Sports Coaching
Coaching in athletic and competitive sport contexts.
121 articles
Sports Articles
Technocoach
Optimizing the Use of Technology in Effective Sports Coaching.
Grand Final Coaching
GRAND FINAL GRABS – WHAT I’VE LEARNT ABOUT PEOPLE AND PERFORMANCE UNDER PRESSURE.
Coaching the Grand Final
After an excellent article written around Matt Wilkie, IRFU’s head of coach development, it pushed me down a rabbit hole, looking at how we can adjust our focus to the how and whom we coach, rather than the specific content, or focusing solely on the what aspects such as technical, tactical and stra
On the Coaching Starting Blocks
If you’re already an experienced coach, how would you go about starting your coaching career all over again?
Are Results-Based Goals a Bad Thing
the object of a person's ambition or effort; an aim or desired result.
Healthy Coach, Better Coaching
Healthy Coach – Better Coaching: Ten Tips for Sports Coaches to Stay Healthy and Happy.
The Future of Sports Governance
The traditional way of managing clubs and associations with paper and shoe boxes is no longer holding up with the requirements put on organisations these days. Volunteers are hard to come by and the workload continues to increase. Just as accounting has been through a transition from manual to full
The Future of Sports Coaching
THE FUTURE OF SPORTS COACHINGIT’S NOT JUST A NUMBERS GAME
Coaching by the Numbers
Coaching by Numbers: Is data analytics the future of sports coaching?
Reducing Inactivity
REDUCING INACTIVITY, ATHLETE-CENTRED PEDAGOGY AND ENGAGING WITH THE EDUCATION SECTOR
Sports Coaching 2030
Coaching Kids in the era of Robots, Drones, Screens and Clouds.
Are Coaches Educators or Trainers
Exploring the Many Roles We Play
Local Hero
Professional Boxer and Community Boxing Coach
Burn Down the Training Room
Coach Development That Really Matters
Counter Punch
Coaching Kids to Regulate Emotions Through Boxing
Elite Athlete Preparations
Well… unfortunately for many they are not able to achieve anything like their personal best, for others, they outperform expectations.
Process vs Outcome
The 48-year-old former player took up the role of coach in 2011 and is arguably Australia's finest ever bowler, amassing over 100 titles, including 19 prized Australian championships and pioneering su...
Reverse Engineering Coaching
Athletes and coaches are in the final stages of training – and about to commence their tapering and peaking phases in order to be in the best possible shape to compete in this year’s Games.
A Boxing Education
A knowledgeable coach understands that different types of learning need to be employed when structuring an athlete development course in order for the learning to be as successful as possible.
The Hockeyroo Way
Initially I started with the club point of view, then coaching the state team and finally being offered a position with the national team from Ric Charlesworth.
Diving In
Diving came along when I was 12years old and was a very different experience for me. I found myself challenged in new ways and became addicted to a fascinating and difficult sport even though I strugg...
Back 2 Back
I completed all of my coaching qualifications, and trained as a high-performance coach under Joyce Brown, who was Netball Australia’s coaching director at the time. It was with Joyce that I got my fir...
Kookaburra Magic
There was a cut-off time that I finished my playing days and went and coached in Townsville, North Queensland. By coincidence, I met a young Robert Hammond who was just 12 and is now one of the assist...
Raising the Bar
Taking the team to Beijing, he took a break in 2010 to work with the Brazilian team and further expand his skills.
The Third Job
In 2009, Louise Stevenson was my first long distance open water swimmer. She swam the 20 Km from Cotteslole Beach to Rotnest Island in Western Australia.
Five Factors to Maintain the Rage
My coaching philosophy has led me to challenge the way things have always been done. So, in terms of setting a vision, it was always about playing the game differently to the rest of my competitors.
Play Big
I played with the Revolution for a season and the next year we had a new head coach, Wendell Davis former Dallas Cowboys player. He saw how close I was with all the guys and wondered who this girl was...
The Future of Human Development
It was in the Sydney gym where I met Fiona Taylor. She was training for the Olympics in Wind Surfing. After working with her I funded my way to the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, buying a round-the-world ti...
The Coaching Journey
Having led two expeditions to Mount Everest, one from the Tibet side and the other from Nepal, I often get asked questions about the climb, as well as mountaineering. These questions range from the cu...
Unscrambling the Egg
Coaches all over Australia rushed to become level-1, level-2 and level-3 coaches, unfortunately we’re still doing the same things we were doing 30 years ago.
Great player, great coach?
One such taken-for-granted (in men’s team sport especially) is the value of coaches having been a former elite athlete in the sport they now coach.
Beware Neuro Bunk
Recently released, Pulitzer Prize nominated and best-selling book Stealing Fire reports how Navy SEALS, Google and Silicon Valley are combining neuropsychology, psychology and technology in pursuit of...
Focus on Classroom Performance
Then his complication rates steadied. He immediately felt his performance had plateaued and the statistics supported this.
It's All About the Why
When I thanked mom for putting the “Y” in my name, she nearly cried. She had unknowingly solidified my PURPOSE.
Unscrambling the Egg
We were saving and transferring data on floppy discs from one large, bulky expensive home personal computer to another bulky expensive home personal computer.
Surviving the Classroom
You don’t have to burn any incense and you certainly don’t have to sit on the floor.
The New Direction for Elite Coaching
In elite sport, an athlete’s performance is frequently reviewed and scrutinised accordingly. The pressure to consistently perform is extraordinary, and only those with the strongest bodies and minds w
Extraordinary by Choice
n Kikinda, a provincial town in Serbia where I grew up, there were few organized sports for children. When I was nine years old, I had a childhood sweetheart old, who was a swimmer. Even at that age,
Three Tips for Young Aspiring Coaches
I asked myself what behaviours can I role model to coaches in this article. Over my coaching career, the most successful teams that I have been involved with have bought into and had belief around all
Advancing Paralympic Classification Through Science
The Paralympic games is organised by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and is the 3rd largest sporting event in the world after the Olympic Games and the FIFA World Cup. At the elite level
Paralympic Coaching and the Journey to the Games
WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL – TOM KYLE, Head Coach, Australian Women’s Wheelchair Basketball team (Gliders), Assistant Coach, Australian Men’s Wheelchair Basketball team (Rollers)
Paralympic Coaching and Athlete Excellence
PARA-ARCHERY – STEPHEN JENNISON, Coach Mentor, Archery Australia
Paralympic Sport Coaching and the High Performance Path
PARA TABLE TENNIS – ROGER MASSIE, National Coach (Paralympic Program), Table Tennis Australia
Coaching the Pararoos at the Paralympic Games
PARA FOOTBALL – KAI LAMMERT, Head Coach, Men’s Paralympic National Team (Pararoos), Football Federation Australia
Paralympic Sport and High Performance Coaching
PARA EQUESTRIAN – JULIA BATTAMS, National Performance Director (Dressage & Para Equestrian), Equestrian Australia
Paralympic Coaching and Athlete Development Excellence
DOWN SYNDROME SWIMMING – JOHN BECKWORTH, Head Coach, Down Syndrome Swimming Australia
Paralympic Rowing Coaching and Elite Performance
As a young kid, I watched Dawn Fraser and all the legends of the day competing at the 1960 Olympic Games on TV. At 12, I was mucking around at the local pool in Sydney until one day the coach tapped m
Paralympic Sport Coaching and Athlete Development
ALL ABILITIES CRICKET – HUSSAIN HANIF, Coach, Yarraville Cricket Club
Paralympic Coaching Leadership and High Performance
My first involvement in para-sport happened before I joined the Australian Paralympic Committee. I was working for Swimming NSW as their Executive Director. At that stage, Swimming Australia had emplo
Paralympic High Performance Coaching and Leadership
I’ve sailed my whole life. My parents were lifelong sailors and my Dad also raced. He was my first coach when I started racing competitively at 10 years old, originally in New Zealand, and went to my
Paralympic Sport and High Performance Coaching
Article by Edoardo Rosso. Full content pending — source document unavailable.
Paralympic Sport Coaching and High Performance
PARA-TRIATHLON – Corey Bacon, Head Coach, Triathlon Australia
Coaching the Australian Wheelchair Basketball Rollers
WHEELCHAIR RUGBY – BRAD DUBBERLEY, Head Coach, Australian Men’s Wheelchair Rugby Team (Steelers)
Paralympic Coaching and the High Performance Journey
WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL – Ben Ettridge, Head Coach, Australian Men’s National Wheelchair Basketball Team (Rollers)
Olympic Water Polo Coaching and High Performance Leadership
Rugby player for Queensland Reds, Leeds Worchester for 6 years. North Humber for NZ.
How to Prepare for and Survive an Olympic Games
With an Olympic Games, there are many distractions. I wasn’t really prepared for these when I went to my first Olympics in Barcelona, at 29 years of age. I didn’t know what to expect. It’s an enormous
Inside Olympic Swimming Coaching at the Elite Level
I was born and raised in the Netherlands, and have always been passionate about sport. As an athlete, I wasn’t great at it. I think I lacked talent, but I did love it and played a lot. The combination
Olympic Road Cycling and the Biggest Challenge Yet
CYCLING – BRADLEY MCGEE, Head Coach (Cycling), NSW Institute of Sport
Coping in the Olympic Performance Environment
[H1]Coping in the Performance Environment at the Olympic Games
A Lifetime of Olympic Swimming Lessons
From a rough beginning in Central Queensland, he has blazed a trail across the swimming world, attending 11 Olympic games, 5 of them as head coach for 3 different nations, and has coached swimmers to
Coaching Water Polo to the Olympics
I grew up in Dubrovnik, Croatia, a small town of around 50,000 people. Water Polo is a very big sport in Croatia and I played for Jug and Mladost (rival) teams as a left offensive player. With Mladost
For Best Results, Understand Your Athlete
I was originally a 110m hurdler but ended up having a knee reconstruction and seven operations for an injury. I knew I was going to be in a bit of trouble coming back from this, and I’d always had coa
Following the Olympic Basketball Dream
BASKETBALL – BRENDAN JOYCE, Head Coach, Australian Women’s Basketball Team (Opals), Basketball Australia
Beach Volleyball Coaching at the Rio Olympics
BEACH VOLLEYBALL – Steve Tutton, Senior Coach, Australian Volleyball Federation
Olympic Equestrian Coaching and High Performance
I grew up in a family that was heavily involved in equestrian sports. My mother competed herself quite a lot and it was a family affair. Myself and my 3 older siblings all rode from an early age. I fi
Coaching the Australian Women's Water Polo to the Olympics
I first started playing at age 13 with Balmain before moving to Cronulla at 17. I played for 20-odd years with the Cronulla team, winning 5 national league titles out of 10/11 and coming second in 5.
Rowing to Rio
ROWING – CHRIS O’BRIEN, National Team Performance Director and Head Coach, Rowing Australia
Olympic Table Tennis and the Coaching Journey
Article by Ya Ping Shih. Full content pending — source document unavailable.
Gold Medals Start in the Mind
BEACH VOLLEYBALL – KERRI POTTHARST, 3 time Olympian and gold medallist
Table Tennis Coaching at the Rio Olympics
TABLE TENNIS – JENS LANG, High Performance Manager and National Head Coach, Table Tennis Australia
Olympic Swimming Coaching at the Highest Level
Article by Chava Sobrino. Full content pending — source document unavailable.
Coaching the Kookaburras to Olympic Glory
Article by Adam Commens. Full content pending — source document unavailable.
What It Takes to Follow the Olympic Dream
BASKETBALL – ANDREJ LEMANIS, Head Coach, Australian Men’s Basketball Team (Boomers), Basketball Australia
Creating a World-Class Women's Football Team
FOOTBALL – ALEN STAJCIC, Head Coach, Women’s National Team (Matildas), Football Federation Australia
Women's Football Coaching: Vicki Linton on Gender and High Performance
When I was 6, friends in my street were joining the local soccer team, so I went home and asked Mum if I could too. I was the only girl playing in the junior club and across the whole league. Credit t
Women in Athletics Coaching and the Grassroots Revolution
One day, my daughter came home from school with a flyer asking me if she could join Little Athletics. We were living in a small town south of Cairns, called Gordonvale. I took her down to the local ov
Coaching Women's Rugby League and Building High-Performance Culture
From 2005, I coached in the Raiders representative program, and in the end was responsible for their SG Ball program under Dave Hamilton, who was the High Performance and Recruitment Manager at the ti
Media Coaching, Gender and the Art of the Sports Interview
Chances are, as a coach, you’ll be able to put that to the test one of these days. I interviewed Coaching Life magazine Editor-in-Chief Stewart Fleming on my Logan 101FM Monday morning show (see what
Breaking Barriers in Women's Elite Sport Coaching
Article by Tracey Hughes. Full content pending — source document unavailable.
Hockeyroos Coaching and Women's High Performance
Article by Michelle Becroft. Full content pending — source document unavailable.
Elite Coaching and the Gender Performance Gap
Article by Tracy York. Full content pending — source document unavailable.
Women in High Performance Sport and Coaching
Article by Belinda Noonan. Full content pending — source document unavailable.
Combat Sport Coaching and the Adversity Mindset
Article by Pat Hedges. Full content pending — source document unavailable.
NRL Coaching, Adversity and the Cronulla Way
Article by Shane Flanagan. Full content pending — source document unavailable.
Adversity as a Teacher: John Novak on Rugby Coaching and Resilience
It is a lesson, teacher, test and then invariably becomes an opportunity.
Burn Bright: Jo Bassett on Coaching Through Challenging Times
My work has given me a legitimate window to look into the lives of others. Professionally, I have chosen a career where people in many situations choose to share their stories and experiences with me
Coping with Success: David Lush on the Adversity of Winning
In 2004, after spending 15 years following the black line, chasing an Olympic Dream, it was time to hang up the goggles and cap. I had been lucky to represent my country a number of times and felt as
Coaching the Mind: David Berens on Adversity and Mental Resilience
Coaching. What exactly is coaching? Patterns on a chalkboard? The X’s and O’s of plays and formations run ad nauseam in practice until they become second nature to the athletes on a team? Recruiting o
Grassroots Engagement That Grows the Game
Hookin2Hockey is Hockey Australia’s Club program designed for boys and girls aged 10 and under. It helps participants learn the basic skills of the game, as well as develop fundamental motor skills an
Rugby Engagement and the Wallabies Coaching Way
Grassroots motorcycle competitors have entered into a world of vastly different ideals to that of mainstream athletic-type sports. Some motorcycling families…
Building Rugby Culture Through Genuine Engagement
ARU coach Jayson Brewer explores how authentic connection between coaches and athletes builds the kind of rugby culture where players choose to give their best every day.
Gymnastics Coaching Engagement: Jill McIntosh on Keeping Athletes Motivated
I started playing netball in Grade 3 while growing up in Perth. We had a very enthusiastic teacher come coach who put together a little team which progressed…
Surfing, Mental Engagement and Aims for Awesome
Seven-time world surfing champion Layne Beachley shares what kept her engaged through seven world titles — and how her Aims for Awesome program is engaging the next generation.
A Lifetime of Swimming: David Speechley on Coaching Engagement
Swimming coach David Speechley reflects on decades of poolside coaching and the engagement principles that keep athletes motivated for a lifetime in the sport.
The Person Behind the Athlete: Cliff Mallett on Coaching Engagement
The International Council for Coaching Excellence (ICCE) (www.icce.ws) recently conducted a landmark study examining 14 of the world’s best coaches from 11 c…
ARU Rugby Engagement: Adrian Thompson on Coaching Connection
I started playing rugby at 13 through school ended up playing club rugby at GPS “Jeeps” in Brisbane, but retired due to injury at age 20. I was greatly influ…
Mental Performance and Coaching Culture
In 1955 Olga Korbot famous gymnast from Belarusian . First to do backflip on beam.
Motorsport Coaching: Paul Caslick on Racing and Culture
This journey for me in motorcycle racing started in 1975. My passion for coaching began in 1979 when participating at a motorcycle camp. I was then 12 years …
Cycling Culture: How Peter de Roo Builds Winning Teams
I started playing as a young kid at 6 in Holland. I signed my first professional contract when I was 18/19 and I played the majority of my career with a club…
Footy For All: Inclusive Football Culture in Australia
African world leader, Nelson Mandela, spoke these words at the Laureus Sports Awards in the year 2000: “Sport has the power to change the world. It has the p…
Sports Culture and Mental Performance: Conrad Singh
As a South African-born, Australian-educated and raised young man, I have experienced a great deal of cultures in my time. Immediately after completing unive…
Alan Gaffney on Building a Winning Rugby Culture
Former Wallabies and Waratahs coach Alan Gaffney explores what separates good teams from great ones — and how culture, not talent, determines championships.
Changing Directions
I grew up in the Grampians, in Halls Gap, a small town 300km west of Melbourne. With about 300 people, it is a real tourist destination with a national park…
Learning the Trade
One summer, a young coach from Townsville made the trip of a lifetime and went to study under the greats of US swimming at the time. Laurie Lawrence came back and became a legend himself.
WNBL Goals: How Basketball Coaches Drive Performance and Culture
I started playing basketball when I was seven for the Basin Wildcats in Knox, Victoria. Like most kids I played many sports but fell in love with basketball …
National Team with New Knees
Growing up, my family was heavily involved in the St Patricks hockey club in Canberra. My Dad played and my sister and cousins are still involved with the c…
Just another brain trainer?
NeuroTracker is a method for cognitive enhancement that was pioneered at the Visual Psychophysics and Perception Laboratory in Montreal. Professor Faubert, d…
Coaching is an Art based on a Science
I grew up in Colac, west of Geelong, and played junior football there in the seniors before I went down to Collingwood for three years. While there, I studie…
Cricket Goals: How Aiden Blizzard Coaches for the Long Game
I started my professional cricket career as a 19-year-old rookie with the Bushrangers in Victoria. Some of my greatest learnings and development as both a pl…
Ironman Focus: How Endurance Athletes Train the Mind
From training with sharks to treatment by Chinese burn. After 20 years at the top, Ironman Legend, Wes Berg shares his story.
10 Ways to Focus your Coaching Environment
…creating a focused, efficient learning environment for mutual benefit, wellness, growth and community.
Lessons from Powerlifting Coaching
My personal journey; being involved in sport most of my life; has lead me to achieve many great things. I have learned life changing lessons along the way…
Using Kaizen to Beat the Gremlins
In my role as National Golf Coach for Golf Australia, as well as coaching club golfers and beginners on a daily basis, I am constantly challenged by the ques…
The Australian Cricket Pathway
Cricket Australia’s focus is to be AUSTRALIA’S FAVOURITE SPORT – A SPORT FOR ALL AUSTRALIANS! Over 1.2 million people a year play cricket in Australia and be…
Staying Focused
I grew up on a sugar cane farm near Mackay and was introduced to tennis when my Dad bulldozed a court in the dirt next to the house and put up a wooden pract…
3 Types of Mistakes
I recently caught up with Dr Richard (Ric) Charlesworth, a name known around the world for his excellence in coaching Hockey and considered one of the Austra…
Back to the Surf
I started walking, talking and surfing all at the same time. At 3 I was riding the waves off the ferry in Gunnamatta Bay. My father moved out from Manchester…
Club Coaching vs High Performance Coaching
Coaching at the club level is very different to being a high performance coach.
Coaching in the COVID Era
Here is my detailed outline for a developing 25-year-old coach/trainer in today’s world. This is what I would do at 25 in order to develop as a world level coach with ambitions at the global level.
Healthy Coach, Better Coaching: Ten Tips for Sports Coaches to Stay Healthy and Happy
Coaches spend all their time helping athletes get better — but do they apply the same standards to their own health? Wayne Goldsmith's ten tips for coaches who want to thrive, not just survive.
Coaching Transcends the Field of Play
As Head Coach of the world champion Australian Diamonds, Lisa Alexander breaks down the five leadership principles that unite grassroots coaches and elite performers alike.