THE GREAT COACHES
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The voices behind the podcast
We believe that sport provides a unique learning environment for both leadership and life.
In a Tik Tok world, where the goal is often to be the star of the show; we wanted to change the conversation, and talk more about selflessness, leadership and responsibility.
And the people we knew who best exhibited these qualities were Great Sports Coaches.
As the podcast has grown, people have told us that it has also helped them have better conversations around the lunch table at work, in the boardroom, the car and also, with their own inner voice; who as many of the Great Coaches have told us, can be our greatest asset or biggest blocker to self-improvement.
I am an Australian, who for a long time worked as an expat in Europe and Asia. I grew up with a deep passion for Australian Rules Football, and these days also enjoy watching Australia play cricket live whenever I can. My work has taken me all over the world and given me the chance to see some amazing sports live; the Olympics in Beijing, the baseball in New York, the Rugby in Rome, Soccer in the Czech Republic and Ice Hockey in Switzerland.
The coaches that resonate most with me, are those from the combat sports like Boxing or Kickboxing; I find the way that they deal with fear is fascinating and inspiring. As the father of 2 daughters, I also enjoy listening to our many female coaches talk about empowerment and the steps that they have taken to succeed in their careers.
I grew up in the world’s most isolated capital city, Perth, Western Australia, where backyard cricket was as intense as any Ashes campaign and the local Saturday afternoon league footy game was a staple. The days when kids could jump the boundary fence and join the player huddle to hear the senior coaches’ addresses at each break in the game are long gone.
Today I’m living in the Upper Rhine region of Germany. I’ve had the privilege of working in many countries, with some wonderful organisations and under many impressive leaders. Since those days charging across a football field, I’ve always been drawn to the stories behind great sports coaches. The expectation of being able to consistently perform in one of the most intense working environments possible is something few can master.
Connecting my curiosity with my professional journey has allowed me to see many coaching icons live in action at memorable sporting events across the world; the Football World Cup in South Africa, IPL cricket in India, the Olympic Games, Ashes Cricket, Rugby World Cup, English Premier League, and my beloved West Coast Eagles in 3 AFL Grand Finals. As a husband to a superwoman and father to an endless dreamer, the stories behind the journeys of strong female role-models connect with me deeply. You’ll occasionally hear Paul ask, “Jim, are you crying?” I usually am.
John is a Peak Performance Coach with over 30 years of experience in helping teams, businesses and organisations find their winning model for sustaining them through good and bad times. From his time as a business consultant and a professional sports coach, including head coach of one of the greatest teams in sports history, the Australian Cricket team from 1999-2007. A coach and a leader with a unique perspective on the world, John is at home in any environment which seeks change, a desire for peak performance, and a vision to be the game changers. John has also authored three books, with “If Better is Possible” a best-seller.
I am an Englishman who grew up in London loving and living sport. I was one of those annoying kids who is good at everything in Physical Education classes at school. Half a century later I am still active and playing regularly.
I have been a sports coach and an educator for 40 years. These days I am a Senior Lecturer in Sports Coaching, and Course Leader for Physical Education and Sports Coaching BSc (Hons) at Anglia Ruskin University, and a member of the Cambridge Centre for Sport and Exercise Sciences. My research interests are centred around expertise and learning in sports coaching and beyond. I am particularly interested in the use of storytelling to derive and represent the wisdom of great coaches, and I have an ongoing project of public talks and articles entitled Learning From Legendary Coaches.
I constantly strive to enhance my own knowledge, skills and experience, to more effectively facilitate others in helping themselves to become the best that they can be. For me coaching is complex, fascinating, and unmasterable, and thus great coaches are an absolute inspiration.
An American who’s had the great pleasure to work around the world, and become a student to new sports, as well as learning that football doesn’t have to be played with a helmet!
The coaches that resonate most with me understand how to create leaders from great athletes, on and off their playing field of choice. Being able to leverage their teams’ strengths, make and communicate in-game adjustments effectively, then giving praise and accepting responsibility when the games outcome has been decided. As jobs go, being a head coach is hard to enjoy if you measure success through just the won:loss record. The great coaches in my mind measure their own success first by the future leaders they create.
Sports is one of the few things that brings people together. Both within and across countries – on the ultimate level playing field. We compete then shake hands at the end. If you can play, you play. Civil set of rules are followed by everyone. The world needs sport more today than ever before.
