On this episode it was fantastic to sit down and chat with professional football coach, Ash Thompson.
You could sense the approach Ash has to his coaching with clarity, purpose and culture ringing very loud.
Ash explained that yes, there is planning and topics to be addressed, but at the heart of it is a human being, and that person is at the centre of it all.
It was evident that Ash believes that a coach has to know their message and create a culture where players can ask questions, but there are times where collaboration is needed and times where a coach takes the lead.
Ash explained the importance of communication and the process is two way but a space has to be created which allows conversations and discussion. With this in mind, it was very interesting to hear how Ash has those difficult conversations that are sometimes necessary in elite sport.
The concept of not coaching the game, but coaching the individual to solve the problems that the game brings to them really resonated with me. As too having self regulating players making decisions live on the pitch.
Also of interest was the use of data and stats. Everything is measurable, but not everything has to be measured, so it was great to hear Ash's view of data vs intuition.
It was also incredibly useful to hear Ash explain how to and the importance of communication, with the benefits of coaches self reflecting how they give their message. It was great to hear Ash explain why a coach knows their players and their context.
I hope you found this chat with Ash as helpful as I did.
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