed. This is a really long-term process, and again, why I really believe short NGB courses get nowhere near producing this level of learning. For learning should be about transformational change, not the acquisition of knowledge.

In May 2015 I was on a much needed post-season break to the South Coast when I finally opened a Christmas present - Michael Calvin's "The Nowhere Men". The book charts the life of scouts within football as they travel from stadium to stadium keeping an eye out for the next big thing. It was Chapter 4 that really caught my attention, with Michael documenting his time spent with Miguel Rios who was then the Brentford FC Head of Academy Recruitment. Much of what Miguel said rang true with my own experiences of coaching and youth development including the inhibitory approaches of coaches who are 'wedded to winning'. Furthermore, he addressed the importance of physical literacy, the aim to create an environment that was pressure-free for players and more. On a wave of enthusiasm from my previous #CoachingConversations with Paul Holmes, Jamie Taylor, Daniel Pyke and Peter Jeffrey, I got in touch with Miguel and was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to head down the road from home to Brentford to meet him.

In your role as Head of Recruitment, and with a background in coaching, what is it that you are looking for within young players?
It depends on the age really. At the younger end of the spectrum I am primarily looking at the physical characteristics over tactical or technical. At 6, 7, 8 years old I want to see if they have the ABCs that will set them up well going forward, technique can come in time. It's also important to get an idea of how they respond to the coach - can they learn? 


It has always amazed me somewhat that football clubs take players at such a young age. Although a very different sport and structure, the NFL Draft featured high numbers of players who were multi-sport athletes up until (and including) college. Football is very much focused on early specialization, getting the kids in at 6 years old. What is your view on this and how does it affect your role?
I think I see this differently to many - I've not got too many issues with early specialization, it certainly hasn't done Xavi and Iniesta any damage to be playing football regularly since a young age. My opinion is that the focus should be on the coaching itself - hopefully through good coaches we can bring out a variety of skills and put our players into a variety of environments to ensure they have a rounded development that maximises their potential to make it as professional footballers. In terms of my role in recruitment, the age of the player links to their strengths and position - a midfielder needs to have a high technical ability for example. It also depends on the club itself and what level they are playing at. In each of the professional leagues the game is slightly different and requires players with different skills and strengths. Clubs in the Premier League may want to recruit and develop players in a different way to those in League 1 or League 2. 


So for your role, in an Academy that is highly regarded, are you recruiting for players with Premier League potential and skillset despite being in the Championship?
I believe that should be the aim, yes. Having that ambition to recruit players suitable for the top level of football.


In 'The Nowhere Men', you mentioned how the development of some young players is inhibited because their coaches are wedded to winning. Is that still an issue you encounter and how do you break that?
Firstly, I want to say that I have no issue with winning as a concept - I think it is important to have competition where teams win and lose. However, it is the winning-at-all-costs mentality that can be harmful and the connection that winning has for the young players is the important thing. It should be part of the game but not the over-riding factor, especially for young players who are still learning and developing. Some parents and coaches see it differently, and that's hard to combat. But the nature of winning and losing, I think, is a good lesson - players need to experience hardship at times as it helps them to grow and it shows a lot about their character. At the end of the day, we are operating at the top end of elite sport and players need to be able to roll with hardship and keep going.


I also read that it is important for you to remove the pressure from your players, why is that crucial for you and how do you do it? Pulling on a Brentford FC shirt must inherently bring an element of pressure with it?
You're right, it does - but we want to create an environment where the pressure is off and the fear factor is removed. I'm not saying it needs to be a relaxed environment, but one where they are able to take risks and develop as a result. When players take risks they can learn, they can show themselves for who they really are. Too often, Academies are run on fear - the fear of being released and not making it. That inhibits players and encourages them to play it safe.


A number of Academies have very strong reputations, if you were to set-up your own club how would you build the Academy to produce good players?
Many Academies get a lot of praise, however I think the key things come down to good coaches at a given time as opposed to it being something inherent within the club itself; that is they have good people in place who coincide with a number of talented youngsters. I'd build my club around high level recruitment, high level coaching and plenty of playing football - that is how young players develop.


You used to coach, and you interact with coaches daily - what is your view on the current coach education provision? I myself have some reservations about the coach education within rugby, certainly.
I wouldn't say I'm a huge fan of The FA coaching courses even though I have had to do them myself. It is all about the qualification itself rather than the learning aspect. It's like a driving test, you pass an assessment and there is no real measure of quality or improvement as a coach after you have been certified.
Box-ticking...
Yeah, in many cases and how do you know what you've learnt? How does the FA know? There are many coaches in the system just aren't at the level because they can pass a course but might not be developing themselves as a coach, or be able to communicate effectively with players..
A lot of doors in rugby are closed by ex-pros moving into coaching. I'm sure many are very good, but I've seen plenty who aren't too...
The same in football. I see it all the time and I think it'll continue to get worse. I'm currently working on an a course with The FA on Talent ID which is based on ongoing learning stretching my abilities over 18 months, hopefully a similar approach will come over to the coaching side too. Another problem is academic inflation - so many coaches are having to shell out huge sums of money to be more qualified than the next coach, but everyone is having to do it and it kills young coaches, how can they afford it?
I know a number of S&C coaches who feel the same way about their own industry, I've heard the phrase "S&C is one of the only industries where a Masters might get you an internship." What would your advice be, therefore, for young coaches?
Get experience and be themselves. Experience is key, and much of that will have to come from volunteering.


Is there anything that many Academies aren't doing that maybe you should be improving?
Certainly recruitment, who they bring in and why. Most Academies are just wanting to develop that one player, one star. However every team needs 11 players! My key philosophy is to give everyone a chance. If you recruit for the right reasons, and have the right coaches in place then give everyone the chance to earn that professional contract. Some clubs just don't have a player in a certain position in an age group, so will recruit a young player because it will do for the next couple of years. I don't think that is good enough. But, football is results-driven and staff turnover is high - it's hard to develop that environment.


Football is renowned for how few players actually make it to the top, and that many of those released at 18 have limited education and prospects. In rugby, Saracens put a huge emphasis on their culture and as part of this they insist on all players taking part in higher education or the workplace. Could this work in football if a club wanted to try a similar approach?
I think in football there is just too much choice. If we put the money into an education programme then maybe we can't pay them as much. If they can earn more down the road at another club then they can just sign for them - it's that simple. Culture as a concept is hugely important, I'm just not sure the education side would work in a football Academy set-up.

Wayne Harrison first came to my attention on twitter a few months ago (I think through The Whitehouse Address) - he seemed passionate about coaching and was constantly engaged with a wide range of coaches across the United States and beyond. A little bit of research was quick to show his extensive CV and experience both as a player and a coach in various countries. Wayne has also contributed to the coaching community with various books and articles that have been published - a full run down of these can be found here. His passion for youth development, as well as willingness to 'be different' and innovative made it clear to me that he'd be a good person to contact for #coachingconversations. 

You founded Soccer Awareness in 1996, what is the overall philosophy and aim?
To provide a focus in training on the development of the mind with exercises designed to teach and test it. 

It is clear that you put a big emphasis on the thinking player and training the mind - what led you to prioritise this aspect?
I played professionally but would have been a better player if I was more mentally attuned to the game in terms of assessing my options before receiving the ball. The game was fast even then and to have been a faster decision maker would have meant I would have been a better player. So I always wanted to help others with it and it became my focus on teaching. I call it teaching a "half a touch mentality" to produce different actions based on it. 

Decision making is crucial in all sports - as a rugby coach in the UK I have often come across players who run certain moves because they are told to and occasionally have success, but the actual understanding of why they are doing it or who they are manipulating is absent. The landscape is starting to change now, how important do you think it is to put this focus on decision making and understanding at a young age?
It is THE most important focus in the game in my opinion. Funny it's becoming fashionable now to talk about decision making and the mind and faster thinking when I've focused on it for almost 20 years. The younger you start the better. I teach patterns of play, I present ways to do things, then I have the players make their own decisions and find different ways to do things within my pattern play framework. 

How would your athletes describe you as a coach? What is the coaching identity you seek to put out there?
Positive, encouraging, warm, excitable, fun, educational, very down to earth, and occasionally very demanding when needed. I seek to make sure we are all at the same level no matter what age I teach and everyone's view is as important as the next. They must never call me coach either, it's Wayne, because I want us mentally attuned at the same level. 

Soccer is now pretty established in the states, gaining increased media coverage to go alongside the youth participation numbers which have been high for a while. How has the soccer landscape/environment changed whilst you've been in the U.S. and how has this impacted, if at all, on your coaching?
It's generational. Current parents, many have played the game so understand it better and hence the demand to see the game has grown. No impact on my coaching to be honest I'm just happy the game is growing. 

Recently you had somewhat of a Twitter rant, which was great, about the approach to youth sports in the U.S. and the focus on winning rather than development. I read recently that Miguel Rios of Brentford FC described youth coaching in the UK, outside the academies, as sometimes being hindered by being wedded to winning. It is so ingrained in the American psyche to win - have you had huge pushback to your long-term developmental approach or do some people 'get it'?
People say they agree then show they really think the opposite. It's fashionable to say development over winning but it's still about winning - perhaps parents push and believe in the win so much as they are vicariously living through their kids and to be a winner in the USA is in the psyche. It's made USA what it is today, with this desire for success in all walks of life, but in Soccer's case I think it's still not understood fully that we must teach the right principles of how to play the game correctly first before the obsession with winning. So not obvious push back, but developing clubs and making money and winning all go hand in hand unfortunately. It won't change my attitude and I love to win but I always believe it's HOW you win not winning for the sake of it. 

What do you think are the most important aspects in general for youth development?
Technical development, skill development (which in my book is decision making and links to the mind and totally different to technique) and tactical development and understanding of movement off the ball. We have the ball ourselves 4 to 5 minutes a game so 86 minutes it's movement off the ball - more training focus on this aspect is vital. 

I noticed that as well as your football career you played England U16 Rugby and Cumbria Cricket U18 - do you think that experience, and participation in other sports, made you a better overall sportsman rather than if you had specialised early on football?
I believe so but I think it's more difficult to be good at many sports now and specialization comes earlier. And the demands of clubs and coaches mean that little time is allowed for other sports. 

You have no doubt been a great help and influence for many coaches with your various videos, books, talks etc. How do you continue to improve and learn yourself?
I buy books, I watch games every day on TV, I read about head coaches and how they work, I see other peoples' work and incorporate it or more often change it to suit my way of teaching. I like to experiment with different systems of play, I have another book coming out soon on "how to teach the 3-1-3-3 system of play" which is a very radical way to play. I'm always looking for the new angle on the game and to try to do something unique. 

Recently I was fortunate to spend the morning with Peter Jeffrey at the National Badminton Centre (NBC) in Milton Keynes. Peter is a National Coach for GB Badminton and has coached at World Championships, European Championships and the Olympics. It was a privilege to be able to get to the NBC in time for the session starting at 8am so that I could observe and chat with him - there was plenty I will take that can help to inform my own coaching, my coaching development and inspire me to generate ideas as to different ways to coach rugby and help athletes learn and improve. What follows covers some of the key talking points...

[...on whether he coaches the players to quickly process the information or focus on reactions...]
With these players it is all about reaction speed. From my point of view, I want to expose them to various different scenarios so they can quickly recognise them when in competition. Ideally I want them to play with an empty head, the sheer speed of the game at this level makes it hard to pick up information, process it and then make decisions. I try to provide the environment where they can build that experience and context to quickly recognise scenarios and react to them.


[...on how the best in the group can continue to improve to the level required for international competition...]
As you can see the majority of the session has been based around gameplay in different situations. Often we overload the opposition so it may be 3v2. This way they have to react quicker, work harder, they have less of the court to aim for etc. However it is also of benefit to those in the 3 too, playing certain shots or working on their own footwork against good opposition. You can see how as they fatigue the footwork starts to decrease or with the younger players everything is coming at them much quicker than they are used to so they are just trying to get it back rather than transition into attack.


How do you establish the goals for their improvement over the course of the year and how does this session fit within them?
The goals are in place both for the group and individually. We highlight Technical, Tactical, Physical, Mental and lifestyle goals over the course of a year which are recorded in the players' individual planners. So much of their time is spent travelling to and from competitions so that has to be accounted for too. We also work on Group Themes where we may spend a month looking at one particular aspect before moving on. For those players who podium then we are looking at it in the context of a four year cycle for the Olympics - we have certain targets that we set along the way to ensure that they are on track.


Recently I was at Denstone College where the big theme for their athletes was Challenge and Support. I imagine similar must apply here with players coming from all over the country to train and prepare for competitions etc?
Yes, and that's particularly relevant with our younger players who come here at 18 or 19. They are on the verge of adult competition and have come here having experienced plenty of success growing up in national and international junior events but not necessarily with the same attention to detail for their training, their strength and conditioning etc. Players often come in with some clear flaws to their game and bad habits that have developed whilst growing up. It hasn't stopped them winning in the younger age groups but can really hinder them going forward. The process of fixing those bad habits can be really tough for them - in the short-term it will effect their performance, leading to frustration and maybe confidence issues. So it is about providing that support and we have a Psychologist and Lifestyle Advisor at hand for them who can help with the psychological side of things in both performance and settling into a new area away from home etc.


You used to play at this level too, how was the transition from playing to coaching?
It was difficult in many ways. It helped me slightly that my last year of playing I was also involved in coaching so it made the transition less stark. But the mindset is so different - you have to move from being selfish to selfless. Initially I was incredibly vocal as a coach, reacting to everything. I knew I couldn't carry on that way and deeply considered what type of coach I wanted to be and learnt to adjust my behaviour more in line with that vision.


When I'm coaching, I'm very much in that coaching mindset rather than playing but find it interesting in dealing with the stress of high level occasions - where is the outlet for those nerves, concerns, frustrations etc. When playing, you go out, make a tackle then feel fine and you're in the game. I think there needs to be a detachment when coaching?
I think it is about embracing the environment and seeking to thrive within it. Also just focusing on the elements that you can control so that your mind isn't cluttered with useless information or emotion.


How have you managed your own coaching development and how do you continue to improve?
I did the coaching courses originally with some resistance but knew they had to be done. In 2011 I was selected for the UK Sport ECAP (Elite Coaching Apprenticeship Programme) which I thought was very good. I took a lot from it, probably the most useful was my mentor on the course who I still speak to regularly. It is useful to have that sounding board to bounce ideas off and he will often try to present a different point of view for me to consider. Sometimes he'll forward through a research paper that may be of interest too and having those different perspectives has been really useful in helping me to develop.


You are within a high pressure environment and have coached at Olympics etc - how do you find a way to switch off so that it doesn't consume you?
There is an element of experience to it and getting to know and understand myself. I know now how much sleep I need to function properly, I know how to energise myself and likewise switch on/off. That self-awareness is really important. The coaches and players here have done personality profiles and that was interesting in getting a guide as to how I can work on being comfortable in situations I wouldn't normally enjoy. Those profiles have also been great in getting to know our athletes, which is important for a coach - to know what motivates them, how they learn best, how they react to different situations, how pressure might change their normal behaviour etc. Pressure response is a fascinating topic. In terms of switching off then when coaching here at home having two kids is a good way to focus on something different! When at competitions I always find exercise and music good too. It is hard to have your mind cluttered working overdrive whilst in the gym and singing along to music!

Having gone full-time as a coach in January 2014 I felt I had some catching up to do following 18 months at a desk in the City. Whilst I had been running Edge alongside this role, I knew I need to invest properly in my coaching career and start reading up again on all manner of coaching topics. It was in this capacity that Jamie Taylor's excellent blog ( here ) became a vital part of my reading, leading to constantly scribbling notes down in my chosen notebook. I knew that he would be a good person to visit and had seen through his tweets, and the articles that he shared, that he is an outstanding, progressive and forward-thinking coach. Fortunately I was able to organise a trip up the M1 to Denstone College (a school with an ever-increasing reputation on the national rugby scene) for the day to get an insight into what they are doing, how they are doing it and why. Some highlights are below.

What is the basis of the rugby program at Denstone?
For me, it is all about challenge and support. We want to put our rugby players out of their comfort zone in training, with their S&C, in matches etc. We present them with that challenge and support them as best we can to achieve it. If they are unable to meet the challenge as an individual or as a team then again, that is where the support comes in to help them build that resilience to go again.


And how does that feature into the overall objective for rugby?
The main objective is not to attain glory for the school. We play as tough a fixture list as we can to challenge the boys because our key aim is based around development and the educational benefits of rugby (such as teamwork, leadership, grit, respect). We want to provide the best school rugby experience possible so as to ensure that our boys continue to play and enjoy their rugby once they have left. The elite environment we seek to provide for our students has led to a number of students being involved with Academies such as Leicester, Worcester and Sale. Leavers gaining Academy contracts and playing to a very high level, as well as general participation at University and beyond, is an important driver and measure of success for us. We focus on competition, and all that brings, rather than just winning.


What have you put in place in order to foster than environment?
Across the board we apply elite principles to the school environment but the first key point for us is Character and Values. Within this we focus on Teamwork, Pride, Commitment and Enjoyment. The boys are aware of this but the challenge lies in ensuring that we all live those values rather than just be able to recite them. That's something that as a collective - staff and players, we strive to maintain. Second for us is Athletic Development. Our Strength and Conditioning (S&C) team do a fantastic job in co-ordination with us as rugby coaches to produce physically robust players who can cope with, and dominate, the demands of the game. We now have Movement Lit as a PE module in Years 7-9 and welcome all our students to the gym, and field-based athletic development sessions, so we can educate them in how to train in a safe manner. Third is Psychology, and finally Tactical and Skill Development. It's a whole-school initiative with an educational focus - encouraging our students to think about, and understand, the nature of their sport and training.


How does this approach manifest itself within the rugby environment for training and matches?
I have to say I'm a very competitive person, as are many of the boys. However there is a bigger picture. We focus on their development and rising to the challenge. Challenge Point Framework (Guadagnoli and Lee, 2004) talks about the optimum challenge for skill acquisition.  We have established a continuum for the acquisition and retention of skill  that we can apply depending on what stage of skill acquisition they are at - subsequently some sessions will have a theme of either Explore or Perform whereby the focus is either on learning, thinking and developing or performing and executing to a high level what has been covered in training. 

It was certainly interesting to hear first-hand what is driving Denstone College forward as a force in schools' rugby. It is also thanks to Jamie that I have now downloaded the apps 'Pocket' and 'Evernote' which are already proving useful in keeping on top of various coaching articles and maintaining my own time management! With two full-time S&C coaches at Denstone, and Jamie's comments regarding the prevalence of Movement Lit and use of the athletic development resource for all ages, it was fascinating to hear from Daniel Pyke how they actually put this into practice. 

Dan, can you explain the S&C provision at Denstone?
We have two full-time S&C coaches and we work both with the sports teams as well as with the students in general. Teams do have specific slots at times, and the older athletes are on more specific conditioning programmes which they complete during the course of the week. But we see it as a whole-school thing - Movement Literacy is a module in PE for our Year 7-9 students and lunch-time sees the Performance Centre open to any and all students of all ages. We apply high performance principles in a school environment with movement, education and enjoyment at the heart of our practise.


How do you ensure students are doing the right things and in a safe way - sometimes you must have to hold them back from getting on the bench press ASAP for example?
Sometimes, certainly initially we occasionally had to hold them back. But it is all about education. At Denstone now they are educated about how to treat their body around their training or in a nutritional sense. By no stretch to the younger pupils just come in and do what they want throwing the weight around - the educational side is informed in many ways by the Athletic Motor Skill Competencies (Rhodri Lloyd, 2013). So we have a programme in place called 'Earn The Right To Progress'. With various movements and levels of achievement we can progress the pupils in a safe manner as and when they are individually ready. 


How does this tie in with the rugby at Denstone College?
We both work closely with Jamie to monitor the development of our athletes. The Performance Centre is a great opportunity to build and re-inforce the culture that we have established as well as to build the psychological characteristics that we want Denstone pupils to possess - resilience, determination and a desire to improve. Here, through S&C, we can provide the challenge for them in a physical and mental sense as well as providing the support necessary. We can keep things competitive and fun so that their health and fitness doesn't have to be seen as a chore. Again, it all comes down to education and enjoyment.


As the boys get older they'll have school rugby, maybe club/Academy/County involvement and also the S&C sessions - how do you manage to ensure they don't burn out?
One of the important values for having us here is that health & safety aspect to make sure the boys are progressing safely with their gym work. Part of this, of course, is to monitor them to ensure they aren't doing too much. They are in the habit now of entering the gym and using the laptop to record their soreness, tiredness and energy levels for each session. This gives us really important data that we can monitor so that, when required, we adjust their programme or tell them to rest. Likewise I may have to speak to Jamie to alert him to certain players' fatigue levels so that it can be accounted for in pitch sessions too. 


It's incredibly impressive, and very clear that the students are buying-in to it all. It is also, from what I have seen, pretty rare in a school environment - is it something that will stay rare in your opinion?
It is rare to an extent. There are other schools and colleges who are also doing great things with their students in this respect. However I think it is about to explode and become much more commonplace. Whilst it does provide a competitive advantage, it is most importantly about education and challenging the students to improve.

 From my brief visit, even during exam period, it was clear that the students certainly do buy-in to culture that Jamie, Dan, Thomas Williams (Director of Sport) and the staff have built. The lunch-time session had a mixture of age groups, boys and girls, working on their specific stage of training. Furthermore, they were working together and helping where needed with the older boys assisting younger in understanding the nature of the warm-up exercises. From my point of view, this cross-age interaction is vital in establishing, and spreading, the culture of a school on the whole and in a sporting sense. Beyond this, without them even realising, the pupils are developing their leadership skills as a mentor and coach. The hours for the staff are long and tiring, no doubt, but the students can only benefit. Indeed, many may not quite be aware how fortunate they are to have this information, education and support available to them until they have moved on from Denstone College.

For the fourth edition of #CoachingConversations I was fortunate enough to catch up with Paul Holmes of 1823 Rugby and the Tiger Rugby Academy in Columbus, Ohio. It provided a fascinating insight into American Rugby and how it is continuing to grow. Furthermore, as a coach it was inspiring for me personally and I'll take from it the motivation to be different, blaze your own trail and invest in yourself. 

As a South African living in the United States, how did it all start?
I grew up playing rugby and had some excellent experiences as a result. My wife is American so I soon found myself in Ohio where my starting point was Personal Training. At the time I was a bit fed-up with the set-up of rugby in the area so decided to get involved with coaching, originally at a collegiate level. I then decided to establish 1823 as a club and it has grown rapidly. It's a huge year coming up for us and we have clear goals of success at all levels - hopefully, through our training and methodology, we can achieve that this year on all fronts.. We're a young group, the average age is 22 and we have 57 players competing for just 12 spots so we are in a good position.

I was introduced to James Walker who has done a fantastic job with Belmont Shore RFC winning the National Championship three times. He had Tiger Rugby which, at the time, was a touring side 7s side. They were having good success and put an emphasis on philanthropic endeavours in countries they toured. Things developed from there to where we now have the Tiger Rugby Academy - we want to equip these young American players to have a life outside of their rugby whilst pushing their performance to the highest standard they can achieve. Our number 1 priority is always the player - they are housed, they earn whilst with us, they train their rugby. We've got some truly outstanding prospects.

Is 7s the best gateway to the American audience as well as the players themselves? It's, arguably, more exciting, higher scoring as well as slightly easier to pick up in some ways for talented athletes..
I think 7s is certainly better for TV. It's a fast game, it suits the sporting culture for tailgating and making the most of the day. However, it has a limit - American fans love to be able to follow a team and watch them live. With 7s their opportunity to do that is so limited - once a year there is a home tournament, otherwise they are off around the globe on the 7s Series. As a result I think 15-a-side rugby remains the future.


How far can it go? Will it 'make it' as a big sport?
Absolutely. The challenges are there in terms of geography and the sheer size of the country - for fixtures or tournaments, players have to take Friday and Monday off work, as well as being able to get to the destination. However, the growth is most certainly there. Ohio alone now has 50 teams and other states are seeing similar uptake. There are good competitions out there that are based on regional conferences - I think that is the way forward.


Have you noticed any difference working with American athletes compared to other nationalities?
American athletes are really hard workers. The lack of recreational sport means that those who are lucky enough to play at a High School and Collegiate level are already at a high standard within their sport. They are therefore bred in a professional environment, carry a professional attitude and have very high expectations. At times that can be a source of frustration for them, if they aren't progressing at the rate they would like, but they are, on the whole, very driven athletes.


How has it effected your coaching language when coaching former American Football or Basketball players - do you have to frame your coaching with references they understand? Or do they just have to learn Rugby for what it is?
Certainly we use references that they can understand. Basketball terminology often works well as it has some more similarities with Rugby than Football does. Basketball players are used to working both attack and defence as well as how to create, and exploit, space. In contrast, Football is all about yards not space. Often those coming from a Football background have been limited to just paying on one side of the ball. As a result defensive players can be too reactive, whereas offensive players are too early to everything!


I often come across the phrase 'Coaching Philosophy' here, how would you describe the basis of your coaching?
An absolute focus on fundamentals. The basic, individual skills of rugby are so important and that is why most countries are so far behind New Zealand. I see it simply - players need to concentrate on the elements that they can control. Fundamental skills, mindset etc they are all well within the control of a player if they want to improve. At the Academy I often encourage these guys to watch as much Rugby as they possible can - remember, they don't have the culture of having grown up playing and watching rugby. It's so important for them to watch and learn as much as possible to try and increase their Rugby IQ. 

Beyond that, I take a holistic approach and focus on the player. What is best for them? How can they be the best version of themselves? So many players watch rugby and decide they want to be Sonny Bill Williams or equivalent, but they can't - they haven't grown up in the same culture, they don't have the same players around them, it is an unrealistic aspiration. However, they can work on their own skills, be the best they can be and forge their own path. They need to look inward first and foremost.


Do you have any advice for me, and other young coaches, that you think is worth passing on?
Always take small steps to credibility. Plenty of people talk a good game, but believe in what you are doing and over-exceed expectations. Be different and create your own path with focus and determination. A phrase that comes to mind is "The surest investment is always in yourself".