Not so long ago a coaching pathway in performance sport was not always a clearcut option for James Sandilands but it has taken him little time to land in a spot that most coaches can only dream of. Becoming the lead coach of high jumper Hamish Kerr less than a year out from this year’s […]

Sara McGlashan was one of the first Kiwi women’s cricketers to receive a professional contract, and now the players she coaches can see a career in cricket for themselves, and even the chance to be world champions. In 2013, four White Ferns, including McGlashan, were awarded with one-year contracts to be able to focus on […]

Savouring the moment is often a short-lived experience for Cory Sweeney, who instead, spends much of his time looking ahead and plotting the course of continued success for the Black Ferns Sevens. From Black Ferns assistant coach (2016 – 17) to Black Ferns co-coach (2019 – 2021) to Black Ferns head coach (2021 – present), […]

A deep-seated passion for horses, a thirst for knowledge, and a fondness for problem-solving have helped propel Andrea Raves to the top echelon of dressage coaching in New Zealand. Andrea’s career highlights included assisting the late Julie Brougham at the Rio 2016 Olympics and the World Equestrian Games in Tryon 2018. More recently, she has […]

(CK Coaching) Eleven years after taking a leap of faith, there’s been no looking back for Craig Kirkwood, his expertise in helping two rookies, in particular, transition from aspirants to world-class athletes rubber-stamping his decision. Taking a circuitous route before making the plunge into fulltime coaching, Kirkwood had a wide-ranging resume across many facets of […]

Chelsea Lane doesn’t back away from a challenge. The woman who once had to Google how many players wereon a basketball team is now the proud owner of two NBA championship rings and a reputation as one of the very best in developing high-performance systems. “My whole reason for being on the planet is the […]

Forging his path from highly capable front row forward in club rugby to assistant coach of one of the most recognisable teams in world sport, the All Blacks, Jason Ryan has become a coaching rarity in the process. Always his own man, Ryan has rolled the dice and made brave decisions while being confronted with […]

Melodie Bosman knows how to turn a challenge into an opportunity. Remote coaching during Super Rugby Aupiki was a big change from what Bosman was used to, valuing face-to-face interaction. But the lessons she learnt from it have helped her greatly in her role as assistant coach for the USA women’s team. Bosman is Black […]

For so long, the primary perception of surfing has been romanticized as a recreational lifestyle activity for the adventurous and carefree. However, there is a growing mindset shift and appreciation of surfing as a serious sport that requires dedication, training and respect for the ocean. Growing up on the Whangamata beachfront, Matt Scorringe was destined […]

If someone tells Angela Winstanley-Smith that she can’t do something, she takes it as a challenge. And after being two goals short of the Paris Olympics, her drive to take her team to an Olympic Games is bigger than ever. The head coach of the New Zealand women’s water polo team since 2017, Winstanley-Smith used […]

Rob Moore has coaching down to a science in a sport where milliseconds and millimetres count. Moore is the head coach of the speed programme at Climbing NZ, as well as the company’s high-performance director, and has almost 30 years of experience in coaching climbing. His passion for the sport is clear and matches his […]

Te Korowai recognize that taking care of our well-being is vitally important as coaches. After all, it’s a stressful job with performance pressures, time away from our friends and family, media scrutiny, and sometimes a lack of job security. As coaches, we regularly think about our athletes before we think about ourselves because that’s why […]