Embracing The Journey - Grand Slam Tennis Player and Coach, Sofia Shapatava

Know Your People, Know Your Purpose - Damian McGrath, International Rugby Coach, Author and Speaker

On this episode of The Coaching Arena, I had the absolute privilege to hear the insights of world renowned rugby coach Damian McGrath. Damian has been a professional coach since 1990, and has coached at elite levels in both Rugby League and Rugby Union. Damian has coached at domestic and international sides, including Leicester Tigers and at 7s level, with England, Spain, Manu Samoa, Canada, Germany and Kenya. In addition he is a leading author and speaker and is an expert on communication and leadership. I found his insights in how to get your message across as being invaluable, jam packed with useful and practical tips. This was a brilliant chat, speaking on many things including : * Knowing your people * Understanding the ABC, audience before content * Checking for understanding * Making your players feel valued * How a message is given across, not just the content * Culture * Knowing your purpose, your people, your business and yourself * What is success? * Start, stop, continue approach * Damian's 'Doubt Percentage' concept I took so much from this chat, and I hope you do too. This chat is full of key take aways that can be easily adapted at any level Let me know what you think ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Developing People, Players and as Coaches - Warren Spragg, Sale Sharks Kicking Coach

On this episode, I had the absolute privilege to speak with Warren Spragg. Warren is the kicking coach at Prem Rugby Club, Sale. He has played for Italy, Italy 7s, England u21s and England u18s. He has over 20 years experience in elite level rugby as a player and coach. I am blown away with the coaches and athletes that have given me their time and insights on the Coaching Arena. These chats are gold, and this chat with Warren has completely changed my mindset on coaching and how I thought my son was results driven, when perhaps in hindsight, he isn't. This was an incredible chat on developing people, players and as coaches. We spoke of many things, including : * Common coaching themes from juniors to elite level * Inside out coaching, Transformational Coaching vs Transactional Coaching * Understanding people and what motivates them and what players need * Collaboration * Superpowers of a player * Being curious * Minimum standards and the consistency of practice habits and skill challenges * Mindset, routine and clarity * The rewards of sport * How you know you are making progress * The importance of feedback loops * Skill sets, not pigeon holing I really hope you enjoy this chat as much as I did and thanks very much for listening ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Care, Connection, Standards and Challenge - Paul Delport, International Rugby Coach

On this episode I had the absolute privilege to hear the insights from International Rugby Coach, Paul Delport. Paul is currently Head Coach of India Women's 7s, having previously coached South Africa Women's national rugby 7s team. As a player, Paul played for the Lions and Stormers before focusing on rugby sevens, where he captained the Blitzboks and has won the IRB Sevens World Series. Paul also captained South Africa at u19 and u21 level and has won the IRB World Championships. This was a brilliant chat, really focusing on the human element of coaching and understanding the why. Paul has a huge amount of experience and shared his insights into coaching, speaking about : * Care, Connection, Standards and Challenge * Understanding the 'why' * Showing the players you care and having a willingness to connect * Putting the team first * Nurturing a player's growth and development * Outlining standards * Passing on knowledge * A coach doesn't need to have all the answers * A team's immune system ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

The Importance Of A Mentor - Alex Laybourne, International Rugby Coach

It was absolutely fantastic to chat with international rugby coach, Alex Laybourne on this episode of The Coaching Arena. Alex is Head Coach of Sweden Men's rugby team, having previously been Scotland's Women's u20s Head Coach. This was a brilliant chat, with Alex giving his insights on : * The importance of a mentor in order for coaches to develop * Understanding the player * Connection with players and having open and honest dialogue * Winning is important but results do not define a good coach * Coaching in different environments * Standards not rules * Metrics to measure progress I really hope you enjoy this chat as much as I did ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Always Learning, A Growth Mindset - Rod Seib, Connacht Rugby Senior Assistant Coach and former Brumbies Assistant Coach

On this episode I had the huge privilege to chat with elite rugby coach, Rod Seib. Rod's CV speaks for itself. Rod is a former player for the Queensland Reds and Glasgow Warriors. He has also played for Australia in rugby sevens. In March 2025, Rod signed with Irish side, Connacht Rugby as Senior Assistant Coach with responsibility for team attack. Prior to this, he was Head Coach of the Queensland Reds Academy, assistant coach at ACT Brumbies and in Nov24 coached the Australia XV on their UK tour. This was an incredibly enlightening chat and I took so much from it. We spoke of many things, including : * Always learning, learning from both good and bad coaches * Knowing your audience * Be it elite or learning, the best coaches are the ones that want to be there * Facilitating the knowledge to the athletes so they can problem solve * How to ask questions to get good learning * Not always needing to have the answers, but you do need the logic to your thoughts * The importance of body language, not just words * Focusing on the growth, not the score * The biggest mistake new coaches make * A coach can learn from everyone, from u7 player to international athlete ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.