Coaching Edge taster 2 by sports coach UK Research

2010–11 SPECIAL EDITION

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INSIDE: Quick Learners • Learning From The Masters • Eyes On The Prize

COACHING EDGE |THE MASTERS|

LEARNING FROM THE MASTERS It’s often said you can only plan for the future by understanding your history, so anyone who has the arrogance of youth would do well to listen to two of football’s grand masters – Peter Shilton and Nobby Stiles, men only too aware that coaching analysis and psychology have long played a part in their beautiful game, as Martin Betts and Craig Smith discovered.

|THE MASTERS| COACHING EDGE

hough he currently saves anecdotes for after-dinner speaking rather than 25-yard thunderbolts destined for the top corner of the net, it’s difficult to argue with Peter Shilton’s views on the beautiful game and coaching. Having made more than 1,000 professional appearances and won 125 caps for England during a 30-year career, he plied his trade under legendary managers Sir Alf Ramsey, Brian Clough and Sir Bobby Robson on a professional journey which took him from Leicester to Leyton Orient, with nine clubs in-between.

Shilton on Robson: ‘If you’re talking about a great manager and great coach, then I probably would have to say Bobby Robson, because that’s what he was. He loved to get on the training pitch and he loved to join in the coaching.’

While his list of medals and caps may blind to the fact that he doesn’t hold any significant coaching qualifications and that his own foray into football management with Plymouth Argyle was unspectacular at best, there’s no doubt that one of the world’s greatest ever goalkeepers has some useful insights and advice for today’s coach. His career spans four decades, from a black-and-white era where a cigarette in the dressing room before kick-off wasn’t uncommon, to the dawn of the Premier League and the arrival of the continental manager, sophisticated training, nutrition advisors and psychologists. When Coaching Edge catches up with him he is sitting in a pokey dressing room in the bowels of the Savile Rooms, an exhibition venue in Leeds. Even aged 60 he is an imposing character and looks the part in an England goalkeeper’s jersey and tracksuit bottoms ahead of a corporate event that will see him face penalties from an array of star-struck businessmen and women. ‘When I first started out on the early part of my England career, people like Sir Alf Ramsey were basically managers,’ explains Shilton. ‘They had coaches – Harold Shepherdson and Les Cocker – but the coaching was a lot simpler, a lot of playing games and letting the lads have a bit of fun at the right time, a bit of shooting practice, a bit of running.

‘But coaches started to think of new ways of doing things and it got more complicated. ‘I think there is a danger of overdoing things: there’s a desire to improve, to coach better, but better doesn’t have to mean more complicated. Implementing more complicated drills where professional players have to really think, day-in day-out, can jade them.

COACHING EDGE |THE MASTERS|

‘With kids, certain drills can improve their concentration, improve their technique, get them thinking. But with professionals, if you complicate coaching too much, they can get tired mentally because they’re thinking too much about training. It can be that, when you come to a match day, players can be a little stale rather than being mentally fresh.’ It’s the pervading message from Shilton throughout the day: keep it simple. However, that’s not to say he doesn’t believe in analysing coaching, nor taking the radical step of taking a coaching lead from one sport and incorporating it into a session plan for another. He’s also quick to underline the importance of an area of coaching sports coach UK has been trying to promote in recent months: the FUNdamentals of movement. ‘I think I was probably the first goalkeeper to start to develop alternative exercises and drills specific for my position, like footwork exercises and quick-reaction exercises, and practising punching and analysing different areas of goalkeeping in order to improve in certain areas. ‘When I started it was “catch the ball at its highest point” and “get your body as near to, or behind, the ball as much as you can”– two very basic things. I developed my footwork and body positioning, which I learnt off a fellow called Len Hepple, an ex-ballroom dancer, who started to teach body positions.

‘If your body is in the right position, your feet are in the right position and you have your weight in the right position, you can be better balanced and quicker to react.

‘I don’t think a lot of coaches know about the importance of getting the fundamentals of movement right. I learnt my footwork and body positioning off a ballroom dancer.‘ ‘I don’t think a lot of coaches know about the importance of getting the fundamentals of body movement right.’ Shilton, as his posture and demeanour suggests, is a very relaxed man, and his favoured coaching style is laid back rather than dictatorial.

Nobby Stiles was part of the success of ‘66 He has no time for the rant-and-rave approach of some managers and coaches, and he cites ‘Uncle Bobby’ Robson as the best manager/coach he worked with. ‘It’s important coaches appreciate that if you make a mistake it’s not always a bad thing as long as something positive is learnt. People don’t make mistakes on purpose; a coach has to man-manage those people and get their thought processes positive again. ‘The worst thing a coach can do when things go wrong is to scream and shout, because you then have even further to go to pick people up for the next challenge.’ But if Shilton’s greatest moments on the pitch were during Italia ‘90, it’s another World Cup which springs to mind when Englishmen say just one word...‘Nobby’.

Nobby Stiles, George Best and Bobby Charlton lining up for Manchester United in 1968

Norbert Peter Stiles, ‘Nobby’ to football fans over the last 50 years, was one of the unsung heroes of the 1966 win. Mention his name and images of a toothless wonder dancing on the Wembley turf with the

|THE MASTERS| COACHING EDGE

Jules Rimet Trophy are often conjured up. This jig following the 4–2 win over West Germany only touches upon the success of the diminutive ball-winner who plied his trade under the stewardship of some great coaches. ‘I joined (Manchester) United in 1958,’ recounts Stiles, who made his first-team debut against Bolton in October 1960, having originally being signed as an inside-forward... the Frank Lampard of his day! Stiles, who along with Bobby Charlton shares the distinction of being the only Englishman to finish on the winning side in a World Cup Final and European Cup Final, considers himself ‘very fortunate’ to have worked under footballing knights Matt Busby and Alf Ramsey, whom he calls two great managers, but with very different philosophies and personalities. ‘Alf picked me for the under-23 international v Scotland in 1965. My dad had told me my best position was playing at the back, so I asked Alf to see if I could revert to the back and he said “you may if you wish, but in that

position we have a certain Bobby Moore”... that was how Alf spoke to you,’ says Stiles. A boyhood Manchester United fan who thinks perhaps the nearest player to him these days would be someone like Owen Hargreaves, Stiles believes communication and listening to the manager was, and remains, the key to success. ‘I tried to balance their two opinions (those of Busby and Ramsey). Alf cemented a great bond within the England team of ‘66, which is still there today.’ After earning 28 England caps and following a spell at Middlesbrough, Stiles moved into management with Preston North End, whom he had originally joined as a player-coach. Jobs with Vancouver Whitecaps and then West Bromwich Albion followed, and the last coaching job for the 68-year-old was back at Old Trafford from 1989–1993 under Alex Ferguson, helping develop a new generation of talent which would include David Beckham, Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville.

THE COACH’S EDGE

Stiles on Ramsey: ‘Tactically, Sir Alf was so far ahead. As a manager, he was tremendous.’

Don’t overdo things: there’s a desire to improve, to coach better, but better doesn’t have to mean more complicated. Develop alternative exercises and drills specific for positions, such as footwork exercises and quick-reaction exercises. If your athlete learns that their body is in the right position, and that their feet are in the right position and they have their weight in the right position, they can be better balanced and quicker to react. Coaches must appreciate that if you make a mistake it’s not always a bad thing as long as something positive is learnt. For more on the FUNdamentals of movement, visit www.1st4sport.com where you can purchase An Introduction to the FUNdamentals of Movement resource and DVD.

COACHING EDGE |STEPPING UP IN CLASS|

QUICK LEARNERS Having just enjoyed another enthralling Ashes series, Australian playing and coaching legend Geoff Lawson – a qualified optometrist – sets out his clear vision of how bowling talent needs to take that final step from good to great... and how the game has transformed for the fast bowlers’ union.

Geoff Lawson hugs Pakistan’s Younis Khan after the country’s victory over India at the ninth Asia Cup one-day cricket tournament in Karachi in July 2008

hen you’re looking at turning a ‘promising’ talent into an elite player, the implication is already there that the player has a number of the characteristics that could make them an elite athlete. In the case of fast bowlers, their innate bowling action is almost always in the DNA. That framework, if not the details, are encoded from the very first time a young boy or girl rolls their arm over. It is amazing that of all the people I have ever seen bowl a cricket ball up close and personal (probably more than 10,000), almost none look the same. That is remarkable considering the outcome is virtually the same for everyone... bowl it accurately and with an identical release movement. Coaches mostly are simply refining the ‘natural’ and ‘instinctive’ movements.

I often get asked ‘how do I bowl faster?’. Physical maturity is part of the answer, that is almost self-evident. People bowl faster at 19 than they do at 15, they get taller, limbs get longer, muscle mass greater and often coordination finer. But once that maturity is reached, the advances in pace are generally only incremental. Strength can be improved marginally. Contrary to some beliefs, for me, strength training should be more about injury prevention, resilience and endurance than increasing pace. You can’t change the muscle twitch speed (not yet anyway), and you can’t get batsmen out if you are injured and sitting on the sidelines... no matter what speed you bowl!

tolerable pain, what is ‘good’ pain and what is ‘alarm bell’ pain, which means you have to stop bowling. Mental toughness, handling adversity – some players have an innate understanding of what levels they need to operate at, others do not. Naturally physically talented players without mental ability can make it to elite levels, but it can be a tough ladder to climb, that is where coaches can be extremely effective – guiding, training and helping a player be aware of what is important for their success.

One of the categories I have on my player profile sheet is ‘pain tolerance’.

Some players can be told things once and you never ever have to repeat the message, others you tell the same things to every day. Some players take the coaching and shape it for their own best effect, they understand the underlying mechanics or processes, while others can learn rote methods and still be effective. The secret to good coaching is to be effective with all types of players.

Fast bowlers will suffer pain as a matter of course. They need to know/learn what is

Coaching promising players to become elite is about transferring your experience and

The other area which often separates the ‘good’ players from the elite player is mental discipline.

|STEPPING UP IN CLASS| COACHING EDGE

FACTFILE • Born on 7 December 1957 in New South Wales (NSW). • In his playing days, Lawson was a fast bowler for both NSW and Australia, having made his debut for his country in 1980–81. • He toured England three times, including Australia’s 1989 Ashes-winning tour. • Lawson also played for Lancashire in the late 1970s. • He was included in Australia’s 14-man 1983 World Cup team. • In 1990, he received the Order of Australia for his services to cricket. • Lawson is a qualified optometrist. • He made the transition to coaching in 1995 with NSW. In 2007 he was appointed coach of the Pakistan national team before leaving this position in October 2008.

knowledge, success and failures, so they can become better, quicker. Making the ‘final step’ is often about the individual’s motivation after the coach has helped load up the tool box. The final step can be a short one, but getting to the elite level and then staying there are two different things. Maintaining an intensity for playing and training over a period of time is the test of those who really want it badly enough. The financial incentives in cricket have increased significantly in recent times and that will always keep players’ minds on being professional. Lengthy careers can be lucrative, contracts and full-time fitness trainers demand particular attention to the body. Sports psychologists have become de rigeur for teams at many levels, not just internationals. It seems that today young players will get their opportunities through 20-over cricket and because older players will get out of first-class and Test cricket sooner as the physical

challenge increases, and the pot of gold that has become worldwide 20-over cricket presents itself.

The wheat from the chaff My experience in the Australian high-performance system, and within junior and higher standards of club cricket, is that by the time young (16–19 year old) fast bowlers are developing, it is often obvious what level they can achieve. Young bowlers in the New South Wales under-17 and under-19 squads will be playing club cricket at a standard that challenges them, which could be from fifth to first grade.

bowling less well, then the coach must do his or her thing. But, generally, bowlers in late teens who are nearing physical maturity will also be gaining technical maturity. The gaining of game and tactical knowledge will go on until they stop playing. The bottom line for all successful bowlers is how many batsmen they get out, not how technically true they are or even how fast they bowl. Identifying some good natural traits and developing others can take time. Coaches and selectors need to know what the desired characteristics are and see them in action or improving over time.

At first grade level they may play against state or occasionally international batsmen. How they respond to game time challenges rather than training or practice challenges will be the clearest indicator of what level they will eventually find.

The place to see those things happen is on the field, not in the gym or on the training field. Every time a player gets into a match he has the chance to improve and learn. This takes time. Learning different match situations and conditions, learning how the body will react to a long spell or a long season, and learning how to deal with pain and injury.

Of course, techniques can be inconsistent and if the player isn’t self-aware why they are

Champions aren’t born or created overnight. Without exception, fast bowling champions

COACHING EDGE |STEPPING UP IN CLASS|

have worked incredibly hard at their games, particularly their fitness. The trick with a number of promising bowlers is not to ‘over coach’ them. Knowing at what rate and at what level information is disseminated is as important as piling all the coach’s knowledge into a young player when they aren’t prepared, or haven’t evolved far enough, to be able to use it properly. The best way to work that one out is to keep asking the player what they think instead of delivering lectures – make it a dialogue. ‘Know the game, coach the player,’ as my good friend and outstanding batting coach Toot Byron so aptly puts it.

Making yourself redundant Wouldn’t it be great if every word or every demonstration you gave to a player was taken on board and used 100% efficiently! Players who can recognise when they are making technical or mental errors and know how to remedy the problems in the middle of an over are always going to be more effective. Those who wait for a coach to come forward with analysis suggestions or solutions after the event will always be chasing their tail. I try to coach ‘cause and effect’. Get the bowler to understand why the delivery ‘went where it went’. Ultimately players are responsible for themselves, but it would be negligent if coaches made observations and didn’t act on them. The relationship between the player and coach is very important. Different personality types require different channels of communication, but you can never avoid the truth no matter how blunt it may be at the time.

It’s more than just bowling...

‘In the good old days before helmets and body armour, fast bowlers would not bowl bouncers to fellow quicks for very good reason.’ A fine technician – Geoff Lawson in his 1980s heyday

The day of the rabbit number 10 or 11 batsman has all but passed. In the good old days before helmets and body armour, fast bowlers would not bowl bouncers to fellow quicks for very good reason. A bouncer could seriously injure an inept tail ender and many careers of top order players, let alone the bunnies, were curtailed due to facial and head injury. There is no doubt that helmets have saved serious injury and possibly the lives of batsmen and fieldsmen. In retrospect it is almost ridiculous that all batsmen would face someone like Jeff

|STEPPING UP IN CLASS| COACHING EDGE

Geoff Lawson talks to Sohail Tanvir during a practice session in Dhaka ahead of the 2008 Tri-Nations series

Greater safety has led to braver tail enders who will get in behind the ball and hold up an end for a more established bat. They now have short balls bowled at them from the start of their innings.

‘The trick with a number of promising bowlers is not to “over coach” them. ’ With burgeoning coaching staffs and specialist coaches, more time is spent at practice by the tail on their batting. Traditionally the bowlers would bowl for hours and then maybe get five minutes facing the batsmen. I can remember Mike Whitney bursting onto the first class scene as a ‘late blooming’ bowler after having had a rugby league career cut short by a knee injury. He literally could not hit balls lobbed to him in the nets, yet could bowl at 145kph (90mph), throw strongly and catch well. He was forced into batting sessions for his own safety and eventually held out Richard Hadlee for 10 overs to save a Test match for Australia! Glenn McGrath was a genuine number 12 who would bat in the nets as long as

team-mates would bowl to him. He eventually made a Test 50 which resulted in Steve Waugh paying out on a bet he made with McGrath that he would never make a half century in any form of the game… including charity matches! In recent times Pakistan off-spinner Saeed Ajmal and Danish Kaneria have spent considerable time working on technical and tactical approaches to their number 10 and 11 batting with some very good results. Dale Steyn can hit, Stuart Broad has a Test century, Brett Lee is more than useful, Harbajhan Singh – once a number 10 – now bats at 7 in Twenty20. Only Kiwi Chris Martin can lay claim to being a walking wicket… ever since Courtney Walsh retired. Fielding skills too have become a premium. Fast bowlers who lumbered at fine leg now find themselves in the hot corners at third man and fine leg. Strong arms, good stopping techniques and the ability to dive full length without rupturing major organs while in the middle of a bowling spell have become the norm. The trend line is certainly towards fast bowlers who are more and more competent fieldsmen and batsmen, and a number are far more than that. There is no doubt that selection decisions between similarly skilled bowlers are now being split by batting and out cricket. Once again well paid full-time players supported by full-time specialist coaching staff make it much easier for players to work on all areas of their game.

Further Reading Brewer, C. (2008) Strength and Conditioning for Sport: A Practical Guide for Coaches. Leeds: Coachwise Business Solutions/ The National Coaching Foundation. ISBN: 978-1-905540-53-2. Charlesworth, R. (2004) Shakespeare the Coach. Sydney: Pan Macmillan Australia. ISBN: 978-0-330364-78-2. Charlesworth, R. (2001) The Coach: Managing for Success. Sydney: Pan Macmillan Australia. ISBN: 978-0-732911-06-5.

THE COACH’S EDGE

Thomson, Dennis Lillee or a whole array of West Indians without head protection.

In Lawson’s view... Strength training should be very much about injury prevention. Making the step to elite level is about the individual’s motivation after the coach has helped ‘load up the tool box’. The place to see good natural traits emerge is on the playing pitch, not in the gym or on the training field. Don’t over coach a youngster – know at what rate and at what level information is disseminated. Keep asking the player what they think instead of delivering lectures. Make sure they learn other skills vital to an all-round game – selection decisions between similarly skilled bowlers is now being split by batting and fielding.

COACHING EDGE |ANALYSING YOUR COACHING|

The team’s winning, the athlete’s on top, so all’s well... right? Not necessarily, as even the best coaches need to look at their own performance, as Jeff Thornton discovered.

|ANALYSING YOUR COACHING| COACHING EDGE

In coaching, while it’s great to have the courage of your convictions, it’s also wise to question everything – how your opponents performed, how your athlete or team got on and why...and especially how your own performance as a coach measured up. To Dr Hamish Telfer, a former senior lecturer at the University of Cumbria – formerly St Martin’s College, Lancaster – and an experienced top-level national athletics coach, this latter part is absolutely vital for the development not only of the coach, but also of the athlete or performer. So important in fact, that Dr Telfer is a leading figure in sports coach UK workshops aimed at Analysing Your Coaching. ‘In the workshops, and in this whole subject area, we start from the presumption that most coaches have only ever been assessed on their team or athlete’s achievements and are respected on basis of what results they achieve. In other words, they think that if the team or athlete wins, I’m good! ‘Crossing over from the world of teaching, one thing we know is that this is nonsense...that it’s down to the progress made.’ Dr Telfer says the emphasis is not just on ‘what' the person coaches – of course in sport that will always be important, instead just as vital is the ‘how’. ‘A really good coach is the master of both,’ he says. ‘A coach with the real ability is the one who can get the best out of athletes whose talent may not be quite as obvious as the (Paula) Radcliffes or (Sebastian) Coes of this world. ‘Analysing Your Coaching allows you to reflect upon your own performance, not just the outcome, and it's about a model to fit both the performance and participatory areas of sport.’ The workshop, and the weighty Analysing Your Coaching resource from sports coach UK, are aimed at helping you become the type of coach you want to become, to continually improve, and just as you want your athlete or

team to achieve excellence, to also achieve it yourself in the discipline of coaching.

‘As I say, you need to analyse how you come across. As a coach I realise that I tend to tell people...but that I need to discuss, suggest and listen. I need to analyse the environment, so I have to therefore develop the skills of moving back down the continuum. On that scale of 1–10, with 10 purely telling, and one listening, I’m perhaps a 7.’

‘When I played I got shouted at, trod down if you like, it was a tough environment. I benefited from that but a lot don’t.’ And Dr Telfer is quick to point out that the best coaches are able to adapt their styles as needed. ‘Of course, if you have, say 15 people in a squad or team, and whatever level they are at, some will want to talk, others will want you to tell them what to do, even at the highest level. So I need to be aware of that and shift my approach. ‘Analysis of coaching helps coaches become more adaptable, to have the ability to work with all types of athletes, and develop all individuals...and in many sports that is something which simply does not happen. ‘The best managers and coaches are ones who understand what their teams need, who understand how they can get the best out of each individual within the team and, when combined, the sum of those parts make the team better than they would be individually. A team becomes greater than the sum of its parts.’ One young coach who has been forced into a deep analysis of his coaching is Matt Hampson. He is the former rugby union prop forward who became quadriplegic after an accident while training with England’s under-21 side in early 2005. But Hampson remains positive and has become a great role model, not least to pupils at Oakham School in his native county of Rutland, where he helps coach

He reflects upon styles and suggests picturing the coaching styles as a continuum, where perhaps 10 is very dictatorial, while one would be so laid back it's horizontal.

as part of a busy new career which also involves plenty of charity work and fundraising. Hampson says from the off he has had to consider exactly what he says. ‘I can't physically perform the drill or the skill, so I need to verbally instruct. There are lots of different styles of teaching people – some get it verbally, others have to see it – and then I’ll pick two players and talk them through what I want them to do.’ He says this method was what he used when taking his level one qualification, but that he has analysed closely his style as a coach. ‘What I have learned, not just at Oakham when coaching but in life, is that as I have a care team all the time, I have to be able to verbally instruct. Every facet of my life revolves around that, so it comes naturally to me. ‘Everybody is different. When I played I got shouted at, trod down if you like, it was a tough environment. I benefitted from that but a lot don’t. Some players respond just from a quiet word. I have learnt to empathise, to work people out. ‘I did a bit of coaching before my accident, but not too much. I found it difficult, but I was a lot younger then. I’ve grown up a hell of a lot in the five years since the accident, and have experienced more than most people my age. ‘I love seeing somebody improve. When they pick up something you’ve taught them and they use it in a match, it's very satisfying.’

THE COACH’S EDGE

hile sportsmen and women at the top level need bags of confidence, and may even believe that too much thought on why they are winning can introduce doubts, it’s always good to understand what will bring success and improvement.

For more on Analysing Your Coaching visit: www.sportscoachuk.org An ‘Analysing Your Coaching’ workshop is due to be held on: – 10 August (Stoke Mandeville – to book telephone Mark Skelton on 01296 585556). For more on Matt Hampson, and to follow his charity work, visit: www.matthampson.co.uk

COACHING EDGE |TARGET 2012|

EYES ON THE PRIZE © Steven Paston/Action Images Limited

Great Britain’s women may not go into The London 2012 Olympic Games’ hockey tournament as favourites, but coach Danny Kerry is doing everything in his power, and learning some valuable lessons, to put his side in as strong a position as possible, as Paddy Davitt found out.

|TARGET 2012| COACHING EDGE

King’s Lynn-born Kerry’s brief is to help British hockey peak at the first home Games since 1948. Under Kerry’s tutelage, the national squad has now won bronze medals at this year’s World Cup and Champions Trophy events, and Kerry’s Team England – the nucleus of the GB squad – have also won bronze in both of the last two Commonwealth Games. ‘I started on January 1 2005 and in July of that year, London was announced as the venue for 2012, and really it has always been the goal since in every decision we have taken,’ he said. ‘When we picked the Olympic squad for Beijing in 2008 it was the best we could put together for Beijing at the time, but at the same time there was also a consideration of where players would be at come London. Everything is about London. ‘The Olympic Games is the pinnacle. We’ve just played the Champions Trophy in Nottingham and I would say there was a definite advantage in terms of playing in front of your own fans. It’s quite difficult to put your finger on why exactly that is. I would struggle to tell you, but you definitely see a rise in performance. One of the British Olympic Association’s (BOA) concerns is what they call “home disadvantage” or people crumbling under home support. We haven’t had that experience. In the European Cup in both 2010 and 2007, we played our best hockey in front of the home support.’ Kerry’s rise to the coaching pinnacle of his sport occurred almost by accident. ‘I was a university lecturer originally,’ he said. ‘I was at Hounslow Hockey Club, who played in the National League and had just been relegated to Division One, and I had done some national age-group coaching at that time, but never really with a view to making it my future career. Just a whole series of circumstances meant I ended up coaching teams who did well and I just rode up the ranks that way. It was never something I set out to do but once I had got my feet under the table and enjoyed it, I was curious to see how far I could go. ‘The honest answer is I don’t know what will happen after London. In large part it will depend on how we

England hockey coach Danny Kerry has his sights set on The London 2012 Olympic Games

he London 2012 Games will mark the culmination of a seven-year journey in the coaching career of Great Britain senior women’s hockey coach Danny Kerry.

have done. I think the organisation which employs me, which is England Hockey, will have a good think about what they feel is right for the programme and whether it is time for a new approach and I’ll do the same. I think if we do amazingly well possibly more amazing opportunities will open for me. If we don’t, then the skills and experiences I have learned over the last five or six years will allow me to work in other areas – what it is at the moment, I don’t know.’

‘The Olympic Games is the pinnacle. We’ve just played the Champions Trophy in Nottingham and I would say there was a definite advantage in terms of playing in front of your own fans.’ Kerry’s sole focus is putting the lessons of Beijing to full use in London. ‘I learned loads of things,’ he said. ‘We were actually ranked 11th or 12th at the tournament, we finished 6th and we came within touching distance of a semi-final, but I think we got ahead of ourselves. ‘The feeling we had was we hadn’t done that well, which wasn’t the case at all. We needed to enjoy that experience but we came away

COACHING EDGE |TARGET 2012|

Danny Kerry in action coaching Great Britain’s women hockey players

‘For me, I put a huge amount of pressure on myself because it’s hard to explain what that environment is like and the massive media attention on the Olympic Games. We’ve had a fair bit of media training – or the girls have – already. The interesting thing will be the last few months leading up to the Games. From a coaching perspective, I got my head stuck too much in video analysis and how we could beat teams instead of getting my head out of my work and going and talking to my players and managing them better. That for me was the biggest lesson I learned.’ Kerry has also overseen a transformation in the elite support structures underpinning British women’s hockey. ‘When I started, my first major in 2005 was the European Cup in Dublin. I had one physio, one manager and a video analyst – so a staff of four,’ he said. ‘My job now is not just managing 30 elite athletes but about another 15 support staff. I have had to learn on the job. I’ve always been adamant about the fact I was appointed on the back of a “hands on” approach and so one of the arts is trying to delegate, which then allows me to do what I do. I’m still very much hands on and try to drive what we do on the pitch. ‘All the girls live within the Bisham area, where we are based, but it is a challenge day-in, day-out. Over these past five years players become very experienced and what we have learned works is to split the team up into small

units and do a lot of small-sided conditioning games where players help coach themselves. They have to think for themselves rather than wait for me to come in. They learn what they can do well, and not so well. That re-invention and different environments keeps them on their toes.’ Kerry is bullish that hockey and the rest of the UK’s Olympic and Paralympic sports will reach London with the best possible chance of success. ‘I am very fortunate in that I get to meet a lot of coaches from other sports and I would say the Olympic sports are right out there in terms of what they do – even more than the so-called “professional” sports, which are well behind,’ said the man who turned 40 last December. ‘Of course, there are some Premier League football clubs that are cutting edge, but many

THE COACH’S EDGE

feeling we hadn’t achieved. It’s about managing that so people don’t get ahead of themselves and focusing on the processes that will achieve what we want.

other clubs in football and different sports are not up there. Maybe given the sums of money involved there is an assumption they are doing things right already and why would they need to address anything over and above the tried and tested methods.’

Further Reading Charlesworth, R. (2004) Shakespeare the Coach. Sydney: Pan Macmillan Australia. ISBN: 978-0-330364-78-2. Charlesworth, R. (2001) The Coach: Managing for Success. Sydney: Pan Macmillan Australia. ISBN: 978-0-732911-06-5 Grout, J. and Fisher, L. (2007) What Do Leaders Really Do? Minnesota: Capstone. ISBN: 978-1-841127-57-6. Wooden, J. (2005) Wooden on Leadership. Berkshire: McGraw-Hill. ISBN: 978-0071453-39-4.

Kerry’s Tips Focus on people, not just processes Kerry says he became distracted at Beijing, partly due to all the attention, but it was a valuable lesson. He got his ‘head stuck too much in video analysis’ instead of talking to his players to manage them better. Challenge your players To keep training fresh and the players stimulated, Kerry realises splitting the team into small units works well. ‘We do a lot of small-sided conditioning games where the players help coach themselves’. Get your support structures right There are far more staff now than even just a few years ago, and Kerry says it’s about delegation. He says it’s not just about ‘managing 30 elite athletes’, but the large support staff too. Kerry was appointed to be a ‘hands on’ coach, so has had to learn how to utilise his coaching staff to their utmost.

|MENTORS| COACHING EDGE

POOLING EXPERIENCE But who is there for the coaches themselves? Howard Foster examines the importance of the mentor, and what qualities they ought to possess...

ÂŠ Austyn Shortman

Coaches are meant to inspire their athletes and teams, to always be there for them with a word from the wise.

COACHING EDGE |MENTORS|

edication, perspiration and…inspiration. We all have sporting idols whose methods and achievements spur us on. But a poster of Muhammad Ali, or a worn-out VHS of the Barcelona 1992 Olympic and Paralympic Games aren’t much use when it comes to rolling out of bed in the dark for yet another uninspired early-morning training session, or helping you realise why your most talented protégé’s competition times don’t match up to their training sessions.

You need real-life inspiration to fill the gap between training courses and job experience – which is why more and more coaches are being encouraged to work with mentors. Long-established in the business world, a mentor is defined as a ‘wise and trusted guide and advisor; a teacher or counsellor’. In his pioneering 1998 book A Guide to Mentoring Sports Coaches, Bill Galvin points out the vital role the mentor plays – stressing: ‘Mentoring is a powerful tool in the education and development of sports coaches at all levels. Successful coach education programmes change the behaviour and practice of coaches – whether they are novices or (at an) international (level)’. But he adds: ‘The process of mentoring is difficult to pin down; this is a strength, not a weakness.’ This view is endorsed by Christine Nash, lecturer in sports coaching at Edinburgh Napier University: ‘Mentoring can fill the gap between a good training course and on-the-job experience, offering a mixture of both. A lot of coaches, when they finish doing a course, don’t always see the direct relevance of what they have learned, and being able to have someone to talk to about it is a very helpful thing.’ ‘Some people learn better practically than in a classroom environment. The difference is having someone who has been through the same thing.’ Nash, who has coached swimming at international level in both Scotland and the US, gives the example of a training course role-playing exercise where other course members take on the role of, say, a group of 10 year olds. However, such a group in a real-life coaching situation can act very differently…

‘Nowadays, with coaching courses and the Internet, coaches can get access to techniques and things of a more technical nature. Mentors provide the help for troubleshooting, the things you don’t find in a textbook.’ Dame Kelly Holmes, who founded her own mentoring scheme ‘On Camp with Dame Kelly’ recently, told The Sunday Times: ‘For me, it’s about an exchange of knowledge and learning to benefit a person who’s on the same journey as you. But it’s as much about nurturing self-belief and confidence.’ One of her ‘mentees’, athlete Laura Finucane, said Dame Kelly’s help was invaluable when she suffered an injury: ‘When I hurt my calf last year, having just recovered from another injury, having her there gave me the extra self-belief I needed to stick with the sport.’

‘For me, it’s about an exchange of knowledge and learning to benefit a person who’s on the same journey as you. But it’s as much about nurturing self-belief and confidence.’ Austyn Shortman is widely acknowledged as one of the finest swimmers Britain has ever produced. His record speaks for itself: Double Commonwealth silver medallist in 1990 in the 4x100m freestyle relay alongside the likes of Mark Foster, and in the 4x100 medley relay when teammates included Adrian Moorhouse. And, until recently, Shortman was World Masters record holder for 50m freestyle. He is now the county swimming development officer for Carmarthenshire County Council. Shortman is in the process of developing a formal mentoring scheme and currently mentors his junior coaches on a more relaxed, ad hoc basis. He says the advantages of the new scheme are clear, with a pooling of experience the obvious benefit. ‘We are getting cooperation between three previously separate regions. Where once coaches jealously guarded their techniques and information, now, crucially, they are sharing – perhaps not everything – but enough

KEYQUALITIES Christine Nash’s research states the top qualities a mentor should possess are: 1. Effective communication skills 2. Knowledge of their sport 3. Experience 4. Approachability 5. Enthusiasm 6. Qualifications of the mentor 7. Success in their sport 8. Organisational skills The top three qualities identified by student coaches in a study by Nash were: 1. Effective communication skills 2. Approachability 3. Enthusiasm Mentors ranked different skills in their top four: 1. Knowledge of their sport 2. Experience 3. Organisation 4. Leadership Key ways in which a mentor can assist a coach are: 1. Being a resource 2. Building confidence 3. Developing knowledge and skills 4. Being challenging and questioning 5. Being a role model. to work together. What we need to do is share techniques and advice. We are now working together for the common good.’ Shortman – who cites his own father as his coach/mentor during his competitive career – has these tips for mentors to impart to coaches: ‘Stick to your beliefs – don't be distracted. Young inexperienced coaches need to have the courage of their convictions and not be swayed by other influences, especially parents. ‘The strength of conviction comes with experience, and a mentor can take the pressure off by reminding the coach of their qualities and supporting their right to coach in their own way.’ Echoing what Shortman tells us about a key mentoring role of allowing less experienced coaches to find their own style, and to have confidence in their abilities, Galvin says: ‘Mentoring means different things with different coaches at different levels. With novice coaches, mentoring may be about empowering and helping coaches to control the learning process for themselves.’

|MENTORS| COACHING EDGE

Nash firmly believes mentoring should be a process, with the end product seen as the empowerment of the coach. ‘You are looking for the development of the person who is being mentored. ‘They should eventually be able to give advice to the mentor. In the beginning there is a flow of information from mentor to novice. Then it becomes more reciprocal.’ But she warns: ‘In some organisations and mentoring situations, the idea of the mentor relinquishing authority, especially to a beginner, is a difficult concept to introduce.’ Choosing the right mentor – and choice is the operative word – is vital to a successful process. Nash stresses: ‘Difficulties arise if a mentor is imposed. It should be someone you know and respect. If you know next to nothing about who they are it’s very difficult to get into that situation. After all, it is very hard to tell someone your weaknesses, and a lot of coaches see mentors as having an impact on whether they are seen as a good or bad coach.’ Vital attributes for a mentor are, she believes: ‘Someone you trust, admire and respect, someone who has knowledge and the ability to communicate that knowledge.’ Getting a mentor can be a tricky business, however, especially if you are in a minority sport or already the most senior in your local field. However, Nash believes you can search for your mentor across other sports – many techniques, psychological tips and injury problems will cross over. ‘If you’re talking about someone who is just starting in coaching, there’s an awful lot of transfer between sports at the early stages. A lot of team sports are very similar, so are a lot of athletic sports.’ You can also broaden the field – we can’t all have a Commonwealth silver medallist as a coach – but it is respect that is vital. In Galvin’s words ‘the technical knowledge of a coach who has competed at a high level’ can prove invaluable. But it does not bar the way for

Great Britain’s Kelly Holmes celebrates after crossing the finish line to win the gold medal in Athens those with a less notable record on the world sporting stage. Older coaches shouldn’t discount the need for mentors too, although Nash believes many already have a mentoring system in place, albeit an informal one: ‘At a higher level they develop networks. They don’t use the word mentor. They know who has been in their sport quite a while and that they have someone to talk to.’ Coaching is a long road – there will always be room for development. And the way to ensure you are always moving forward and staying on top of the game is to choose a mentor who is doing likewise. The support they will provide could provide that crucial extra five per cent difference between coaching the gallant contenders or the gold medallists.

Where to go next? Clutterbuck, D. (2004) Everyone Needs a Mentor. 4th edition. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. ISBN: 978-1-843980-54-4. Galvin, B. (2005) A Guide to Mentoring Sports Coaches. Leeds: Coachwise Business Solutions/The National Coaching Foundation. ISBN: 978-1-902523-03-2. Kay, D. and Hinds, R. (2004) A Practical Guide to Mentoring: Play an Active and Worthwhile Part in the Development of Others, and Improve Your Own Skills in the Process. Oxford: How To Books Ltd. ISBN: 978-1-845280-18-5. Pegg, M. (1998) The Art of Mentoring. Gloucestershire: Management Books 2000 Ltd. ISBN: 978-1-852522-72-8. Zachary, L.J. (2000) The Mentor's Guide: Facilitating Effective Learning Relationships. San Francisco: Jossey Bass. ISBN: 978-0-787947-42-2. If you’re interested in developing your skills in the area of mentoring other coaches,

the 1st4sport Level 3 Certificate in Mentoring in Sport, developed in partnership with sports coach UK, is the qualification for you. The qualification is being used by a growing number of governing bodies of sport as the benchmark qualification for mentors. Alternatively, you can take your support skills to the next level and attend the sports coach UK workshop ‘A Guide to Mentoring Sports Coaches’. To find your nearest workshop, visit the workshop finder at www.sportscoachuk.org

‘The strength of conviction comes with experience, and a mentor can take the pressure off by reminding the coach of their qualities and supporting their right to coach in their own way.’

THE COACH’S EDGE

‘Initially’, she says, ‘the mentor has the relevant experience and generally more power, or influence, within the organisation. The success of any mentoring relationship relies on the mentor allowing the beginner to extend their knowledge and play a more dominant role than at the outset’.

Nash states the relationship between the mentor and coach should be based on mutual trust and respect, and allow both to develop their respective skills.

Austyn Shortman’s key tips for mentors to impart to coaches: Stick to your beliefs – don’t be distracted. Have confidence in your abilities. A huge part of what a mentor can do for a coach is to enhance their ability to self-reflect, but with the determination to analyse what you do and change as necessary. Young inexperienced coaches need to have the courage of their convictions and not be swayed by other influences, especially parents/families of team members.

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