Coaching wasn’t on Simon Kent’s radar when he first travelled halfway around the world, but it became a passion that he’s embraced wholeheartedly for the last two decades. Born in Hastings, on the south coast of England, Kent attended boarding school from the age of 11, and when he reached 18, he thought that a […]

For many athletes, a lifetime in sport naturally evolves into coaching. For athletics coach Sonia Waddell, that journey began when her eldest daughter Sophie started high school and joined the athletics team. When the school’s sprint coach needed support with hurdle technique, she called on Waddell — a former World Junior representative in the 400m […]

When Ellie Tresidder was a kid, she was told she shouldn’t play sport again and that she’d need a knee replacement before she was 25. “I cracked the end of my femur after two big crashes growing up – one off my bike and one off my trampoline within a week of each other.” “We just ignored […]

A casual arrangement with champion single sculler Rob Waddell 18 years ago was enough to change the career path of Mike Rodger and with it, a celebrated climb to becoming one of New Zealand’s premier rowing coaches. As an elite level athlete, Rodger won a silver medal in the lightweight men’s double sculls at the […]

When an adult Amber Clyde saw a young girl alone and nervous at the skate park, she saw her younger self. Clyde had given up skateboarding as a teenager, after feeling very anxious at the skate park as the only girl, but took up the sport again after giving birth to her first child. “I […]

Teaching and coaching were never on Aaron Osborne’s radar, but to his surprise, he followed two influential people in his life and ended up doing both. His mother was a teacher and despite his early reluctance to follow her into the profession, he would go on to teach at Western Heights High School in Rotorua […]

Shea McAleese spent over 15 years competing at the highest level of international hockey, representing New Zealand 320 times and playing at four Olympic Games. Today, his passion is focused on helping the next generation grow, both on and off the turf. “I’m still very new to coaching, and that’s what I love about it. […]

Jo Morrison’s coaching inspiration comes from all over the world. And a recent study trip to Europe has inspired the netball coach more than ever. The former Silver Fern was given funding through the Te Hāpaitanga programme, which provides opportunities for women in high performance sport coaching. Morrison chose to use her scholarship money to […]

A mastermind behind the intricacies of what determines a successful rugby scrum, Mike Cron has achieved legendary status, and nearly 40 years on remains in hot demand for his coaching expertise around the world. A rarity in the uncertain world of sport’s coaching, Cron has never had to worry about job security since swapping from […]

Tess Mattern grew up as a swimmer in Northern California, starting racing at just four years old. But following her own path has led her to becoming one of the top triathlon coaches in the South Island. With two older sisters who swam, Mattern grew up at the pool, and swam throughout uni, teaching kids […]

One morning, Emma Millar will be coaching Commonwealth Games gold medallist Joelle King. In the afternoon, she’ll run Racket Rascals, a programme for two to four-year olds. When the evening hits, she might be teaching an adult how to hold a squash racket for the very first time, or a teenager who’s aiming to represent […]

Jason Koster was the classic Kiwi kid when he was growing up in Christchurch. He played multiple sports, but when his brother took up judo, nine-year old Jason was reluctant to join him on the mat – until his father Rob stepped in. “Dad said, ‘if I get on, will you get on?’” and so […]