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Posted on January 14, 2018February 12, 2018

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,…

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Posted on January 11, 2018January 11, 2018

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…

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Posted on January 4, 2018January 11, 2018

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…

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Posted on December 11, 2017

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…

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Posted on December 6, 2017December 10, 2017

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…

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Posted on December 5, 2017December 10, 2017

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…

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Posted on December 4, 2017December 11, 2017

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,…

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Posted on December 1, 2017December 10, 2017

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…

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Posted on November 30, 2017December 10, 2017

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…

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Posted on November 29, 2017December 10, 2017

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,…

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Posted on November 28, 2017December 10, 2017

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…

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Posted on November 27, 2017December 10, 2017

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…

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Posted on November 24, 2017December 10, 2017

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…

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Posted on November 23, 2017December 10, 2017

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…

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Posted on November 23, 2017December 10, 2017

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…

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Posted on November 21, 2017December 10, 2017

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…

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Posted on November 20, 2017December 10, 2017

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…

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Posted on November 18, 2017December 10, 2017

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…

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Posted on November 16, 2017December 16, 2017

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…

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Posted on November 14, 2017January 12, 2018

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…

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Posted on November 13, 2017December 10, 2017

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…

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Posted on November 10, 2017December 11, 2017

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…

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Posted on November 9, 2017December 10, 2017

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?…

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Posted on November 8, 2017December 10, 2017

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…

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Posted on November 7, 2017December 10, 2017

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…

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Posted on November 7, 2017December 10, 2017

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…

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Posted on November 6, 2017December 10, 2017

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…

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Posted on November 3, 2017December 10, 2017

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…

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Posted on November 2, 2017December 10, 2017

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…

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Posted on November 1, 2017December 10, 2017

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;…

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Posted on October 29, 2017December 10, 2017

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.…

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Posted on October 26, 2017December 19, 2017

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…

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Posted on October 25, 2017December 10, 2017

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…

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Posted on October 25, 2017December 10, 2017

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…

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Posted on October 25, 2017December 10, 2017

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,…

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Posted on October 25, 2017December 10, 2017

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…

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Posted on October 25, 2017December 10, 2017

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…

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Posted on October 25, 2017December 10, 2017

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…

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Nathan Wood

Nathan Wood

Nathan Wood

Nathan Wood is a former professional sportsman and youth international, mentor to professional sports coaches, and a certified Level 4 master coach. He is Head of Coach Development at the ECB, and also operates a sports performance consultancy which supports and challenges athletes, coaches, and sporting organsiations to increase their potential and improve performance.

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