Supporting & Celebrating New Zealand’s Sport Performance Coaches
Kia ora Koutou ngā matanga nō te ao hākinakina, tēnā koutou.
Welcome to the first edition of Coaches Korero.
Coaches Korero has been established by Sports Performance Coaches New Zealand to support and celebrate our Performance Coaching community in
New Zealand.
Each month we will look to profile 2-3 coaches, share insights from industry experts and take the opportunity to recognise achievements and milestones from across the Performance Coaching Community.
In this issue we introduce our recently appointed board, profile James Mortimer, the coach of Zoe Hobbs, Georgia Hulls, Rosie Elliott & Portia Bing who are all performing with distinction in their respective sprint disciplines and Helene Wilson, the former coach of the Northern Mystics and now HPSNZ’s Women in High Performance Sport Lead.
We also introduce Andrew Longley a Sports Psychologist who will share insights on the art and neuroscience of high-performance coaching.
Going forward, we are keen to recognise and celebrate key coaching milestones and events. So please send through content that you would like us to profile.
Additionally, we are looking to build our community of Performance Coaches, so please pass on this newsletter and also pass on our Interim General Manager, Andrew Gaze’s contact details.
Email: [email protected] Mobile: + 64 21 443 523
Enjoy the read.
Kia ora,
My name is Tom Willmott and I am the Head Coach & Pathway Director for the Snow Sports NZ Park and Pipe Programme. In addition, I am honoured to serve as the inaugural chair of the Sport Performance Coaches New Zealand (SPCNZ) Board, a professional body that has been established to support, recognise and celebrate Performance Coaching in
New Zealand.
My first exposure to the need for this organisation started with the very first Coach Accelerator Programme in 2009 run by Alex McKenzie and included myself, Dayle Cheatley Steve Hansen, Mike Hesson, Yvette McCausland- Durie and Dave Thompson. Over the ensuing period there have been repeated examples of how a professional body for coaches is needed and more recently momentum for this group has been gained via HPSNZ’s Coach Advisory Group.
We finally achieved our goal, when we established our first board and incorporated last month. The foundation board includes – Raylene Bates (Para), Melanie Bosman (Rugby), Angie Dougal (Trampolining), Kirsten Hellier (Athletics), Mike Hesson (Cricket), Yvette McCausland-Durie (Netball) & Craig Philpott (Rugby).
We have spent considerable time over the last 12-18 months working with the advisory group to define our purpose.
We also defined our three primary pillars as:
1. Performance Coach Support & Wellbeing
2. Networking & Mentoring opportunities
3. Celebration and Recognition of Excellence
We are excited about the contribution we can make to the sport performance coaching community and look forward to sharing more as we build our programme of work.
Ngā mihi,
Tom Willmott
Chair
“As a collective group of (Current and Past) Sport Performance Coaches we are passionate about sports coaching and are driven by a desire to positively impact elite athlete performance. We aim to grow a sustainable independent community of collaborative sport performance coaches. We are committed to advancing the profession through high ethical standards, on-going capability development, strong advocacy, support and celebration of sport performance coaches both individually and collectively”
Board Members
Tom Willmott- Chair
Raylene Bates MNZM
Melodie Bosman
Angie Dougal
Kirsten Hellier ONZM, OLY
Mike Hesson ONZM
Yvette McCausland-Durie
Craig Philpott
James Mortimer
As coach to a crack group of New Zealand’s premier sprinters led by the world-class Zoe Hobbs, James Mortimer has earned a reputation as the “king of speed”.
Andrew Longley
The art and neuroscience of high-performance coaching
Andrew is a sports psychologist, who will over the coming months share insights around the art and neuroscience of high-performance coaching
Helene Wilson
When you spend time with Helene Wilson, one thing is immediately clear – she cares greatly about helping people be the best they can be. That’s likely why she was pulled in the direction of teaching, coaching, and now a role that allows her to enable opportunities for women high performance coaches.
Helene Wilson
“Coaches are people first, too, and it’s important that we look after all our people in high performance.”
August – Celebrating our Coaches
Recent Coaching highlights from around the world…
UCI Track & Para Track Cycling World Championships – Glasgow, UK
- Nick Flyger coached Ellesse Andrews to Gold in the Women’s Keirin, to Gold in the Women’s Sprint and 5th in the Women’s Team Sprint.
- Damian Wiseman coached Nicole Murray to Silver in the C5 Women’s Individual Pursuit, Bronze in the C5 Women’s 500m Time Trial and 4th in the C5 Women’s Scratch Race, Devon Briggs to Bronze in the 1km Men’s Time Trial & Bronze in the Men’s C3 Individual Pursuit, Anna Taylor to 4th in the C4 Women’s scratch race, 4th in the C4 Women’s 500m Time Trial & 4th in the C4 Women’s Individual Pursuit and Sarah Ellington to 5th in the Women’s C2 Individual Pursuit, 9th in the Women’s C2 500m Time Trial & 8th in the Women’s C2 Scratch Race.
- Paul Manning coached the Women’s Team Pursuit to Silver, Michaela Drummond to Bronze in the Women’s scratch race, Sami Donnelly to 9th in the Women’s Individual Pursuit, Bryony Botha to 7th in the Women’s Madison & 6th in the Women’s Omnium.
- Jono Hailstone coached Ben Westenberg to Silver in the Men’s C4 Scratch Race & 5th in the C4 Men’s Individual Pursuit and 9th in the C4 1km Men’s Time Trial.
- Adrian Hegyvary coached the Men’s Team Pursuit to Bronze, Aaron Gate – Gold in the Men’s Points race, Aaron Gate & Campbell Stewart to 3rd in the Men’s Madison and George Jackson to 5th in the Men’s Elimination Race.
Mountain Biking
- Christoph Sauser coached Samuel Gaze to Silver in the Cross Country Olympic & Gold in the Cross Country Short Track.
- David Plew coached Anton Cooper to 10th Place in the Cross Country Short Track & 10th Place Cross Country Short Track.
Road & Para Road Cycling
- Vicki Flemming coached Eltje Malzbender to Silver in the Women’s T2 Time Trial and Silver in the Women’s T2 Road Race.
- Avery Wilcox coached Rory Mead to 4th in the Men’s T2 Time Trial and 5th in the Men’s T2 Road Race.
- Damian Wiseman coached Nicole Murray to 5th in the C5 Women’s Road Race & 6th in the C5 Women’s Time Trial, Sarah Ellington to 6thin the Women’s C2 Time Trial and Anna Taylor to 10th in the C4 Women’s Time Trial.
- Stu McDonald coached Stephen Hills to 9th in •
2023 World Para Swimming Championships
- Tom Onley coached Cameron Leslie, S4 to Gold in the 50m Backstroke, Silver in the 100m
Women’s Pole Vault.
- Evan Cooper coached James Preston & Justin Rinaldi coached Brad Mathas in the Men’s 800m.
Free, Bronze in the 50m Free and Bronze in the ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships –
200m Free.
- Sheldon Kemp coached Tupou Neiufi(S8) to Bronze in the 100m Backstroke & Joshua
Willmer (SB8) to 6th in the 100m Breaststroke.
Netball – World Cup, Cape Town, South Africa
- Dame Noeline Taurua and Debbie Fuller coached the Silver Ferns to 4th at the Netball World Cup,
FIG Trampoline World Cup, Palm Beach Florida
- Angie Dougal coached Dylan Schmidt to 2nd
- Alex Nilov coached Madeline Davidson to 8th
- Nigel Humphries coached Bronwyn Dibb to 4th in the Double Mini Tramp
Judo Grand Prix – Zagreb
- Luke Preston coached Sydnee Andrews to 3rd in 78kg+.
Hockey BSW – Oceania Cup – Head Coach: Phil Burrows
- Phil Burrows coached the Hockey BSW in the Oceania Cup. Australia won the series 2-0
- Greg Nicol coached the BSM in the Oceania Cup. Australia won the series 2-1
Water Polo – Women’s Oceania Olympic Qualification Series
- Angie Winstanley Smith coached the Women’s team. Australia won the series 2-0
Yachting – 2023 World Championships, Hague, NED
- Matt Steven coached Isaac McHardie/William McKenzie to 4th in the 49er’s.
- Javier Torres coached Jo Aleh/Molly Meech to 6th in the 49er FX.
- Anton Paz coached Micah Wilkinson/Erica Dawson to 8th in the Nacra 17.
- Mark Howard coached George Gautrey to 3rd in the ILCA 7.
- Jenny Armstrong coached Olivia Christie to 71st in the ILCA 6.
- Nathan Handley coached Josh Armit to 7th in the Men’s Windfoil.
- Geoff Woolley coached Veerle ten Have to 22nd in the Women’s Windfoil.
- Matt Thomas coached Lukas Walton-Keim to 28th in the Men’s Kitefoil.
- Antonio Cozzolino coached Justina Kitchen to 24th in the Women’s Kitefoil.
World athletics championships, Budapest, Hungary. August 19-27
- Hayden Hall coached Tom Walsh to 4th in the Men’s Shot Put.
- Dale Stevenson coached Jacko Gill to 6th in the Men’s Shot Put and also Lauren Bruce in the Women’s Hammer.
- Dathan Ritzenhein coached George Beamish to 5th in the 3000m Steeplechase.
- Mike Schofield coached Maddie Wesche to 7th in the Women’s Shot Put and Connor Bell to 10th in the Men’s Discuss.
- James Mortimer coached Zoe Hobbs in the 100m (Semi Final) and Georgia Hulls in the 200m, Rosie Elliott in the 400m and Portia Bing in the 400 Hurdles.
- Craig Kirkwood coached Samuel Tanner in the 1500m (Semi Final).
- Terry Lomax coached Hamish Kerr in the High Jump.
- Kirsten Hellier coached Tori Peeters to 13th in the Women’s Javelin.
- Matt Dallow coached Eliza McCartney in the Women’s Pole Vault.
- Evan Cooper coached James Preston & Justin Rinaldi coached Brad Mathas in the Men’s 800m.
ICF Canoe World Championships – Duisburg, Germany. August 23-27
- Gordon Walker & Chris Mehak coached Lisa Carrington to Gold in the K1 500 and Gold in the K1 200. Women’s K4 to Gold in the K4 500. Women’s K2 to 8th in the K2 500. Corbin Hart to 9th Men’s KL3.
- Craig Mustard coached the Men’s K4 to 13th in the K4.
- Leigh Barker coached Scott Martlew to 4th in the Men’s KL2.
- Myka Nuku coached Peter Cowan to 9th in the Men’s VL3.
- Leigh Barker coached Scott Martlew to 4th in the Men’s KL2.
- Myka Nuku coached Peter Cowan to 9th in the Men’s VL3.
2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup, Manila, Philippines
- Pero Cameron is coaching the Tall Blacks
Our Plans
As highlighted earlier our Purpose is…
As a collective group of Sport Performance Coaches we are passionate about sports coaching and are driven by a desire to positively impact elite athlete performance. We aim to grow a sustainable independent community of collaborative sport performance coaches. We are committed to advancing the profession through high ethical standards, on-going capability development, strong advocacy and the support and celebration of sport performance coaches both individually and collectively.
Initially, our focus will be on the following three pillars
1. Support & Wellbeing
We will look to establish a suite of advisory partners and providers to support our Performance Coaches. We aim to offer support in the areas of health, wellbeing, legal, finance, public relations, learning and development and career transition advisory.
We want to be in a position to provide support for Performance Coaches when they are going through challenging times.
2. Networking & Mentoring
We will facilitate the establishment of a Performance Coach Community & Network.
We will do this by running regular events at both a regional and national level, where performance coaches can meet, be supported and grow.
We will also look to build both formal and
informal mentoring structures through our Performance Coach Community.
1. Celebration & Recognition
We will establish regular communications through newsletters and other platforms. This will enable us to present updates on the latest news and developments, celebrate and recognise our Performance Coaches.
SPCNZ is a professional body for you, our Performance Coaches, so feel free to make recommendations on how we can deliver a meaningful and value-adding programme of work.
Our board will meet on a bi-monthly basis, with the next meeting on Monday September 18.
Finally, we are looking for content for our monthly newsletter, so please send through any updates, information or stories that you believe will enhance our newsletter going forward.
SPCNZ Contact Details – Andrew Gaze Email: [email protected] & Mobile: 021 443 523