What is your role at Elite Youth Sports and how long have you been with us?
I am a sports coach, and my role involves going into schools to teach primary pupils their P.E lessons according to the national curriculum. During the school holidays I take on the role of Camp Manager at one of our 7 activity camp locations. I am still fairly new to the team and have only been with Elite for 6 months but loving it so far!
What is your coaching philosophy, and how do you implement it in your coaching style?
My coaching philosophy is very much athlete focused as I believe in giving every child an equal chance and opportunity to be their best and reach their full potential. I like to build good relationships with each child so that I can have the best understanding of how they learn, train and compete in order to aid their development. I have a friendly and approachable style which is helpful when teaching in primary schools as it puts the children at ease. Coaching is ensuring that the sports are enjoyable and rewarding whilst making them inclusive for everyone.
Can you give an example of how you have helped a struggling athlete improve their performance?
During my coaching career, I have dealt with children who are very hard on themselves and have very little self-confidence. One of the young girls that I’ve coached in the past used to struggle with performing in front of others and would refuse to do anything without everyone else turning away first. I was able to sit down and talk to her about self-belief and how she shouldn’t let fear stop her from achieving her goals. She is an amazing athlete and now she is confident and comfortable with herself and her abilities. She was then able to really get stuck into training and competing and has come so far since then.
What made you want to become a sports coach?
I fell in love with sport at a very young age and discovered that it was so something I was quite good at. Seeing the enjoyment that my coaches and teachers had when they were watching me achieve my goals, made me want to replicate this and gain the sense of fulfilment that they had, watching me grow. I love supporting people and watching their happiness shine through their successes. Passing along knowledge and pushing athletes to better themselves and achieve their goals brings me so much happiness.
What methods do you use to motivate your players and keep them engaged and focused?
I try to keep my lessons fun and engaging by trying out different activities and learning what the children enjoy and don’t enjoy. Splitting up the sessions with different activities and games can help to keep the children engaged as they don’t spend too much time on the same thing and become bored or disengaged. Positive reinforcement is a massive part of my coaching as it can really help a child who is feeling low or unsure of themselves and gives them the confidence they need to grow.
Name your top three biggest strengths?
I would say that my biggest strengths are my relationship building skills, my leadership skills and my patience. I build good relationships with athletes and coaches alike and I’m a confident person. I’m very positive and encouraging and I believe those attributes have helped me to become a good leader. My patience and understanding of different learning styles and times allows me to stay calm with every type of individual and help them in the best ways I can.
