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.

This edition of #coachingconversations dips back into the world of Strength and Conditioning as I sat down for a chat with Ed Young of Big Green Gorilla. Ed is a London-based Personal Trainer who currently works at the King's College London Health and Fitness Centre where he is largely responsible for the recent implementation of their Performance Sport and Elite Athlete programmes. 

                                           
The fitness industry is constantly espousing new ideas and training methods - Is there anything you are currently using (that maybe you didn't use a couple of years ago) that you believe is really effective?
The importance in improving range of motion. Mobility techniques have exploded into my whole coaching life over the last year. The first time I performed some of Kelly Starret’s hip and shoulder mobility drills I felt like a new man. Since introducing these to all of the athletes and teams I train, I have seen the importance of it and how each individual has their own unique problems which are holding back their force producing potential. These problems are a definitive wall blocking their improvement in strength and skill. The ability to get the body into each phase of a movement is depicted by an individual’s proprioception and multi-limb co-ordination but if they are in some way restricted, then the positions are impossible to reach without comprising the structure of your joints or compromising a neutral spine.

Have you noticed any general key physical issues (common problems) among the adults/students that you train? If so, what sort of lifestyle/training habits do you think are causing these issues?
Hip flexor mobility. A massive problem across many of my athletes and clients are tight hip flexors. This is caused predominantly by being in extended positions flexed at the hip - sitting while studying, or working in an office, are the prime culprits, but exacerbated by not performing maintenance to fight back against this issue. For performance it means we cause a break in the chain, so force cannot be optimally transferred through the hips and the resultant pelvic tilt can cause glute inactivation. The modern lifestyle means all of us sit for a long period of time every day but we must actively fight this by stretching the hip flexor muscles (piriformis and psoas major).

You worked with KCL rugby in pre-season and it was the first time they have done such a formalised programme of training. They are now competing for promotion again and, whilst much of it comes down to the current group of players and the coaching, did you notice improvements whilst working with them?
Working with KCL Rugby has been a great privilege and from the beginning it was clear to see that the team has some great leaders who were ready to drive the team forward. We approached the pre-season strength and conditioning with the objective of improving the players’ rugby-specific strength, knowing that the new league would be much more physical. My objective from week 1 was to make it clear how the basic session we were doing would lead to improvement in more skill specific drills later in the programme. For example, for tackling we may work on the ROM around the hip (if needed) and glute strength through bridging or the deadlift. This would allow for improvements in hip extension strength and the ability to get into this tackling position. It is important to work on these initially, approximately for 6 weeks into pre-season (6 weeks prior to the first game). You no longer want to spend time on these platform strength objectives and need to work on the skill itself. It is the ability to transfer that newly found strength and mobility into the skill which is most important. The most improvements I found were those who were the most consistent in their training and picked my brain as much as possible. Those new to free weights saw great improvements in strength and robustness allowing them to execute their skills in a more physical environment.

Do you think their preseason has helped with their successful campaign so far?
When I work with any team or individual athlete my goal is to make them the best is the world, no matter what level they are. This mind-set allows me to search for all gaps between where they are now and if they were to be the best in the world or international players. This tends to cross over more than strength and conditioning but I would attribute this mind-set to all the successes I have had with this team and many others. However, I have only had an impact in that realm. Clearly for a newly promoted team to become top of their new league a multitude of factors must be present. Factors including: team cohesion, excellent coaching, leadership, having a good committee, the balance of third years, seconds years and fresher’s…many factors. The pre-season programme achieved its objectives in improving each individual’s rugby specific strength and fitness. It also educated all individuals on technique in the gym and what exercises are specific for rugby and what are not. A big factor in the success this season was King's commitment to the team as a massive part of their overall strategy for the next 3 years. This can change the mind-set of a team from recreation to competitive. Knowing that the university cares if they win or lose is a big thing.

You have been crucial in developing the Elite program at King's. What is it and how did it come about for you to put it in place?
The elite programme at King’s is recently founded, providing opportunities and investment in student athletes who compete at international levels. This bridges the gap for athletes at King’s, which is traditionally academically-focused, to still be able to gain the support which a more sports-focused university would bring. Putting this in place has been a challenging process but very successful. The problem we face is that as a department, King’s Sport, objectives in sport are high…but we are no Bath or Loughborough. We have a training facility which holds 1,300 members in comparison to Bath’s 10,000 and the high majority of funding goes to academic studies which means that it is the quality and care of coaching that we as a department must emphasise. The department aims to create a strong community of students, teams and athletes who are proud to represent King’s College London and appreciate the support of the professionals at King’s Sport.


Culture is something I come back to in a lot of #coachingconversations . How important do you think it is for these athletes at King's to be part of the King's Sport culture and branding? 
It is great to be a part of a collective idea. With King’s Sport, it is the first year the university has properly committed to sport and to its athletes. Being part of the King’s Sport brand at this level makes them feel more supported; they no-longer just competing as an athlete for themselves but as a King’s Sport Elite athlete, training amongst GB sprinters and England hockey players, and collectively aiding the university to join the TOP 30 in the UK.

How has it been getting the Elites to buy-in to the extra S&C that you are able to offer - especially given you are competing for their time against training (sport), academics and social life?
80% of the elites love to train, love their sport and have an absolute drive to improve. Showing them where they are weak and how they can improve, in very clear and easily measurable ways, is more than enough motivation. When they actually see these improvements first hand, motivation only gets stronger. Academic issues can be tough in regards to time management; elites who study medicine or midwifery will undoubtedly have to reduce their time allocated to training and unfortunately may see a reduction in performance as a result. These same students often have alternating night shifts where their hormonal rhythms will be completely destroyed, leaving their training gains and energy levels comparatively low.
In regards to their own sport, as long as injury prevention is a key component to the programme, the individual will be able to maintain their sport specific training for sustained phases without stopping due to overuse or injury. This alone will progress their performance even if strength does not.

In some cases the Elites have external coaches that they work with - has there been much co-ordination with these coaches and are they willing to help share the load in improving the athlete?
Co-ordinating between coaches is a critical part to improve an athlete’s performance.  The idea that two heads are better than one is still 100% accurate. The only issue in this industry is that many coaches will be very reluctant, especially at a high level, to give their master plan away. This can lead to a bit of a stalemate until you build a good rapport with them. When ideas clash, or a coach does not agree, then you must adapt or just prove the background support for what you are doing.

You work with elites from a variety of sports, many of which you have not competed in yourself - do you feel that sporting experience matters?
Yes, undoubtedly, but there are numerous transferable movement patterns to all sports. It is important to break down each sport into its fitness components and whether they are high priority or low priority for each specific movement skill. After looking at how each skill transfers force to reach its end objective, the basics can be found and trained. The only distinct difference would be if the sport is patterned or reactive. Patterned would be a sprinter or golfer and will generate force in a set way. Reactive is an open environment whereby the force you need to produce in a set skill is ever changing and never the same.


As an S&C coach, how do you seek to improve your own knowledge and experience? Have you been on any courses that you have found to be highly beneficial and would recommend?
Courses, internet and books. In my opinion, even if you only take one small point then you have still improved. The real way to improve is to put yourself into new situations outside of your comfort zone, which forces you to adapt and improve. I have trained in rugby for many years and know the sport very well, thus making training individuals for this relatively straightforward. It is when a taekwondo athlete comes in and needs to improve box splits, or a basketball player has a nagging knee pain which has been plaguing her all her life, that you are forced to do the research and use a little trial and error to improve and grow your own knowledge as to what works and what doesn't.