ConnectedCoaches is UK Coaching's (formerly Sports Coach UK) free online community for coaches of any sport or activity. Our podcasts are recordings of blogs posted on www.connectedcoaches.org Become a ConnectedCoaches member and you’ll find lots more content to help you improve your coaching, including blogs, videos and conversations started in the many group forums. Connect with coaches by registering today – it’s quick, simple and free! Find out more by visiting www.connectedcoaches.org
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There is a certain artistry to administering praise, calling for careful observation and informed intervention – with the coach taking their cue from the player and reacting appropriately. Insight into your players’ quirks and motivations and understanding what makes them tick can also help the whole rewards process click. This podcast has been pro…
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Sports psychologist of the England rugby union team and AFC Bournemouth, Dan Abrahams, lauds the benefits of self-talk as an easy to use and essential to embrace performance aid. This podcast has been produced from the ConnectedCoaches blog of the same name. If you enjoy it and find it helpful we’d love to hear your thoughts. You can share any feed…
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It has been two years since Community Champion Kate Offord featured in our article and podcast ‘Tri-umphant transition: Making the step up from assistant coach to head coach’. We caught up with Kate for a progress report. It turns out, this has been a highly eventful period in Manchester Triathlon Club’s 30-year history. Here, Kate reflects on the …
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Three icons of British disability sport shared their knowledge, wisdom and extensive international experience with a full to capacity conference suite at the BBC Sport offices in Manchester. ConnectedCoaches was there to witness and record it. This podcast has been produced from the ConnectedCoaches blog of the same name. If you enjoy it and find i…
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Nick Cox’s compelling presentation on the high-pressure, demanding world of football academies left a lasting impression on delegates at the UK Coaching Conference. Manchester United’s Academy Operations Manager feels strongly that the system is in need of a timely review. ConnectedCoaches was there to watch and record events. This podcast has been…
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How can we use or look at spaces more creatively to increase the opportunities to become physically active? That is the question explored by Craig Blain, Development Lead Officer for Physical Activity at UK Coaching and ConnectedCoaches member, in this guest podcast on the creative use of space. Featuring an expert panel from across the sport and p…
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What do you do when a parent questions your ability to coach the team? In this podcast Content Champion Simon Browning takes the example of LaVar Ball and his interactions with the LA Lakers, NBA team, and sees what can happen when there is a divergence of views between coach and parent. This podcast has been produced from the ConnectedCoaches blog…
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Member Gordon MacLelland is a leading voice on the coach-parent-child triad. In this podcast he explains why building a harmonious relationship with parents is a coach’s moral imperative as failing to work as a team, and shed the ‘them and us’ label that is so prevalent in youth sport, can wreak untold damage. This podcast has been produced from th…
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Part 2 of our Q & A with England women's Rugby League Head Coach and ConnectedCoaches Community Champion Chris Chapman who shares more of his reflections and insights from the 2017 World Cup. This podcast has been produced from the ConnectedCoaches blog of the same name. If you enjoy it and find it helpful we’d love to hear your thoughts. You can s…
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In the first of this two part Q&A podcast, England women's rugby league head coach and ConnectedCoaches Community Champion Chris Chapman reflects on the 2017 World Cup sharing his reflections and coaching insights. This podcast has been produced from the ConnectedCoaches blog of the same name. If you enjoy it and find it helpful we’d love to hear y…
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It is imperative that a coach manufactures an environment where players become responsible for their own learning. Introducing games and constraints is an effective way of achieving learning outcomes. It encourages participants to search and find solutions to problems, thereby aiding the development of new skills. While this approach requires minim…
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The coaching industry is populated primarily by men. Marion Clignet has bucked the trend at the highest level and, with the backing of ConnectedCoaches Content Champion Catherine Baker – who is passionate about seeing more female leaders in the world of sport – they provide some advice for female coaches on how to succeed in a man’s world. This pod…
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This podcast provides advice on how to keep every participant engaged and challenged in sessions, maintaining individual learning pathways while being careful not to compromise support to the wider group. This podcast has been produced from the ConnectedCoaches blog of the same name. If you enjoy it and find it helpful we’d love to hear your though…
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Nick Levett details the four behavioural traits he ranks foremost in importance, and explains why it is imperative coaches at every level do not neglect psychological development as part of their coaching practice. This podcast has been produced from the ConnectedCoaches blog of the same name. If you enjoy it and find it helpful we’d love to hear y…
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This podcast taken from member Adam Nichols blog aims to explore and stimulate ideas around the articulation and effectiveness of silence within coaching practice. This podcast has been produced from the ConnectedCoaches blog of the same name. If you enjoy it and find it helpful we’d love to hear your thoughts. You can share any feedback you have b…
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What plays a bigger role in determining leadership ability, genes or the environment? Is the ratio 30-70, 50-50, 80-20? Member Sam Turner is 100% convinced that we should stop playing the age-old nature v nurture percentage game and accept that developing leadership is not a black and white issue. This podcast has been produced from the ConnectedCo…
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Dan Abrahams is a former professional golfer and golf coach turned sports psychologist and author. Headhunted recently by Eddie Jones to work with the England rugby team, he is also employed by Premier League side AFC Bournemouth. Here we pick his brain on the importance of training with mental intensity and explore his concept of intentional train…
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Trying to juggle family life, professional life and coaching? Feel like you are constantly trying to keep everything going all at once with the fear that something is going to drop? In this podcast ConnectedCoaches Content Champion Simon Browning shares his tips on how he has looked to maintain a balance with his time and ensure that he remains foc…
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ConnectedCoaches Community Champion and UK Coaching’s Liz Burkinshaw provides advice to youth coaches on how to support young people during the transition from adolescence to adulthood so that sport and physical activity is not traded out of their lives. This podcast has been produced from the ConnectedCoaches blog of the same name. If you enjoy it…
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ConnectedCoaches Member Professor Richard Bailey provides a blueprint for nurturing the next generation and maximising childhood potential. This podcast has been produced from the ConnectedCoaches blog of the same name. If you enjoy it and find it helpful we’d love to hear your thoughts. You can share any feedback you have by adding a comment on th…
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There is potentially a high price to pay in pursuit of athletic development. Coaches focused on helping their athletes fulfil their dreams of becoming future Olympians risk the element of fun falling between the cracks. The issue of how far coaches should push participants in the quest for incremental performance gain is, according to ConnectedCoac…
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Relational coaching is the ways coaches and athletes connect to bring about performance success and personal satisfaction. In this podcast ConnectedCoaches Content Champion Professor Sophia Jowett has provided some tips to help you build better relationships with your athletes/participants, which will help you to create a positive relational coachi…
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ConnectedCoaches Community Champion Kate Offord discusses the challenges she has faced in making the transition to head coach of Manchester Triathlon Club. This podcast has been produced from the ConnectedCoaches blog of the same name. If you enjoy it and find it helpful we’d love to hear your thoughts. You can share any feedback you have by adding…
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ConnectedCoaches Community Champions Dannielle Starkey and Krissi Paterson have become adept at balancing life as a mother with studying at university and holding down a job as a sports coach. Their advice to women is that you do not need to sacrifice your career and neglect your own ambitions if you are thinking about starting a family. This podca…
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This question will always divide opinion, as sure as night follows day. There are those who believe your methods should remain the same regardless of which gender you are coaching. Others swear that differences do exist, offering up examples to prove it. With the views of Community Champions Jon Woodward and Brett Holland this podcast aims to provi…
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Having fun is the main reason children play sport. So what methods can coaches employ in their sessions to ensure children fall in love and stay in love with sport from an early age? This podcast has been produced from the ConnectedCoaches blog of the same name. If you enjoy it and find it helpful we’d love to hear your thoughts. You can share any …
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It is the responsibility of coaches and athletes of all levels and abilities to expand their knowledge of banned substances and supplements. Too many are burying their heads in the sand by endorsing the view that performance-enhancing drugs are a headache exclusive to the professional arena. Advice for coaches on the perils of supplements & doping,…
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The greatest athletes in the world, with bundles of natural talent, still need another key component to succeed in their sport of choice – motivation. WRU Under-18s Attack Coach and ConnectedCoaches member Daniel Milton is acutely aware of this and realises the crucial importance of motivating players and keeping this mindset ongoing. This podcast …
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Community Champion Lawrie O’Keeffe has learnt the hard way how to get players to stick to a collectively-agreed set of team goals. But for new coaches struggling to be accepted by players who have formed a tight bond, any lapse in work ethic presents a big problem. Building chemistry with your players can take time, and it’s easy to get off on the …
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Having to gel teenagers and adults in the same team should not be a sticky situation for coaches
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What issues do coaches need to be aware of when they take charge of a group comprising a spread of ages, from 14 year olds to thirtysomethings? ConnectedCoaches Community Champion Elly Moore provides some simple solutions to the coaching conundrum. This podcast has been produced from the ConnectedCoaches blog of the same name. If you enjoy it and f…
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Guest UK Coaching Podcast: Interview with the Cranes
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Mason Crane burst onto the international cricket scene with a bang this summer of 2017, making his T20 International debut at The Ageas Bowl against the touring South Africans. Taking 1 for 38 from his allotted overs, including the prized scalp of AB De Villiers, the 20-year old marked his arrival in style. And in September, he was named in England…
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The secrets to building a more productive relationship with problem players
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Gary Fowler is frustrated that he cannot make the same developmental strides with every player he coaches. The attitude of one individual has further hampered his quest. Answering his plea for help, fellow ConnectedCoaches member Ceri Bowley claims no player is ‘uncoachable’, and offers some strategies that will help you manage your expectations an…
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The psychology of success: Strategies for coping on the big occasion
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Respected sports psychologist, and former England cricketer, Jeremy Snape offers some fascinating insight and great advice for coaches operating at every level of the sporting spectrum. This podcast has been produced from the ConnectedCoaches blog of the same name. If you enjoy it and find it helpful we’d love to hear your thoughts. You can share a…
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Digging for diamonds: Talent identification process values potential over performance
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What qualities should club coaches be looking for when recommending players for performance centres? And what screening methods do coaches adopt at talent centres to help them pinpoint those with star potential? Community Champions Andy Bradshaw and Sara Hilton provide the answers. This podcast has been produced from the ConnectedCoaches blog of th…
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Age-old debate: Crossing the divide between coaching adults and children
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Adults and children have different mindsets. But while it is important to recognise the differences that exist between coaching adults and children, there are similarities too, and this blog examines the variety of methods coaches take in their approach to crossing the divide. This podcast has been produced from the ConnectedCoaches blog of the sam…
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How to negotiate your first baby steps as a coach
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New to coaching? Sharing their experiences Community Champions Emma Tomlinson and David Turner are here to assist you and provide some valuable advice to boost your confidence and make the process enjoyable, smooth and satisfying. This podcast has been produced from the ConnectedCoaches blog of the same name. If you enjoy it and find it helpful we’…
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Two sides to every story: How to get the most out of your club’s adult performers
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Adults participating in a club environment thrive on competition and crave demanding and challenging sessions. In this podcast we focus on techniques employed by two coaches - Hollie Bees & Community Champion Elly Moore - to try to coax the best out of their tennis and netball players. This podcast has been produced from the ConnectedCoaches blog o…
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How to successfully integrate club players into county and national squads
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Bringing a group of players together at county or national level who don't play alongside each other very often is the cause of many headaches for coaches. Here ConnectedCoaches Community Champions Sara Hilton and Andrew Bradshaw share their advice. This podcast has been produced from the ConnectedCoaches blog of the same name. If you enjoy it and …
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Guest UK Coaching Podcast: An Interview with para-javelin coach Dave Turner
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UK Coaching's Development Lead Officer for Children and ConnectedCoaches Community Champion, Dave Turner, is also a British javelin coach. At the London 2017 World Para Athletics Championships he coached GB's Hollie Arnold to a gold medal and a new world record. In this guest UK Coaching podcast interview he speaks about what it's like to coach at …
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Don't use the F word: Helping children deal with failure
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For ConnectedCoaches Community Champion Andrew Beaven, ‘failure’ is a taboo word. Not failure itself – when you are learning new skills, or playing any sport, things will go wrong – just don’t use the F word. Andrew believes that a positive learning opportunity can be found in every unsuccessful outcome. This podcast has been produced from the Conn…
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Help or hindrance: The use of video analysis to aid player development
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ConnectedCoaches Community Champion Richard Allen presents a compelling arguement as to why filming matches and capturing elements of training sessions on video can have enormous benefits for coaches and players. The process is simple but hugely effective and reassuringly inexpensive. For once, progress does not come at a price. This podcast has be…
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ConnectedCoaches Content Champion Nick Ruddock on the destructive power that haters can have on both athlete and coach, and more importantly, why our role as coaches is crucial to develop the mental resilience of the athlete to it. This podcast has been produced from the ConnectedCoaches blog of the same name. If you enjoy it and find it helpful we…
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Simon says: Put your hands in the air if you think you can learn from a heavy defeat
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In the second of a two-part feature on the Cardiff Valkyries American football team, Simon Browning reflects on the coaching methods he employed to prepare his newly formed side for a national tournament. Did they have the desired effect? This podcast has been produced from the ConnectedCoaches blog of the same name. If you enjoy it and find it hel…
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Flagging up key periods of development in a newly formed team
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The Cardiff Valkyries flag football team are a work in progress. Set against a backdrop of the build-up to a national tournament, ConnectedCoaches Community Champion Simon Browning delivers a step-by-step guide to managing expectations, building game sense and confidence, and integrating new players into a fledgling side. This podcast has been prod…
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Golden nuggets: Dietary advice you can trust from Team GB’s Head Nutritionist
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Sports nutrition can be a baffling beast, with mixed messages and misconceptions muddying the waters. The number one tip from English Institute of Sport Head of Performance Nutrition Mike Naylor, is that dietary advice is best left to the experts. But for those club coaches who do feel starved of appropriate basic knowledge, Mike sits at the top of…
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How to prepare for an event, game or tournament
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Two top coaches in very different environments – ConnectedCoaches member Sam Messam & Namibia rugby union head coach Phil Davies - give us their views on preparing for an event, game or tournament. This podcast has been produced from the ConnectedCoaches blog of the same name. If you enjoy it and find it helpful we’d love to hear your thoughts. You…
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Blessed or stressed? Dealing with pressure in sport
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Not everyone has the mental self-belief to cope well during the high-pressure situations that are an integral part of sport. But coaches have some valuable techniques at their disposal that can make all the difference between success & failure. This podcast has been produced from the ConnectedCoaches blog of the same name. If you enjoy it and find …
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Why do coaches still shy away from using TGfU and CLA in their sessions?
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Coaches still shy away from using TGfu & CLA. Why? An in-depth look at games-based learning with Community Champion Matt Wood. This podcast has been produced from the ConnectedCoaches blog of the same name. If you enjoy it and find it helpful we’d love to hear your thoughts. You can share any feedback you have by adding a comment on the blog that w…
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Filling in the Blanks: Negotiating the Grey Areas
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ConnectedCoaches member Matt Thompson on how to deal with problems that your coaching courses don't cover! This podcast has been produced from the ConnectedCoaches blog of the same name. If you enjoy it and find it helpful we’d love to hear your thoughts. You can share any feedback you have by adding a comment on the blog that was posted on 23/11/1…
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Pre-mortem and reflective practice make a deadly combination
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Content Champion Nick Ruddock talks us through implementing a simple model that can be used to produce great results whatever level of athlete you work with. This podcast has been produced from the ConnectedCoaches blog of the same name. If you enjoy it and find it helpful we’d love to hear your thoughts. You can share any feedback you have by addi…
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