Hugh LawrenceOct 31, 20172 minIt's the putting right that countsA well-known New Zealand electronics retailer of the 1980s, the late Alan Martin, had a strap-line on TV adverts in which he appeared,...
Hugh LawrenceOct 29, 20172 minMichael Jordan failed: then succeeded"I've failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed. And that is is why I succeed." (Michael Jordan, 1998)...
Hugh LawrenceOct 22, 20172 min"Coach - I got this"Sometimes we need to know when to keep quiet! We have a lot to say in practice. Skill or technical correction is a critical part of our...
Hugh LawrenceOct 20, 20172 minCoaching philosophy.....or somethingCoaches often talk about their philosophy. But what we often then get is less philosophical and more about 'what' coaches do. So let's...
Hugh LawrenceOct 14, 20173 minDeterrence, doping and right actions in sportThe World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has responsibility for the World Anti-Doping Code (the Code). New Zealand’s own Drug Free Sport New...
Hugh LawrenceOct 14, 20172 minTeacher coach: the secret sauceIt's common for coaches and players to think that the effective elite coach has 'secret sauce' in their coaching that lower level coaches...
Hugh LawrenceOct 14, 20172 minThe teacher-coach: what makes good?Good coaches act like good teachers. They care about those over whom they have responsibility and constantly engage in reflection on what...
Hugh LawrenceOct 14, 20171 minCoach or teacher - what's the differenceIt's a provocative title, as I've often been asked this question, or versions of it. My answer is simple. When I coach - I teach. And...
Hugh LawrenceOct 14, 20171 minCustomised coaching in team or group settingsThis might be an odd title. But it's a long-standing topic. How to ensure your athletes get a meaningful amount of your time in a team or...
Hugh LawrenceOct 14, 20171 minTraining hard - the easy dayUS Navy SEALs have a saying, "The only easy day was yesterday". The military has a long history of preparing its soldiers for combat...
Hugh LawrenceOct 14, 20171 minSport, political freedom and the costWhy do we coach? Events in sport today present us with a teachable moment. At the 1968 Mexico Olympics, 200m Gold medallist, Tommie Smith...
Hugh LawrenceOct 14, 20171 minThinking about what?"Concentrate!" "You have to get your head in the game!" and other unhelpful phrases. These vague instructions rarely work unless the...
Hugh LawrenceOct 14, 20171 minCoach Lawrence said... just sayingsOf 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 LawrenceOct 14, 20171 minIt's all about anglesA couple of pointers: 👉Many coaches stand at the oddest angles to watch the athletes train. In competition, you mostly don't get much...
Hugh LawrenceOct 14, 20172 minThe Pyramid of SuccessThe great UCLA basketball coach John Wooden once said that "Talent is God-given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is...
Hugh LawrenceOct 14, 20173 minDeterrence, doping and right actions in sportThe World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has responsibility for the World Anti-Doping Code (the Code). New Zealand’s own Drug Free Sport New...
Hugh LawrenceOct 14, 20172 minRussian systems (2)One of the early messages I heard from those trying to understand the Russian system of long-term athlete development was the suggestion...
Hugh LawrenceOct 14, 20172 minThoughts on Russian athlete development (1)Earlier in September 2017, along with China, Turkey and others, Russia was suspended from international weightlifting for one year. The...
Hugh LawrenceOct 14, 20172 minCoaching basics (1)I was asked recently if I could summarise the basics of coaching. My first responses were, how long have you got to hear the summary and...
Hugh LawrenceOct 14, 20172 minWheat from the chaff and other foreign phrasesAt a recent weightlifting session, I pointed out to one lifter that the clean and jerk component of a competition “sorted the wheat from...