“Champions aren’t made in the gyms. Champions are made from something deep inside them—a desire, a dream, a vision” (Muhammad Ali)

Traits of the Elite performer  The Warrior within  Basic Instincts  Basics at pace  Ruthlessly Simple  Presence – Belief in action  Original  A point of difference

Coaching  What is it ?  It’s alive  It’s organic  It’s unpredictable  It’s non linear  Solution based

What do we want  Creativity or Conformity  Skill or Efficiency  Flair or Reliability  Instinctive or Safe  Freedom or Structure  Simple or Complex  Spontaneous or Planned

Coaching Audit Are you : Fundamentally  Outside to in or Inside to out  Do as I did or Find your way  Technique or Method  Forward or Backward  Action or Intention

Coaching v Managing Coaching / Leading / Educating Teaching / Managing / Training Inductive Tentative Dynamic Understanding Ideas Broad Deep Experiential Active Questions Process Strategy Deductive Firm Static Memorizing Facts Narrow Surface Rote Passive Answers Content Tactics

Coaching v Managing Coaching / Leading / Educating Teaching / Managing / Training  Exploration  Discovery  Active  Initiative  Whole brain  Life  Long term  Change  Content  Flexible  Open  Prediction  Dogma  Reactive  Direction  Left brain  Job  Short term  Stability  Form  Rigid  Closed

Sat Nav Coaching  Gets you to your destination  It’s quick and efficient  It has an annoying voice  If you put in the wrong destination at the beginning then you end up somewhere you don’t want to be  If you end up where you don’t want to be and you don’t know how you got there, then it’s difficult to find the way out  Because someone else took you there it’s not your fault

Coaching “Coaching is not a “how to manual”; it is not about following a set of rules or directions; it’s all about people. And people demand to be treated with great respect. Each is an individual, each has their own world and tries to have that in harmony with everything and everybody else around them. They are constantly subject to the uncertainties and vagaries of life which effect their decisions, emotions and needs. The role of the Coach is to listen to this diversity and interpret all the signals in order to produce the best possible outcome for the person being coached” (John Buchanan)

Coaching  Create the right environment  The goal is to build confidence  The application of what you know, rather than the fountain of all knowledge.  Coach the intention rather than the action or start with the “end in mind”  The principle of drawing excellence out rather than trying to put it in.

Coaching  The use of context to develop basics and understanding.  To have energy and enthusiasm and support the learning process  To allow the necessary time frame for learning  To develop basics at pace  To provide challenging pieces of music

Environment Positive + Challenge (Negative + Complacency) Support + Team (Individual + Survival) Enthusiasm + Giving (Apathy + Taking) Belief + Enjoyment (Doubt + Frustration) Facts + Honesty (Myth + Bullshit)

Belief and Confidence “Winners confirm probability Losers Chase possibility”  True belief comes from performance accomplishment  The fuel in your engine  Build it Protect it  Belief is the enemy of Doubt  Performance = Potential - interference

Context  Change the pace  Change the angle  Change the amount of lateral movement  Physically challenge  Change the consequence  Change the time frame  Change the target

Energy  Where does it come from?  Energy is created rather than saved  Imagination is crucial in helping to create focus and energy  Giver, Taker or Neutral  “ What you give out will be returned and multiplied, so watch what you give out ”  Winning teams and players give energy don ’ t take it.

Basics at pace  Basics are the foundations of all sport  They allow the natural order of movement to flow  Elite sport is basics done at pace  Relax – Relax – Relax  Elite sports people already have them they just need to be let out  Balance Alignment Rhythm

Basics

Perspective  Imagine you were me how would you feel – possibly sympathy, worried  Imagine you had coached me ready for today how would you feel – possibly supportive  Imagine you were my examiner marking how well I did – possibly critical

Wearing your players shoes  As a coach we wear different hats  We support, sympathise and criticise  Write a players name a the top of the paper and think about him.  Stay open minded  Wear his shoes  See his strengths  See the player he could be not who he is now  How can you help him discover his way

Preparation “Before I get in the ring, I’ve already won or lost it out on the road. The real part is won or lost somewhere away from witnesses behind the lines, in the gym and out on the road long before dance under the lights” (Muhammad Ali)  Improve Basics  Build Confidence  Increase skill  Raise tactical awareness  Pressure Test

Performance  Goal to crush the opposition – still legal  Top flight sport played closer to nature – can you tap into your basic instincts  Be prepared to work for the win – poking  Clarity leads – Ruthlessly Simple  RelaxRelaxRelax

Conclusion  Its not about us  It’s not about the model  It’s not about what it should be, it’s about what it is  It is about the player  It is about them being unique  It is about the model fitting the player, rather than the player having to fit the model