April 2024 Issue No. 8
Kia ora koutou ngā matanga nō te ao hākinakina, tēnā kotuou.
Welcome to the eighth edition of Coaches Kōrero.
Welcome to the seventh edition of Coaches Kōrero.
Coaches Kōrero has been established to recognise and celebrate our Performance Coaching community in New Zealand.
In this issue, we profile Chiefs Manawa coach Crystal Kaua and Greg Nicol, Black Sticks Men’s Hockey Coach.
Andrew Longley, a team performance expert with a background in psychology and applied neuroscience, shares the latest instalment in his ongoing series. This month, he discusses Coaching for Motivation.
In addition, I am very pleased to share that we have appointed Andrew Gaze as our General Manager for the next stage of our evolution. Andrew was initially contracted to establish our organisation and has done a great job laying the foundations. The board spent time reviewing our next phase requirements and decided to go to market to ensure we had the right person to deliver on our objectives.
We received a number of high quality applicants for the role, Andrew was clearly the leading candidate bringing astrong level of knowledge, expertise and energy to the table. Andrew has a wide range of experience across the sporting landscape, having previously worked for Fay, Richwhite, leading the commercialisation of their investment in Manu Samoa Rugby. He then spent thirteen years working for Adidas, where he was responsible for the launch of Adidas partnership with NZ Rugby. This was followed by four years based in Amsterdam as the Global Head of Rugby, where he was involved in leading the rugby business unit. A role where he was involved in signing commercial partnerships with NZ Rugby, the British and Irish Lions, RWC 07, Jonah Lomu, Dan Carter, Richie McCaw and Jonny Wilkinson.
Post that, Andrew has had senior leadership roles in Asia and NZ, primarily in Global Sales & Marketing.
Added to the above is Andrew’s passion for coaching and the Performance Coaching Community in New Zealand. Andrew also leads the Coach for Life Foundation. Please join me in congratulating Andrew on this extended appointment.
Ngā mihi,
Tom Willmott
Chair
Crystal Kaua
Brutal and beautiful is the way that rugby coach Crystal Kaua wants the Chiefs Manawa team to play.
It’s also a perfect way to describe the rugby coach’s life so far.
“I love that feeling of navigating hard stuff. Because I believe greatness is on the other side of that – you need to be brutal and beautiful at times.”
Raised in Tairāwhiti Gisborne, Kaua’s passion for coaching stems from a deep desire to help young people find and become involved in sport.
Greg Nicol
The men’s Black Sticks team won’t be going to the tattoo parlour at the Paris Olympics this year.
Head coach Greg Nicol says the team’s goal isn’t to attend the Olympics; they’re going there to be competitive and win games.
“I think too many teams and athletes go to the Olympic Games, and it is just about getting to the Olympics and getting the tattoo type of thing,” he laughs, referencing athletes receiving the Olympic rings as a tattoo.
“Whereas I think this group of players are a bit more aspirational, and that’s really pleasing for me.”
Andrew Longley
coachup.academy: The art and neuroscience of
high-performance coaching
Article 8 in the Series of 12
Andy is a team performance expert with a background in psychology & applied neuroscience, who will, over the coming months, share insights into the art and neuroscience of high-performance coaching. Each article will share a little of the latest applied neuroscience plus give simple tips on how to practically bring it to life in your own coaching.
Coach Recognition – March 2024
ATHLETICS – WORLD INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS – GLASGOW, SCOTLAND
- James Sandilands coached Hamish Kerr to 1st in the High Jump with a jump of 2.3m – a PB, National Record & Oceania Record.
- Scott Simpson coached Eliza McCartney to 2nd in the Pole Vault.
- Hayden Hall coached Tom Walsh to 2nd in the Shot Put.
- James Mortimer coached Zoe Hobbs to 4th in the 60m with a time of 7.06 – a PB, National Record & Oceania Record.
- Mike Schofield coached Maddie Wesche to 4th in the Shot Put, with a throw of 19.62m – a PB.
- Dale Stevenson coached Jacko Gill to 5th in the Shot Put.
SNOW SPORTS – FIS ALPINE WORLD CUP. KVITFJELL, NORWAY
- Tim Cafe & Nils Coberger coached Alice Robinson to 9th in the Super-G, 15th Downhill.
FIG Trampoline World Cup. BAKU, AZERBAIJAN
- Angie Dougal coached Dylan Schmidt to 10th.
- Alex Nilov coached Maddie Davidson to 11th
RUGBY SEVENS – WORLD SERIES – LOS ANGELES, USA
- Cory Sweeney coached Black Fern 7’s
- Tomasi Cama coached the All Black 7’s
CYCLING NZ NATIONAL TRACK CHAMPIONSHIPS, CAMBRIDGE
- Paul Manning coached Bryony Botha to 1st Women’s Individual Pursuit setting a new National Record.
ATHLETICS – SIR GRAEME DOUGLAS INVITATIONAL – AUCKLAND
- Alan McDonald coached Danielle Aitchison to 1st in the T36 100m 13.63 (+1.8 m/s). A National Record, 0.02 off World Record
- George Edwards coached Will Stedman to 1st in the T36 400m 54.09, 1st T36 Long Jump.
- Raylene Bates coached Holly Robinson to 1st in the F46 Shot Put.
- Dame Valerie Adams coached Lisa Adams to 1st in the F37 Shot Put
- Wikus Olivier coached Ethan Olivier to 1st in the Triple Jump & Welre Olivier to 3rd in the Triple Jump.
ATHLETICS – NCAA INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS, BOSTON, USA
- Alex Gibby coached Maia Ramsden to 1st in the Mile – a Meet Record
- Ray Treacy coached Kimberley May to 3rd in the Mile.
ATHLETICS NAGOYA MARATHON, NAGOYA, JAPAN
- Alex Gibby coached Maia Ramsden to 1st in the Mile – a Meet Record
- Ray Treacy coached Kimberley May to 3rd in the Mile.
SAILING – 2024 49ER AND 49ERFX WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP – LANZAROTE, SPAIN
- Matt Stevens coached the 49ers Men (Issac McHardie and Will McKenzie) to 15th
- Javi Torres coached 49ers FX Women (Jo Aleh and Molly Meech) to the 12th.
SNOW SPORTS – FIS ALPINE WORLD CUP FINALS, SAALBACH, AUSTRIA.
- Tim Cafe & Nils Coberger coached Alice Robinson to the 2nd in the Giant Sialom.
SNOW SPORTS – FIS WORLD CUP, TIGNES, FRANCE
- Hamish McDougall coached Ruby Andrews to 7th in the Freeski Slopestyle & Luca Harrington to 9th in the Freeski Big Air.
UCI TRACK CYCLING NATIONS CUP, HONG KONG
- Paul Manning coached Bryony Botha, Sami Donnelly, Nicole Shields, Emily Shearman to Gold in the Women’s Team Pursuit and Bryony Botha & Emily Shearman to Silver in the Women’s Madison
- Adrian Hegyvary coached Aaron Gate to Gold in the Men’s Omnium, Aaron Gate & Campbell Stewart to Gold in the Men’s Madison & George Jackson, Keegan Hornblow, Tom Sexton, Campbell Stewart to Bronze in the Men’s Team Pursuit.
UCI PARA TRACK CYCLING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS, RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL
- Damian Wiseman coached Anna Taylor to Silver, Women’s C4 500m Time Trial & Bronze, Women’s Omnium. Nicole Murray to Bronze in the Women’s C5 500m Time Trial, Bronze, Women’s C5 Scratch Race & Silver in the Women’s C5 Individual Pursuit. Devon Briggs to Gold & a World Record in the Men’s C3 1km Time Trial & Bronze, Men’s C3 Individual Pursuit.
SNOW SPORTS – FIS WORLD CUP, SILVAPLANA, SWITZERLAND
- Hamish McDougall coached Luca Harrington to 3rd Freeski Slopestyle & Ruby Andrews to 4th in the Freeski Slopestyle
- Sean Thompson coached Tiarn Collins to 4th in the Snowboard Slopestyle.
SNOW SPORTS – FIS PARA ALPINE WORLD CUP. SELLA NEVEA, ITALY
- Daniel Bogue coached Adam Hall to 5th Slalom.
SNOW SPORTS – FIS ALPINE WORLD CUP FINALS. SAALBACH, AUSTRIA.
- Tim Cafe & Nils Coberger coached Alice Robinson to 14th in the Downhill.
ATHLETICS – TROJAN INVITATIONAL. LOS ANGELES USA
- Kirsten Hellier coached Connor Bell to 1st in the Discus 66.71m – a National Record.
FIG TRAMPOLINE WORLD CUP, COTTBUS, GERMANY
- Angie Dougal coached Dylan Schmidt to 4th – with a PB score
- Alex Nilov coached Maddie Davidson to 6th 2024
WORLD TRIATHLON CUP HONG KONG – SPRINT DISTANCE
- John Hellemans coached Saxon Morgan 10th in the Elite Men.
2024 EUROPE TRIATHLON CUP QUARTEIRA – OLYMPIC DISTANCE
- Paulo Soulsa coached Nicole Van Der Kaay to 13th in the Elite Women.
CRICKET – NZ WHITE FERNS HOSTING ENGLAND IN T20 SERIES
- Ben Sawyer is coaching the White Ferns.
PARIS 2024 OLYMPIC GAMES – SELECTION CONFIRMED: Speed Climbing
- Rob Moore coached Sarah Tetzlaff to Olympic Qualification in Speed Climbing & Julian David to Olympic Qualification in Speed Climbing.
SAILING
- Mike Bullot coached Tom Saunders to Olympic\Qualification in the ILCA7 (Laser men)
- Anton Paz coached Micah Wilkinson and Erica Dawson to Olympic Qualification in the Nacra17.
- Paul Snow-Hansen coached Veerle ten Have to Olympic Qualification in the IQFoil Women.
- Nathan Handley coached Josh Armit to Olympic Qualification in the IQFoil Men.