When I teach about character development with coaches and teachers, the first thing we do is to dispel myths. Myths such as the 10,000 hour rule and how participating in sports helps build character. THIS IS FICTION. We know that there are far more factors than just literal hours spent […]
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I recently had the pleasure of listening to a podcast for Culture in Sports. Jeremy Piasecki discusses with Wes and Mike the origins of the organization and the influences that shaped his perceptions on sport and culture as a whole. The interview resonated with me and dovetailed well with my […]
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I am a coach. I have been coaching for a very long time, since I was a young teenager. It is something that I love to do. I love being on the field, pitch, deck, court, and almost anywhere else a coach can be. I get excited about helping athletes […]
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We need to cultivate a culture that judges (evaluates) process, not people. The Reality Whether in a corporate or athletic setting, we do not explicitly discuss what we should or want to judge. We also do not explicitly discuss what we need to be compassionate about. So many of my […]
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Recently, I read an article from the Harvard Business Review on why disagreements were so vital for a thriving culture. It really made me stop and think about my experience working with teams. At what point do we actually ever discuss disagreeing in a positive manner? I’ve seen plenty of […]
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As a coach, I always had about 100 tasks, ideas, things that I needed to work on, or discussions that I wanted to have every day. I wanted each practice to be the best for our athletes and team. I wanted each assistant coach to learn something and become better […]
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In a recent article by the Harvard Business Review (2020), 40% of recent graduates did not feel “job ready” and potential applicants would not even consider applying for entry level positions. They cited a lack of skills as one of the top reasons. It got me thinking about we cultivate […]
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Carol Dweck is acclaimed for her work on Growth Mindset. It has provided material for educators and coaches for years. However, there is one area of research that I want to bring back into focus today, that has a direct impact on effort, focus, and confidence for athletes. How we […]
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This can be a tough pill to swallow, but the reality is this: The people we lead know us better than we know them. Why does this occur? Especially for so many well-meaning leaders out there? Every society on earth has people in power and people who are in more […]
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No, I am not talking about players flopping on the field here. There was a World Cup qualifying match between Argentina and Brazil on Sunday. The match lasted a little more than seven minutes. The officials called the match and FIFA later stated that the match is suspended until further […]
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By the title of this article, you may just want to skip to something else, but please take the time to read how there are plenty of coaches, general managers, athletic directors, and front office staff out there that are holding onto tasks for far too long, which normally results […]
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Coaching is not easy at any level. When someone is coaching a recreational youth team, there are athletes who are dependent on your role, their parents who want the best for their child, others who need administrative support for the league or team, and the outside requirements of family, paying […]
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It was quite exciting for Australian swim fans when Brendon Smith came from nowhere to proclaim himself a real threat in the men’s 400m individual medley. His excellent performance in the heats saw him finish fastest but the actual event was more challenging. After sitting in seventh position for most […]
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I received a call from a coaching colleague this week, we will call her Tracy. Tracy and another coach were hired a few months ago to lead different teams in a world-renowned organization. Tracy was extremely excited to begin, especially since sports were in full swing again in the United […]
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Coaching is about sport, it’s about educating, but it’s also about leadership. At the center of sport, the coach is uniquely placed to influence the athletes and set the standard for behavior. At the grassroots level, this is about extending that influence on to parents as well and establishing a […]
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It’s imperative that there is an even playing field at all times in competitive sports for the game to be fairly played. When errors were made during player interchange in St Kilda’s round 15 demolition of Richmond, there ended up being a surplus of players for the side. The AFL […]
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Steve Smith lost his position as Captain of the Australian Cricket team in 2018 following the infamous ball-tampering scandal. The former captain says he was not involved in planning to tamper with the ball during the Cape Town test against South Africa but as the leader, he took responsibility for […]
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What happens when a person is all-work and no-play? They become disengaged, disenfranchised, and basically burnt-out. This is as true in the sportsperson as it is in any other profession and the best way to prevent this fuse from being lit, is to ensure a healthy work-life balance. The fantastically […]
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American swimming coach Megan Oesting has been sacked after being in post with SwimMAC Carolina for only 9 months. Differences in her management style and cultural stance have been cited as the main reasons. According to Madeleine Lepesant of Swim Swam it seems that a new approach to the coaching, […]
Read More I was astonished last week when learning that Simone Emanuel https://swimswam.com/after-exhausting-year-olympic-champ-simone-manuel-out-of-100-free-final/ had been diagnosed with Overtraining Syndrome. I was left wondering how a nation such as the US (famed for its domination in swimming at the Olympics) could get it so wrong with Simone’s training. Sadly too many Swim Clubs […]
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It’s apparent that the coach exerts a major influence on the cohesiveness of the team when looking at the recent history of the New South Wales Waratahs. To their detriment the team has been coach-less for the better part of 2021 so far following the sacking of Rob Penney back […]
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The road to mastery is a long and winding road that requires, not only technical knowledge and understanding, but these two components applied over time. We have all met sports coaches that race through qualifications collecting knowledge, like bees collect pollen, but are incompetent. We have also met sports coaches […]
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I recently had a colleague reach out to me about a coaching issue that she was having. She was hired as a head coach of a youth sports organization during the pandemic and was waiting for the government to allow sports participation. Once the government gave permission for practices and […]
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There exists in any swim club a small fraction of swim mums and dads who will have coaches running for the nearest rock under which to hide. None more so that those with swimmers aged 10yrs who cannot understand that the same principle of dropping of swimmer X at their […]
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As an athlete, I had many coaches who just expected athletes to trust them because they were the coach. I also had coaches who showed that they deserved trust. The coaches that showed or proved their trustworthiness were also the ones who started off the coach and athlete relationship by […]
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Sunday morning, I saw a CNN breaking news post on Twitter that Danish midfielder Christian Eriksen collapsed on the field during the Euro 2020 match against Finland in Copenhagen. He was given medical attention on the field as his teammates protectively encircled him to protect his privacy during his moment […]
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The Magpie’s have had a horror time of it lately, The Do Better Report which was released in January this year, found the club guilty of ‘systemic racism’ while under Eddie McGuire as President and Nathan Buckley as Head Coach. Heated boardroom arguments and a less than sterling performance from […]
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Club Swimmers (albeit the under 18yrs) here in the UK were super excited to have the Covid restrictions lifted back in April and none so more than I. A year on the sofa researching areas in coaching I previously did not have the time for, I was ready to start […]
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Being right is not always a comfortable place to be. It can positively stink to be correct at times, especially when being right means avoidable harm has come to a young athlete. Way back on May 20, 2021, in describing five mistakes coaches would make this summer, right here in […]
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Athletes need opportunities to learn and be creative. A strict coach that does not want athletes to deviate from extremely focused technique or practice plans does not allow athletes to be creative and learn. If an athlete does not have an opportunity to try new things, or take risks, how […]
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An emotionally intelligent organizational culture remains positive even through changes and challenges. Far from just being a corporate buzzword, it is an important skill needed by leaders, mentors, and coaches to elicit the best from their people on a performance level as well as on a personal level. Coaching in […]
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A former Pittsburgh Steelers coach made a comment during a recent interview with Ed Bouchette of The Athletic: “It’s only cheating if you get caught”. This coach, Bill Cowher, was discussing taking competitive advantages into the grey area, or worse into illegal territory. It is an interesting topic to think […]
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We continue to look at avoidable mistakes each of the stakeholder groups in sports will make as sports begin again. This time by looking at challenges this season- and beyond- will pose specifically to and for parents. As tough as it is to be a coach, being a parent is […]
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When I was a young coach, I used to push athletes to their limits and beyond during practices thinking that it was the best way to physically prepare them for competition. It was a learned behavior from coaches when I was an athlete and as an assistant coach. Sure, my […]
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If the sardonic artist Harland Miller was to design a book cover to highlight an uncomfortable truth about motivation it would state something like: ‘Motivation Ain’t All It’s Hyped Up To Be.’ Most publications you read on the subject tend to refer to two types of motivation, extrinsic and intrinsic. […]
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Have you ever coached a team in a game where their brains or hearts were not in it? Maybe your team looked lethargic while playing or in a fog. Or has a team that you ever coached been down by what seemed like an insurmountable amount? In every single case […]
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I had a coach recently reach out to me to ask if I had any suggestions for her, as she felt stuck in her coaching journey. Upon some great discussion and learning for both of us, it was identified that she was not stuck in her coaching journey, but she […]
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The road to becoming a professional sports coach is a challenging one. There are many amateur sports coaches operating today without any formal qualifications. There have been, mainly in the past, some sports coaches at the highest level who have achieved outstanding results without being formally qualified. The question is, […]
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I recently heard a podcast from two former NFL players discussing Tim Tebow’s return to the NFL, nearly a decade later. Their comments summarized were that Tebow only got the job because 1. Who he knew and 2. He is just a great human. They also referenced his stint in […]
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Most people will now be aware of the ethical mess that some National Governing Bodies (NGBs) get themselves into when the media publicly denounce sports coaches accused of abusive behaviour. In the UK we have seen high profile cases involving football, gymnastics and swimming to name but a few. However, […]
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“In every adversity there lies the seed of an equivalent advantage. In every defeat is a lesson showing you how to win the victory next time.” – Robert Collier Melbourne Victory FC were fortunate to have the massively talented Adama Traora on board and the Spanish born superstar was equally […]
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On 5 April five swim coaches from the same swim club all resigned from their posts – just one week before Club Swimming re-opened in the UK. The coaches had all been suspended and were all facing disciplinary hearings. What makes the matter more significant is that the Coaching Team […]
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As we all know the best sports coaches are the ones that are able to create strong relationships with their athletes and hence help facilitate great performances from them. As a leader they inspire, motivate and are able to get under the very skin of the athlete, especially those who […]
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Have you ever had a coach, teacher, parent, boss or anyone else ever tell you that “we have always done it this way”? After decades or centuries, some things really do not change. Is it because the way something is done is really the best way, or is it because […]
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There is no doubt that self-confidence is an important factor regarding successful outcomes in sport, both for the coach and for the athlete. Having complete trust and confidence that a goal can be achieved is a trait found in the most effective sports coaches. It is also one that has […]
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FBS spring football is in full effect with Powerhouse Clemson hosting its spring game this past Saturday. After a yearlong hiatus due to COVID, it is exciting to see traditional spring football back. The games are a chance for fans to get excited about their teams and get a good […]
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Yesterday, Culture in Sports participated in our first webinar. It was with Drexel University’s School of Education’s Sport Coaching Leadership Program. It was a great opportunity for us to share what we are currently working on at Culture in Sports. In addition to writing every day about all topics within […]
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A few hours after this article drops, Culture in Sports will be presenting its first webinar in conjunction with Drexel University’s School of Education’s Sport Coaching Leadership Program. The title and subject matter of this webinar is” A Bad Playing Field: Recognizing and remedying toxic cultures in sport: Perceptions for […]
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Have you seen Ted Lasso yet? If not, you should. It’s not really about what you expect it to be. Sure, the show chronicles a folksy American football coach from Kansas going to England to coach a Premier League team. Much of the comedy centers around the clash in cultures […]
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Youth sports are a staple of American culture, often viewed as the surest track to developing talented athletes. It makes sense — more practice time and more gameplay lead to better skill and fitness. For parents hoping to see their kids earn a college scholarship or start a pro career, […]
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It can be said of most human beings, including sports coaches, that they never fully achieve a complete fit with any role they have chosen in their life. It is always under construction – a process of becoming. Although some of the greatest amongst us come very close, being completely […]
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There is much talk in business communities in the need to change their practices to attract more employees from diverse backgrounds as well as women – particularly within traditional male dominated industries. More women than ever before, from all economic and ethic backgrounds, are visibly breaking down barriers that once […]
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It is self-evident that the most effective sports coaches have a major influence, not only on their athletes but also on the sports organisation in which they coach. For sports coaches, especially those classed as ‘serial winners’, there exists what might be considered something of a paradox – that is, […]
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Talent may not always have character and attitude,however attitude and character will always contain some level of talent. Bill Sweetenham (elite swim coach) swimmingscience.net 23 October 2017 Take a deep look at the eyes of coach John Mosley in Netflix’s Last Chance U: Basketball series as they meet the camera […]
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If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get the results you’ve always got. Sometimes, that’s great, when your past results are winning. How long should leaders stay in their position of power? Some very successful coaches and leaders have had very lengthy stays in their positions: Bill Belichick, John […]
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Not many athletes use the psychological tactic of a ‘rating system’ as a means of performance enhancement, in fact according to coach Matt Horsnell, most competitive athletes would find the system has the other effect on them. Australian high-jumper Nicola McDermott, however, calmly dissects her performance into different categories and […]
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Far too often I witness, in training sets for swimmers, instructions along the lines of ‘ … swim the whole of this section with ‘perfect’ turns or ‘perfect’ form’ and as I make my daily scroll through my social media feeds it is generally awash with various organisations boasting that […]
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We feel and we perceive like any other normal functioning human being. We are the ever inwardly optimistic brigade of finding the next olympic hopeful with heads swirling in big dreams and emails and parent concerns and committee meetings and planning and researching and what to put in next week’s […]
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When we are young our days are explorations of anything new. We do stuff because we think it looks like fun; our older brother/ sister does it; dad/ mum says it would be go for us/ it is on the school curriculum/saw it on YouTube …The reasons for why we […]
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Participation in sports not only helps to develop coordination, physical agility, health, and flexibility, but also to develop friendships, comradery, and the traits necessary for observing fair-play and learning how to lose gracefully. Introducing children to sports is a healthy normal thing to do and we want our children physically […]
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“It takes courage not only to make decisions, but to live with those decisions afterward.” – Coach K Who is Jalen Johnson? He’s a top prospect with the Duke Blue Devils who was going to be a “one and done” player from the very start. Great! He’s a 19 year […]
Read MoreThe National Basketball Association (NBA) season has officially started, and James Harden is in the news again, even before the Houston Rockets played their first game. Shams Charania, of the The Athletic, reported on an incident during practice on Monday where there were Harden was involved in multiple verbal confrontations and that he threw a ball […]
Read MoreRussell Westbrook, who was recently traded to the Washington Wizards, recently spoke about the #organizationalculture of the Houston Rockets. Tim MacMahon of ESPN wrote an in-depth piece of the extremely #toxicculture at the Houston Rockets where he shared the extents of the #toxicity. #Toxic organizations can be extremely successful, which the Houston Rockets have proven to be over the years. The organization seems to revolve around […]
Read MoreA little over a month ago, I wrote about how an athlete’s innocence was taken away from her at 13 years old and how US Figure Skating Association‘s Hall of Fame member John Zimmerman and Silvia Fontana, a multi Olympian from Italy, shamed and threatened the girl to not report the […]
Read MoreJuliet Macur of the #newyorktimes wrote a great article about a decision that USA Gymnastics made earlier this year: They suspended a coach for eight years for repeatedly putting her #athletes‘ #mentalhealth, #emotionalhealth, and #physicalhealth in jeopardy. This decision by USA Gymnastics shows they are aware of how coaches can adversely impact #athletes both short and long term. However, Maggie Haney, the coach that […]
Read MoreI saw this article (https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/2020/09/29/sexual-abuse-olympic-skater-morgan-cipres-under-investigation-retires/3573251001/) a few weeks ago and then heard nothing else about it. Morgan Cipres, the French Olympic skater who sent two lewd photos of his genitalia to a 13-year-old American female figure skater in 2017 is finally under investigation by the U.S. Center for SafeSport and the police. […]
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Coaches and trainers need to do the right thing and stop holding practices. If coaches still choose to hold practices, then maybe article could be used to persuade them. An athlete’s mental, physical, and emotional health and safety should never be compromised for training or competition.
Thank you Dr Jon Rudd and Christian Klaue for your contributions to this article.
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