sport-leadership

The Secret to Coaching Success: How Long is a Piece of String?

One of the most commonly used expressions around the world is “how long is a piece of string?”. People use this phrase when they want to illustrate a point about a question that ostensibly has no answer. Yet, there is an answer to this question – it is just too obvious for most people to see. Coaches often go looking for complicated answers to questions or want someone else to provide them with the answers for free – instantly. This article discusses the “piece of string” concept in sports coaching and presents a case that for all sports coaches – there are no coaching secrets – the answers they seek are right in front of them.

By Wayne Goldsmith, ago

Finding the Right Head Coach: Leader, Visionary, Coach.

A head coach can be the catalyst: the driving force who inspires excellence and creates a successful winning culture in a sporting organisation. Knowing this, it is surprising that many sporting Clubs and organisations – even those in professional sport – will often select a new head coach based on anecdote, personality and rumour and not on the outcomes of a rigorous, systematic recruitment process. Many sporting organisations make the most fundamental of all recruiting errors…they themselves are not sure what attributes, qualities and experience they need from a head coach. This article discuss the issue of finding and recruiting a head coach and presents a simple but effective process of ensuring you get your man (or woman).

By Wayne Goldsmith, ago

Drugs, Alcohol and Elite sport: a real life approach

Every time a professional player or elite athlete tests positive to drugs or is caught abusing alcohol, you can guarantee three things will happen:

  1. Newspapers and other media will over react and claim an isolated incident is evidence of an inherent drug and alcohol abuse culture in the club or sport (or all of sport);
  2. The club or sport will over react and ensure a drugs and alcohol education program is put in place as soon as possible;
  3. Everyone associated with the incident will over react, deny responsibility and blame someone else.

 What’s the reality?

(more…)

By Wayne Goldsmith, ago

The Accountability Myth – Why the current Leadership models in High Performance Sport are failing (badly).

Time to be honest about this whole Leadership concept in high performance sport – it is not working.

And why?

It’s not working because of the Accountability Myth: The Accountability Myth is the reason why the current Leadership models in High Performance Sport are failing (badly). (more…)

By Wayne Goldsmith, ago

The Coaches “Box” – Good and Bad in the Hot Seat in Professional Sport.

They don’t call it the Hot Seat for nothing – the coaches’ box!

The coaches’ box is the place where the coaches sit during the game and make important decisions about tactical, strategic and technical issues that have the potential to impact on the momentum of the game and even change the end result.

Some coaches’ boxes work well.

Some coaches’ boxes don’t.

So what’s the difference? (more…)

By Wayne Goldsmith, ago