Harry

starting from nothing?

planning, creating and developing a rugby programme at a non-rugby playing comprehensive school in the south midlands rugby desert. On a cold, rainy night at Kingsholm, myself and three good friends stood exchanging possibilities in school rugby. There were many. It was relatively easy to point to examples of school rugby done well: Oxfordshire itselfContinue reading “starting from nothing?”

the talent demon

Talent identification is, in many ways, socially and individually advantageous. It allows athletes and players an opportunity to discover their strengths and weaknesses, serving as a stepping stone to their self-awareness and future development. To a degree, it helps some people decide what sport is most suitable to them, among a field of potentially moreContinue reading “the talent demon”

embedding coaching in the stories of our lives

Sport has the immutable effect of showcasing and elevating stories of courage, bravery and overcoming, as well as following the peaks and troughs of form, potential, bitter rivalries and noble sportsmanship. Elite sport, at its best, is a great spectacle that consumes us in its individual and collective tales, whether its a player coming backContinue reading “embedding coaching in the stories of our lives”

coach-ology

Earlier this summer, Ospreys were on the lookout for an attack coach to join newly appointed Toby Booth’s coaching team. The last time they played, Ospreys lost out to Leinster 21-13, despite a spirited performance. The result landed them rock bottom in their conference and second from bottom across the Pro14, albeit a bonus pointContinue reading “coach-ology”

kishōtenketsu, a story without conflict

Helen hated hospitals. She never liked them as a child, and she certainly didn’t like them now, not in today’s climate. When she was young, she had heard that several of her family had died of the Spanish Flu in hospital, despite being admitted with unrelated back pains, headaches or a hip replacement. In short,Continue reading “kishōtenketsu, a story without conflict”

themes: the silver bullet we all want

When beginning to talk about stories, I went out on social media to find some great examples of what storytelling looks like in coaching. There were some excellent tales of coaches plotting out their seasons and their sessions with their players and athletes: from pirates raiding island, to climbers scaling Mount Everest, to Shackleton andContinue reading “themes: the silver bullet we all want”

designing immersive storytelling

Bandersnatch was released on Netflix in late December 2018. Released in the science fiction anthology series Black Mirror by Charlie Brooker, Bandersnatch is an interactive film in which viewers make decisions for the main character, a young programmer called Stefan Butler, who is adapting a choose-your-own-adventure novel into a video game. These decisions often leadContinue reading “designing immersive storytelling”

stories: what are they and how to tell them

Over the last two years, storytelling has been something I have been deeply interested in. One of the things that I have found fascinating about stories and how people tell them is the way in which thoughts, feelings and information is shared with anyone who will listen. Stories are essentially about how we communicate emotionally.Continue reading “stories: what are they and how to tell them”

Get Your Head in the Game

I’m currently writing my Bachelors dissertation. I’m in my final year of university, and one of the things that I’ve always taken an interest in is the perspectives of players who ‘don’t make it’ to professional sport. Elite sport pathways demand a lot commitment from players, and understandably it can be a hard pill toContinue reading “Get Your Head in the Game”

what’s the point of change

I sat in the office frustrated. I replaced my muddied boots with warmer and drier trainers, packing away a sodden beanie after another Senior Games session. I had been co-coaching, running after the play, asking questions and giving feedback to individual players on the run. But, despite the high tempo, despite the rush of adrenalineContinue reading “what’s the point of change”