Editiorial

There is a story below on the 2015 Sport NZ Connecting Coaches Convention, so I won't say anything further here about the convention itself. But what I do want to do is emphasise the value of coaches connecting with coaches, whether that's at a national convention, a club forum or two coaches chatting by a track or pool.

Connecting does not need to be time-consuming or costly. It can take just a phone call, an e-mail, a text or even a Tweet to arrange an opportunity to listen to another coach, observe another coach in action, or have a coach observe you coaching. So, in the spirit of New Year's resolutions, how will you connect with other coaches next year?

For example, whose practical coaching experience would you like to tap into? Who could provide another perspective on the coaching challenges you face? Who could provide feedback on how you coach? It could be a more experienced coach in your sport, or it could be a coach just like you in your sport or in another sport. Whoever it is, I know your shared passion for coaching will lead to great conversations.

From the Sport NZ Community Coaching Team (Andrew Eade, Penina Kenworthy, and myself, Brett Reid) a very Merry Xmas and Happy New Year!Brett Reid, Sport NZ Community Coaching Consultant

Hugh McCutcheon receives special award

After leading a series of coaching clinics in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, Olympic gold-winning coach Hugh McCutcheon was presented with an International Achievement Award by Volleyball New Zealand on May 12. His acceptance speech is also worth a look. (FIVB - view the full article here)

All I Want For Christmas - Tech4Coaching

At the recent Connecting Coaches conference I was asked by a course participant what new technology could be used to help coaching In my perfect world, these are some of the new technologies which I think can make a real difference. (Tech4Coaching - view the full article here)

Coaches Connect at Sport NZ Convention

A brief story on the convention follows, while you can also access presentations and resources from the convention by clicking on the link.

Over 500 coaches attended the 2015 Sport NZ Connecting Coaches Convention on 4-6 December at the Sky City Convention Centre in Auckland.

The convention focused on four themes, all drawn from the New Zealand Coaching Strategy: Leadership, athlete-centred coaching, collaboration and continuous learning. The convention also explored what it meant to coach the 'New Zealand Way'.

Keynote speakers for the convention included All Blacks coach Steve Hansen and Kiwis coach Stephen Kearney, as well as Baroness Sue Campbell and Ali Oliver from the UK Sport Trust.

A highlight of the convention was the Learning Challenge Teams (LCTs). These small groups of cross-sport coaches met four times during the convention to share with each other what they had just heard at a presentation, a workshop, or even during a discussion over lunch. The LCTs were all led by experienced facilitators, some of whom had traveled from Australia to be part of this 'learning convention'.

Another innovation was the use of 'theme weavers' to help coaches begin to make personal meaning of what they had just heard or experienced.

The last Connecting Coaches Convention was held in 2007 but Sport NZ Community Coaching Lead Andrew Eade says it won't be another eight years before the next one. "The support for the convention and the feedback we've had shows that there is a real desire among the New Zealand coaching community to come together, share ideas, and learn off each other. With that in mind, we are already looking at how we can enable other coaching forums to occur on a more regular basis."

Aside from coaches, the convention was also attended by Prime Minister John Key and the Minister of Sport and Health Jonathan Coleman. In addressing the convention at the end of Day One, the Prime Minister recognised the critical role coaches play in New Zealand's sporting landscape, and the contribution they have made to New Zealand's rich sporting heritage. Minister Coleman, a junior football coach himself, acknowledged the time and effort which volunteer coaches put into community sport every day, enabling New Zealand to be one of the most active nations in the world.

Dr John Hellemans eulogy for French triathlete and coach Laurent Vidal

On 10th November this year, French triathlete and coach Laurent Vidal passed away. Vidal was engaged to New Zealand triathlete Andrea Hewitt, and was a frequent visitor to New Zealand for many years. Dr John Hellemans, former coach of Hewitt, became very good friends with Vidal as Hewitt and Vidal were based in Christchurch during our summer. Hellemans attended Vidal's funeral in France and has kindly allowed NZ Coach Magazine to reproduce his eulogy below.

Laurent and Andrea, I cannot name one without naming the other as to me, you are as one.

Laurent, I first met you in 2007 at a World Cup event in Beijing. The occasion was the post-race function held at a spectacular venue, outside, right under the Great Wall, which towered over proceedings. Everyone was in a joyous mood, especially you Laurent. I thought "who is this tall, handsome very French looking man who is flirting so openly with Andrea". To my alarm, within no time, Andrea was seated on your lap, your arms firmly wrapped around her, pretending to protect her from the evening chill, all the while chirping in her ear. The worst part, Andrea, was that you seemed to be enjoying whatever Laurent was saying, oblivious to the stern looks from your coach. I felt some responsibility for your well-being. These types of distractions are not always good for the career of an athlete and therefore the mood of the coach. But I needn't have worried. Laurent, you came to New Zealand that summer and you respected me as Andrea's coach, and Andrea, level-headed as you are, you got on with the business of training. After all, it was the year of the Beijing Olympics where, Andrea, you finished 8th and Laurent, you were 36th, indicating that it was perhaps you who was the one who was distracted.

I needed a break from coaching after Beijing and the two of you decided that Laurent would take over the coaching role against my advice. Generally, it does not work if the coach is the same person as the one you share your bed with. But you proved me wrong. Andrea, you not only kept up your consistent performances but you also kept improving. You both knew how to separate your personal relationship from that of the coach-athlete and you made it work as no other.

Laurent, your impressive athletic career was brutally cut short by a mysterious but serious heart condition. You made the transition from elite athlete to full-time coach cheerfully, eagerly anticipating the opportunities which came with your new role. It cannot have been easy at the time but you never showed it. You were intelligent, inquisitive and full of ideas. We had wonderful discussions around the dinner table and out on the road, running or biking. We share a similar coaching philosophy. We discussed the art and science of training and we talked in depth about the mystery of making altitude training work and the challenges brought about by the different personalities of the athletes we were coaching, things you cannot find in the text books. You scored results very quickly with the athletes you coached establishing yourself in a short time as a coach of international repute.

Laurent, you immediately endeared the New Zealand triathlon community and later the general New Zealand sporting public with your cheeky grin, your thick accent, your soire de vivre, your French looks and flair. You embraced New Zealand and New Zealand embraced you back. You are loved in New Zealand as much as you are here in France.

To the Vidal family we extent our deepest sympathies.

Andrea, we are all hit hard by Laurent's sudden passing but we cannot even begin to imagine how you must feel. Your family is everything to you. They are here for you and so are your friends. Many people, especially those who live on the other side of the world cannot be here today. On behalf of them, the New Zealand triathlon and high performance community and the New Zealand public, I say goodbye to you Laurent. You lived a short but full life and as we witness today, you have touched many lives. Farewell my friend, au revoir mon ami.Laurent Vidal finished 5th in the 2012 London Olympic Games Triathlon.