Editorial

At the end of 2015 we held the first Connecting Coaches conference in New Zealand in eight years. For me that conference highlighted the growing sense of 'community' amongst coaches across the country. This sense of community grew again in 2016 as more and more coaches and coach developers connected, collaborated and continued to learn across a range of contexts. This was brought to life at this year's Connecting Coaches conference (delivered with aplomb last month by the Otago Academy of Sport), where Foundation through to High Performance coaches shared their stories of success, learning and ambition. On that note, it would be remiss of me not to acknowledge the coaches who contributed to our most successful Olympic Games. I'm sure each and every medal winner would acknowledge the role a coach played somewhere along their long road to Rio. Looking ahead, Andrew Eade (Sport NZ's Coaching and Talent Lead) and I are excited about supporting coach development again in 2017, and helping ensure its contribution to sport and local communities is valued and recognised. Have a safe and happy Xmas (and check out Jim Dickins' Tech Blog in this issue for some Xmas gift ideas for coaches!).

Brett Reid, Community Coaching Consultant, Sport NZ  

Tech Blog - Tech Gifts for Sports CoachesAs we reach the end of 2016 it is interesting to note where technology for coaching is headed.  Sport Psychology: Reflect, Refine, Renew [audio]Hear AIS Acting Director Dean Kenneally and AIS Head of Psychology Kirsten Peterson talking to Rowing Gold Medallist Kim Brennan; and Sports Psychologist, Mark Spargo's sport psychology journey - the highlights. (AIS, SoundCloud)  Eddie Jones has made England world beaters again... so how did he do it?Eddie Jones has turned England's fortunes around since taking charge. [Daily Mail]  Coaching conference secures futureThe successful implementation of the NRL's 2016 National Coaching Conference has 300 mentors better placed than ever to help guide rugby league's next generation of stars. [nrl.com]