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In this episode I sit down with Chris Duncan, Head Coach of Scotland's National Women's Hockey team and Programme Lead for Women's Pathway. We discuss leadership, strategic coordination, managing coaching dynamics, fostering and nurturing relationships, and coach development.

Lessons to be learned for those coaching within international set ups and club level set ups alike!

Takeaways

• Coaching is about guiding athletes to long-term improvement while balancing short-term results.
• Clear role definition within coaching teams improves efficiency and performance.
• Athlete development should be supported across club, school, and national programmes, not fragmented.
• A shared coaching vocabulary enhances communication and decision-making.
• High-performance teams thrive on autonomy within a structured philosophy.
• Transparent selection processes build trust and accountability.
• Authenticity in leadership fosters stronger coach-athlete relationships.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Overview of Coaching Responsibilities

04:57 Distinctions Between International and Club Coaching

07:34 Development Pathways in Women's Hockey

11:00 Bio-Banding and Player Development Philosophy

15:15 The Importance of Shared Language in Coaching

18:45 Building Relationships and Commitment to Player Development

22:55 Navigating Performance Feedback and Player Growth

26:31 Managing Individual and Team Development

32:40 Coaching Team Dynamics and Role Clarity

36:28 The Art of Letting Go in Coaching

39:21 Establishing Structure and Autonomy

41:44 Role Reversal: Learning Through Experience

45:29 Consistency in Coaching Dynamics

50:48 The Importance of Trust and Authenticity

01:02:41 Navigating Coaching Challenges and Feedback

01:13:09 Key Takeaways for Effective Coaching

If you enjoyed this episode, I suggest checking out these previous episodes too:

Lessons from the best coaches, with John OSullivan

Kevin Nicol - Providing structure within tactics

Managing people, with Michael Tuohy

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https://markjcarrollcoaching.wordpress.com/consultancy/

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