The Transition Model
Leading and managing change can often be difficult, whether that be with volunteers giving up their free time at a local sports club, professional athletes who are representing their country,…
The Experiential Learning Cycle
Of the following two examples, I’d like to invite you to answer which is more likely to provide someone with a deeper level of learning… Example 1 For the past…
Pre-Performance Routines
A pre-performance routine is a set of habits that we do consciously or otherwise, that precede the implementation of our skills. These habits arguably form the most influential determinant of…
Goal Setting the S.M.A.R.T. Way
We only need to reflect on the measly quota of those around us who steadfastly adhere to their New Year’s resolutions, to comprehend that many of us fail to attain…
Rebounding from Mistakes
Nowadays we’re told to accept our mistakes, to embrace our mistakes, even celebrate the fact that we’re making lots of mistakes. Besieged with countless memes quoting famous folk, we are…
ABCDE Model of Emotional Disturbance
In the midst of a challenging situation, do you ever find yourself reacting in a way that doesn’t benefit you, or even makes the matter worse? If so, regaining your…
The Differences Between Training, Coaching, and Mentoring
Over the past twenty years, I’ve had a number of diverse roles and positions, all of which link to one area of commonality – people development. In these various roles,…
The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership® Model
Some of us lead well, and some of us lead less well, yet regardless of how effective our leadership is now, we all have the capacity to improve. A fundamental…
Locus of Control
Do you believe that your destiny is controlled by yourself or by outside forces? If the answer is yourself, you have what is termed an internal locus of control. If…
The Flow State
Can you think of a time when you’ve performed at your very best, where your actions were instinctive, spontaneous, even effortless? A time when you were in a trance-like state,…
Five Methods for Asking Effective Questions
Perhaps above all other attributes, being skilled in the art of asking good questions makes better our ability to learn efficiently and deeply. Our ability to craft proficient questions also…
Adjusting Our Focus
Our ability to modify focus is a determining factor in whether or not we will succeed, both in and out of the sports arena. It sounds simple to do, and…
Three Leadership Styles
Just as we all possess unique characteristics which shape our personality, we also have our own unique style of leadership, and regardless of whether or not we’re leading, our influence tends…
The Four Stages of Learning Model
No matter what new skill we decide to learn, there are four distinct learning stages that we transition through. Being aware of these stages can help us to accept that…
Performance Anxiety
The year is 1994. The location is The Rose Bowl, California. The occasion is the shoot-out of the FIFA World Cup Final between Italy and Brazil, and Roberto Baggio is…
The Johari Window
Self-awareness, and having an awareness of others, are two prevalent traits in the individuals of high performing teams. But why is this the case? Simply put, these characteristics help to…
Six Behaviours of Champion Athletes
Despite the tendency of the media to portray champion athletes as superhumans, otherworldy beings bestowed with special genetic powers, the truth is that those who’ve reached the top of the…
Resilient Confidence
We all have confidence. Or rather, we all have confidence sometimes, in certain situations. Yet only a few seem to have confidence all the time, regardless of the occasion. This…
Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation
Motivation is often hailed as the most significant factor for athletes to attain, and maintain, sustained levels of excellence. It’s clearly a key cog in the wheel of success, so…
Recovering From Setbacks
Despite working hard, practicing well, and doing all the right things, every athlete will experience a setback from time to time. This can include getting injured, not making selection, producing…
The Power of Self Talk
Research indicates that people, on average, speak to themselves at a rate of between 300 and 1,000 words per minute. Commonly referred to as self-talk, this constant internal dialogue has…
The GROW Model
The GROW model is a simple and effective coaching method that you can use with your athletes for setting and achieving their goals. Popularised by Sir John Whitmore’s book, “Coaching…
Level 2 Listening
Reflect on the conversations that you’ve had this week. Whilst you were talking, did you get a sense that the other person was truly absorbed in what you were saying?…
Sports Skill Classifications
Every sport has a unique set of skills, each possessing characteristics that change in different situations. These classifications are based on three factors: How precise a skill is. If the…
Fixed & Growth Mindsets
The term fixed and growth mindset, originates from research conducted by world-renowned Stanford University psychologist Carol Dweck, who concludes that people can be placed on a continuum according to their…
What is Mental Toughness?
Mental toughness is a term frequently used within sporting contexts, often being hailed as the principle reason for victory, or the sole explanation for loss. Coaches, supporters, commentators, and journalists…
Performance Dips
Anyone who has played competitive sport for a reasonable length of time will probably have experienced, to varying degrees, a performance dip at some point. But what is it, and…
Mental Rehearsal
Mental rehearsal, also referred to as visualisation, is a training technique that is used to create an experience in your mind, with the objective of improving your physical skills through purposefully…
Overcoming Fear
Fear is the feeling of threat from an imminent danger, regardless of whether or not this danger is real or imagined – the brain can’t make a distinction between an…
Game-Day Leadership
If you accept a leadership position, whether as coach, captain or just in a more informal capacity, your role and responsibilities on match day can be allocated into three segments: pre-game;…
Communicating With Skill
Teams and individuals who communicate well operate with a greater clarity of purpose, knowing exactly what they’re going to do, and why, how and when they’re going to do it.…
Practicing For Pressure
Do you know of any players who perform impressively during practice, demonstrating great athleticism, and impressive technical ability, yet who struggle to replicate their skills in competition? Chances are, you’ll know…
Being a Team Player
Modern day culture is quick to reward great individual performance, encouraging people to develop an inward-focused mindset, which has the potential for creating negative repercussions for those competing in team…
Relative Age Effect
The Relative Age Effect, commonly referred to as RAE, is a theory which suggests that children can be disadvantaged for the rest of their sporting careers, simply because of their…
Maximising Your Potential
As with anything in life, in order to work out where an athlete wants to go, it’s important to first understand where the athlete currently is. In high performance sport environments,…
Motivating Your Players
Every athlete will have their own motivational drivers and so, as a coach, it’s important for you to acquire a good understanding of what these unique drivers are, so that…
Parenting an Athlete
Raising an athlete in today’s modern culture is a demanding proposition, with children experiencing more pressure to succeed in their chosen sport than ever before. The result is an increasing…
Bio-Banding
Traditionally, young athletes have been organised according to their age. In the UK, this tends to correspond with school year groups, so a child in year 6 would be categorised…
Nathan Wood Consulting 