Stop waiting for a natural leader to appear. Leadership is a skill And won't appear without intentional coaching. Special guest, author John O'Sullivan breaks down what it actually takes to build genuine influence in a team, and why so many captains (and coaches) are confusing position with leadership. Dive into episode 52 of the Don’t Tell Me Show Me podcast with Mark Bennett and Simon Turner.

One shaky relationship between coach, athlete and parent can ruin the holistic development of a young person. A look at why strengthening any single side of that triangle changes the whole structure, and how to pass the Triangle Test. Episode 51 of the Don’t Tell Me Show Me podcast with Mark Bennett and Simon Turner.

Most coaches didn't get into coaching to manage parents. But what if that framing is exactly the problem? Skye Eddy, founder of The Sideline Project, makes the case that parents are one of the most underused resources in youth sport. This episode reframes the coach-parent relationship from a liability to a competitive advantage. Episode 50 of the Don’t Tell Me Show Me podcast with Simon Turner and guest Skye Eddy of The Sideline Project.

Most coaches wait until match day to find out whether their players actually learned something. By then, it's too late to do anything about it. This episode gives you a simple, practical tool for checking real retention in every session — without leading questions, without false data, and without waiting for a game to expose the gap. Episode 49 of the Don’t Tell Me Show Me podcast with Mark Bennett and Simon Turner.

Before you've asked a single question, your athletes have already decided how honest they're going to be with you. This episode gets into the structural reasons why even your most trusted players are still filtering what they tell you — and what coaches can actually do to close that gap. Episode 48 of the Don’t Tell Me Show Me podcast with Mark Bennett and Simon Turner.

You could have the perfect system and still be losing your players. If the athletes executing your style of play can't articulate it, believe in it, or see themselves in it — the tactics don't matter. A direct conversation on clarity, flexibility, and what "philosophy" actually costs when it goes wrong on ep. 47 of the Don’t Tell Me Show Me podcast with Mark Bennett and Simon Turner.

Most coaches say they don't live and die by the score line but their behaviour after a loss tells a different story. This episode tackles what it really means to succeed as a coach, and gives you a practical framework to measure what matters before the whistle even goes.

Every coach has a communication default that can work against their own development. Simon and Mark dig into the introvert/extrovert coaching dynamic, why reactive communication creates a free-for-all, and how pre-agreed frameworks change everything. For coaches who want to get their communication right. Simon opens up about coaching as an introvert — the energy cost of stepping up, the habit of going last, and the real risk of holding back too long. With Mark's framework for pre-agreed communication and the rule of three, this one is practical therapy for any coach wrestling with when their voice actually adds value.

Are you developing as a coach on your own, or do you have people around you who support you to grow? On ep. 44, Simon and Mark are joined by Dean and James from EVO Group to show what genuine coach development looks like in action. From priority works to peer support to hot reviews, this is 15 years of relentless commitment distilled into practical tools coaches can use today.