James Coote is in the business of setting goals and achieving them. “My ultimate goal was to coach for my country at a World Champs and Olympics,” he tells. “But I always knew it would be harder to be taken seriously, as I wasn’t an elite athlete myself.” After taking the women’s double sculls crew […]

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 […]

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 […]

Andy is a team performance expert with a background in psychology & applied neuroscience, who will over the coming months share insights ground 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 […]

Andy is a team performance expert with a background in psychology & applied neuroscience, who will over the coming months share insights ground 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 […]

Motivated by creating a sense of belonging, working with great people and a passion for skiing, first forged on the slopes of Temple Basin as a child, Hamish McDougall has developed into one of the most prominent and successful coaches at Snow Sports NZ. As a coach to three of New Zealand’s elite freeskiers – […]

Equestrian Sports NZ Penny Pearce (nee Castle) has worn many hats in a long and decorated equestrian career. She has successfully juggled competing and coaching while holding significant managerial positions in the high-performance space without missing a beat. In a natural progression from growing up on the family’s steep hill-country farm near Pahiatua, north of […]

Andy is a team performance expert with a background in psychology & applied neuroscience, who will over the coming months share insights ground 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 […]

When Robinhood Stars ANZ Championship Netball Coach, Kiri Wills started coaching she immediately knew coaching was for her. “I just loved it right from the minute I started and I still do today.” An upbringing in the far north of New Zealand surrounded by people is part of the reason why Wills believes she was […]

Canoe Racing NZ – Lead Coach New Zealand men’s kayak squad Leaving his native South Africa to further develop his coaching skillset was a dive into the unknown for Craig Mustard but, ultimately, it couldn’t have worked out any better for himself or New Zealand kayaking. Making a seamless transition from competitive kayaker to coach […]

Peter McIntyre was touted to be one of the best touch coaches around, but was still losing crucial matches. He had represented New Zealand close to 100 times and knew the game inside out, but there was something missing. “I was a very systematic coach when I first started, but I lost a lot of […]

Athletics NZ Para Lead and HP Throws Coach Holding multiple roles in New Zealand athletics over many years, the influence of Raylene Bates has been significant, none more so than her efforts in helping transform Para athletics into a place where it has become the envy of the world. Currently Athletics NZ Para Lead and […]