This is the kind of episode that we joked about for weeks in the group chat we made to keep each other sane. Here, two of my favourite Kiwis in coach education and development join me to ponder some of the questions we face in our daily work: how do we co-design with community coaches, who gets to decide what's worth knowing, and how do we balance "what they need to know" with "what they want to know".

Thank you again to George Robinson and Liam Mulcahy for their time to record this, and their ongoing friendship 🙏🏻

In this episode, I am joined by the kind of coach that I'm sure every kid wishes they had. Craig Stone from Nordic Soccer Club in Burlington, Vermont reached out after I wrote a heartfelt edition of my newsletter, where he quoted this line: The only thing we should be maximising is a sense of wanting to be there, of belonging, of psychological safety and joy and laughter.

Our conversation winds down this road and many more, I hope you enjoy!

You can find the original post in The Thought Garden newsletter (and many more editions!) here: 'you write like you have nothing and everything to lose'

This is our longest episode yet, but I couldn't bring myself to artificially split it in two. Join me in this wonderfully open, curious and pondering adventure through expertise, learning, thinking, knowledging and science as inquiry. I am joined by Martin Camiré and Carl Woods for this correspondence, something I never thought I'd say! As we weave through the things that capture our attention while we're always not/working, I would love to hear how these topics manifest in your world.

In this episode, I think Seb Wilson surprises himself as to why he's on the podcast. As a thoughtful, intentional basketball coach on his own learning journey, the podcast reflects what our coffee catch ups often sound like: meandering through topics until we forget how we got here, and "gardening our thinking" to find meaningful ways to connect with research and real people. You'll love it even more than I enjoyed hosting it!

Listen out for my favourite quote: "the rules of the game [of basketball] are not fundamental."

In this episode, Jenny Coe indulges me in a wandering discussion about the intersection of performance analysis and sport psychology, how we often leave wellbeing for last, and the wonders of movies like Inside Out 2 to help us connect with ourselves. I have had many years of these correspondences that make my heart sing, and I love that I can share one with you!

In this episode, I am joined by Aslan Odev - a coach that is not only going against the grain in an unforgiving football/soccer landscape, but doing so with an admirable amount of humility and integrity.

Ever wondered how to get buy-in from your players? Coach with love. This is a sentiment I have felt but never expressed in these words, and hearing Aslan say them was somewhat liberating. If you show you care, if you really take the time to connect with your learners, you don't need to manufacture buy-in.. they'll trust you enough to try it. And don't forget to admit that you're learning too!

Music credit: Balynt - Chase the Sundown on Soundcloud

Adrian, better known as @ecohoops, is the kind of coach that every kid deserves. Led by his curiosity, he's dedicated to creating environments that inspire fun and enjoyment. We cover so many topics in this episode, including playfulness, designing training for skill development, and who really has the answers (quick tip: nobody does!). Hope you enjoy half as much as I enjoyed recording!

Music credit: Balynt - Chase the Sundown on Soundcloud

In this episode, I had the pleasure of meeting Ben Matthews, a futsal coach in New Zealand who reached out to thank me for being a guest on another podcast. Like most coaches I interview, he wasn't sure he had much to offer, but as you listen to the richness of our emerging correspondence, you'll come to realise that this is never true.

I loved Ben's openness and dedication to making sure sport loves you back.