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Did you ‘consent’ to a punch in the face?
My last blog on sports field assault, foreshadowed a conversation about the ‘consent defense’. Most people I’ve spoken to have either not...
Hugh Lawrence
Aug 13, 20183 min read


A new punchline, an old problem
Last weekend’s dreadful assault in an AFL game by Andrew Gaff on 18-year old Andrew Brayshaw, raises yet again, the question of ‘what was...
Hugh Lawrence
Aug 8, 20184 min read


Representing your country – the hard road : NBA or your national team
OKC star Steve Adams' reported explanation as to why he has not made himself available for selection to the New Zealand basketball team...
Hugh Lawrence
Aug 1, 20183 min read


Tour de Salbutamol – antidoping on the rack
The recent clearance of UK rider, Chris Froome, to ride in this year’s Tour de France adds yet another sorry chapter to this historic...
Hugh Lawrence
Jul 22, 20183 min read


Teaching young athletes not to cheat
The ball tampering events of the last two weeks left me thinking about the early experiences of elite athletes that set the ground work...
Hugh Lawrence
Apr 3, 20183 min read


Fair play - do we understand why (Australian cricketers)?
I was finalising this post when news of the Australian ball tampering came through. Not just an individual player, but a ‘team’ decision...
Hugh Lawrence
Mar 25, 20183 min read


Giving children a chance to be successful sport participants for life – Part 3
The two earlier posts in this three-part series discuss some of the scientific principles of teaching and learning that should underpin...
Hugh Lawrence
Mar 18, 20184 min read


Giving children a chance to be successful sport participants for life - Part 2
In part two of my posts on coaching kids, I look at the acquisition of basic sports skill from a school system perspective. Two main...
Hugh Lawrence
Mar 11, 20183 min read


Giving children a chance to be successful sport participants for life: Part 1
There’s a conversation going on in sport and physical education today that asks whether our children’s experience of sport is good...
Hugh Lawrence
Mar 4, 20182 min read


The coach in the mirror
The late great British athletics coach, Wilf Paish, once told me that in all his fifty years of coaching, no coach had ever come to him...
Hugh Lawrence
Feb 5, 20183 min read


Getting inside your opponent's head
This post has been delayed for two main reasons. First, Coach Lawrence has a been a bit under the weather needing a visit from Dr Greg...
Hugh Lawrence
Jan 25, 20184 min read


Coaches: holding the ethical line
Tennis players turning up to a tournament, withdrawing without serving a ball, yet each claiming guaranteed prize money of $7,604. Then...
Hugh Lawrence
Jan 11, 20183 min read


Public Understanding of Science and Sport
For your New Year holiday reading, today’s post is longer than usual and bit technical. If you’re someone who doesn’t trust science or...
Hugh Lawrence
Jan 1, 20184 min read


Coaching talented juniors and expensive urine!
Earlier this week, I came across a troubling example of a coach talking ‘science’ to justify training programme content for a 16-year old...
Hugh Lawrence
Dec 24, 20173 min read


Paid a lot to head butt and pour beer on the head: a top model earner!
Recent stories of England cricketers doing some odd things after hours in bars is part of a long narrative about professional (mostly...
Hugh Lawrence
Dec 17, 20173 min read


Coach Lawrence said "Just saying".
Of course, not a lot of the standard sayings we have as coaches are original. Often we appropriate the clever words of others and use...
Hugh Lawrence
Dec 10, 20172 min read


Referees don't lose you games!
Recent street protests about and legal challenges to a recent refereeing decision offer us an insight to sport that coaches urgently need...
Hugh Lawrence
Dec 1, 20172 min read


Being the entourage: rules needed
This short post follows my last comments about the role of those who surround athletes (including coaches). I got good feedback on it as...
Hugh Lawrence
Nov 26, 20171 min read


Coached to death? Really?
This was a difficult blog to write. It’s about real people and real consequences. The death on 18 November at 50 of the great Turkish...
Hugh Lawrence
Nov 21, 20172 min read


Coaching Basics (3) “Concentrate. How many times must I tell you?”
This post returns to the issue mentioned in earlier post on individualised training and coaching in team settings. Coaches of individual...
Hugh Lawrence
Nov 19, 20173 min read
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