Dan welcomes Dr Kimberly Berens, founder of Fit Learning  and CEO of Fit Learning Online and author of Blind Spots: Why Students Fail and the Science That Can Save Them.Fit Learning is a powerful system of instruction based in behavioural science and the Technology of Teaching, and it aims to transform the learning abilities of children, which it does in the US, Canada, Europe and Australia.To find out more about Fit Learning, go to: http://fitlearningonline.com/In the podcast, they discuss:How Kimberly found watching her son's experience of being coached filled her with horrorHow there's too much talk and not enough practiceWhy measuring progress is vitalThe key to learning through reinforcementThe huge variability in the learning processSimple methods of counting to help check individual progress and what you need to do next when you know the resultsWhat you need to master and whyHow to differentiate across a larger groupHelping parents help their children to "work harder" without becoming too bossyTo find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach WeeklyAlso, tap into the library of 4,000 pages of activities, advice, tactics and tips to help you become the best rugby coach you can be!

Dan quizzes the Myths of Sports Coaching editors around how we deal with some of the muddling thinking coaches believe is true.Dr Amy Whitehead is an Associate Professor at Liverpool John Moores University, and Jenny Coe is the Performance Well-Being Lead for the Women's Professional Game at the FA.Their first edition was so good that they’ve been persuaded to do a second edition, which will be out in the autumn. In the book, they invited experts to delve into myths about learning styles, deliberate practice, coaching women differently, and fundamental movement.Here's a link to the first edition on Amazon.In this episode, we talk about:What are the most pervasive myths in sports coaching?Is coaching girls any different to coaching boys?How do you approach a coach who is hung up on something you know is a myth?At what stage do you stop discussing, check and challenging as a group, and start making hard and fast decisions?How much evidence does there need to be until a “finding” becomes a myth?Should we use SMART goals?How do we discern the research validity from authors who have a vested interest in continually proving they are right?How evidence from verbal answers needs to be looked at carefully, because interpretation can easily not be what the respondent first meant.To find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach WeeklyAlso, tap into the library of 4,000 pages of activities, advice, tactics and tips to help you become the best rugby coach you can be!

Dan chats to Telegraph sports journalist Fi Tomas about where women’s rugby needs to go next. Fi has worked on the paper since 2019, was number 11 on 2023 BBC Women's Hour Power List and recently nominated for the 2023 British Sports Journalism women’s category. She is a keen advocate for a stronger voice in female sports.In the podcast, they look at:Why women want to play rugbyThe hurdles facing women in sportHow the media portrays women in sportWhat needs to be addressed in terms of language and attracting a broader audienceThe issues that rugby faces, from male-dominated spaces to the role of governing bodiesHow sports should appeal to a new generation, and why commentators need to ensure they help grow the gameTo find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach WeeklyAlso, tap into the library of 4,000 pages of activities, advice, tactics and tips to help you become the best rugby coach you can be!

Ralph Knibbs, Head of Human Resources at UK Athletics and a Bristol rugby legend, chats with Samba Ceesay, Broad Plain RFC’s captain.In an extraordinary podcast, Ralph first describes his journey as a black player from a non-traditional rugby background, why he turned down playing for England twice and how his children made him more self-aware about being a role model.He then asks Samba about his journey. Coming to rugby late, Samba talks about how Broad Plain stood up for him, allowed him to become a better player, and what led him to lead the club.As the podcast unfolds, you will hear how Ralph helps Samba acknowledge his crucial role in giving others the confidence to follow their ambitions.They reflect on the challenges faced by black players, both professional and amateur, but also the development of leadership skills, camaraderie, and a sense of family and belonging.Listen to find out how two humble sportsmen, who love their sport, want to make rugby a more inclusive and diverse environment.Click here to find out more about the Star SchemeClick here to find out more about the Rugby Black ListTo find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach WeeklyAlso, tap into the library of 4,000 pages of activities, advice, tactics and tips to help you become the best rugby coach you can be!

This podcast is dedicated to the memory of one of the guest's daughter, who passed away suddenly a few weeks after the recording. The Peel family have set up a donation page for Katie in support of FarmAbility. Here's a link.https://www.justgiving.com/page/katiepeelfarmabilityPlease listen to this inspiring journey of three coaches providing something amazing. It needs us all to reflect on setting up a SEND rugby programme.Dan Cottrell speaks to Darren Rea, John Peel and Gareth Lewis of Gosford All Blacks, Wallingford and Whitney rugby clubs.There are plenty of lessons for all of us, but specifically, we focus on:How to set up the programmeHow to make it a realistic and inclusive environmentEasy ways to involve everyoneMaking everyone confidentThe pathways beyond trainingThe joy of making rugby a meaningful place to express yourselfIf you want to get involved, please reach out:Gosford All BlacksWebsite https://gabrfc.rfu.club/Email youth@gosfordrugby.comContact- Darren Rea 07531118213Session times: Sunday 10 am to 11 amWitney WolvesWebsite https://witneyrfc.rfu.club/teams/witney-rfc-wolves-sen/470302/profileEmail theresaclark1234@aol.comSession times: Sunday 11 am to 12 noonWallingford WolvesWebsite https://wallingfordrfc.rfu.club/teams/wallingford-rfc-wolves/467870/profileEmail the_peels@me.comSession times: Sunday 11 am to 12 noon To find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach WeeklyAlso, tap into the library of 4,000 pages of activities, advice, tactics and tips to help you become the best rugby coach you can be!

Dan chats with Dr Rachael Jefferson about fundamental movement skills and how to introduce them effectively into our coaching sessions.Rachael is a lecturer in human movement studies and creative arts, and author of Fundamental fun: 132 activities to develop fundamental movement skills.You can get a copy of her book here.In the podcast, we explore:What is meant by fundamental movement skills (FMS)What do the terms body management, locomotor, and object control skills meanWhy we need to coach FMSHow to make it part of our training sessionsWays to help less skilful young people become better moversHow we can use balloons and scarves to help catchingThe importance of choosing appropriate objects based on skill levels.Rachael's own journey on throwing the javelinHow we need to know the biomechanics of movement to help players progressMore bio:Rachael is a physical education, dance, inclusion and wellbeing specialist, who is fascinated by the moving and creative body. Her PhD focused on the governance of the body in physical education in England from 1902 to 2016. Rachael has nurtured her own wellbeing and self-awareness to a high level by training in yoga and also Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR).Rachael is particularly well known for her work in the area of fundamental movement skills (FMS). This began in earnest in 2006, when she trained in a Western Australian research-led FMS professional development course by STEPS PD. Following this, she became the UK FMS consultant and worked with sport coaches, teachers and lecturers across England and Ireland for several years. During that time she was regularly publishing FMS works, including her play-based pedagogy book for teachers.Rachael’s influence in FMS, PE and inclusion is global; she has worked on several long-term international projects in these domains for the University of Cambridge, UNICEF, UNESCO, and Montrose. Her curriculum design is especially valued for its creative, inclusive, and student-centred foundations. She has developed national PE curriculum (primary and secondary) and led teacher training for Kazakhstan, Egypt, Myanmar, and Mongolia.Rachael enjoys social media and the wonderful connections she makes there. She has written popular gender and sport articles for ‘The Age’ and ‘The Conversation’, as she believes in the power of telling stories to raise the general public’s awareness of athletes’ inclusion issues and rights. To find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach WeeklyAlso, tap into the library of 4,000 pages of activities, advice, tactics and tips to help you become the best rugby coach you can be!

Dan chats with Chris Dossett, chair of the Professional Association of the Directors in Sport, and very experienced DoS himself.In the podcast, they talk about:How a good director of sports supports their less-experienced staffConnecting with the playersMaking the less-able teams enjoy rugby as much as the top-flightWhat equality looks like in sports in a school environmentHow to make girls' sport part of the fabric of the school sports systemChris gives many examples of practical ways to operate, not just as a director of sport but also as an example of good coaching for others to follow.To find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach WeeklyAlso, tap into the library of 4,000 pages of activities, advice, tactics and tips to help you become the best rugby coach you can be!

Dan chats to Jess Hayden, author of The Red Roses: Behind the Scenes with the England Women's Rugby Team.Jess, who was previously a sports journalist at The Times and The Sunday Times, is the editor of Contested, a new social app for sports fans.In writing the book, she was able to get exclusive access to the England Women's team, known at the Red Roses, plus speak to former players and coaches.In the podcast, she talks about:The highs and huge lows of a World Cup campaignProfessionalism in women's rugby and the lessons to be learned from the difficulties in the men's gameWhy the audience for women's rugby is growing, but also, what's holding it backShould England have chosen a woman to be their new head coachThe rise of WXVWhy the Lions touring team isn't the right vehicle to grow women's rugbyThe simple misunderstanding that made the England players so angry Who was the only player to watch the lost final on the plane home from 2021 World CupThe book is out at the start of March. Contested: Because every athlete and team sport deserves recognition.A unique space for fans to join the conversation, debate predictions, and celebrate sports together. It covers lots of sports in the detail you won't get in the mainstream media.To find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach WeeklyAlso, tap into the library of 4,000 pages of activities, advice, tactics and tips to help you become the best rugby coach you can be!

In this episode, Dan chats with Sean Lindersmith. They discuss how he created a coaches’ coffee club, and how he made it a genuine place to learn and support each other.Sean is the Vice President of Operations at Premier Rugby Sevens and Silicon Valley Rugby - defence and forwards coach.His past roles include University of MN Head Coach, US Coast Guard Sevens Head Coach, St Augustine High School Head Coach, MN Youth Rugby Youth and HS Director and USA Eagle’s National Team Manager (Men’s)In the podcast, we coverEstablishing the Coaches’ Coffee ClubMentorship and sharing initiativePractising vulnerability in coachingCoaching, trust, and celebrationCreating supportive team dynamicsEmbracing change in coachingCoffee club vulnerability and connectionKey concepts in coaching communityYou can contact him onLinkedIn: @SeanLindersmithIG/X: @SnackattkTikTok: @CoachSnackattkTo find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach WeeklyAlso, tap into the library of 4,000 pages of activities, advice, tactics and tips to help you become the best rugby coach you can be!

Dr Jocelyn Solomons joins Dan on the podcast to discuss her research on how dance can improve rugby players.Based at the world-renowned Stellenbosch University in South Africa, she is a lecturer in strength and conditioning.She has a PhD in women's rugby development and an MSc in Sport Science focusing on rhythmic movement and rugby.In the podcast we explore:How you persuade rugby players that dance can make a differenceHow it did make a difference in the research projectWhat happens if a player can’t danceHow it can be made position specificJocelyn’s passion to drive forward women and women of colour in all sports and in academic sports researchHow to continue to change the landscape for women in sport What are her biases and how has she overcome themHow to motivate those who are not as motivated as yourselfHere’s a link to her researchThe effect of a rhythmic movement intervention on selected bio-motor skills of academy rugby players in the Western Cape, South Africahttps://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1747954120956909To find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach WeeklyAlso, tap into the library of 4,000 pages of activities, advice, tactics and tips to help you become the best rugby coach you can be!

Mike Penistone is a global rugby coach, starting his coaching career in the 80s with Trent Poly and then Cambridge University rugby league as head coach. He went on to GB Student's head coach before moving to Leicester Tigers Academy via Nottingham. He did a stint at NSW Waratahs and then Eastern Suburbs in Australia. He is now a rugby coach consultant.In the podcast, we cover:How to make a great first impression as a coachHow to make your sessions engaging and intenseWhy threes and fives are magic numbersWhat stops great players becoming good coachesAsking the best questions to get the most from your playersManaging talentHelping an expert player become more skilfulMike is available for coaching consultancy and sessions. Drop him a line on mike@globalrugbycoach.comTo find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach WeeklyAlso, tap into the library of 4,000 pages of activities, advice, tactics and tips to help you become the best rugby coach you can be!

Dan Cottrell chats to author and coach, J.P. Nerbun about his latest book, The Sports Parent Solution, Proven Strategies for Transforming Parents from Obstacles to Allies.We explore how coaches can get the most out of their relationships with parents. Sometimes they are super-supportive, and sometimes not!How do you get them onside to start with, speak to them, involve them and make them part of everyone's journey.We talk about the ways to have difficult conversations, how to build your value offering and chances to show leadership.J.P., as always, offers lots of evidence from either his own experience or from experts around this space.He has written three books: Calling Up: Discovering Your Journey to Transformational Leadership The Culture System: A Proven Process for Creating an Extraordinary Team CultureThe Sports Parent Solution, Proven Strategies for Transforming Parents from Obstacles to AlliesHe is host of the The Coaching Culture podcast.To find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach WeeklyAlso, tap into the library of 4,000 pages of activities, advice, tactics and tips to help you become the best rugby coach you can be!

Welcome to the Coaching Knife when we cut to the root of the matter. In this episode, we speak to Tom Chaloba, Manager of Get Into Rugby Zambia.Focusing on volunteering we are going to cut to the root on how to build a group of volunteers and retain them.Tom is a coach and match official educator at Zambia Rugby Union, as well as working with the Tag Rugby Trust. He is the founder of Die Hard Rugby academy.His philosophy is aim high but don't miss what is near. This helps him stay grounded and rooted but also gives him the freedom to shoot for the stars.You can contact him on Twitter @TomChaloba1Instagram @TomChaloba1 LinkedIn  FacebookTo find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach WeeklyAlso, tap into the library of 4,000 pages of activities, advice, tactics and tips to help you become the best rugby coach you can be!

Welcome to the Coaching Knife when we cut to the root of the matter. In this episode, we speak to Professor Kevin Till, Professor of Athletic Development at Leeds Beckett University and Strength and Conditioning Coach at Leeds Rhinos RLFC academy. Focusing on warm-ups, we are going to explore how they are used to prevent injury and give us performance gains.Kev has worked in strength and conditioning with Yorkshire cricket, Yorkshire Carnegie rugby union, football with Leeds United, as well as his roles in rugby league, at Leeds Rhinos and Castleford. He completed his PhD in Sport and Exercise Science over 12 years ago, and  has had seven papers published.  He has helped edit and write two books, The Science of Sport: Rugby, and published last year: The Young Rugby Player: Science and Application His philosophy is about supporting people in the best way possible. Similar to work on 'Talent', everyone has potential, and it is how we can support creating opportunities to support as many to develop as effectively as possible.  You can contact him on Twitter @KTConditioning Email: K.Till@leedsbeckett.ac.ukTo find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach WeeklyAlso, tap into the library of 4,000 pages of activities, advice, tactics and tips to help you become the best rugby coach you can be!

Welcome to the Coaching Knife when we cut to the root of the matter. In this episode, we speak to Craig Gunn, coach, teacher and motivational educator, and founder of Gunn Engagement. Focusing on why high-performance sport is dangerous for grassroots, we are going to cut to the root on why we need to break the brooms of the All Blacks.Craig is an experienced PE teacher and former head teacher. He has worked across many sports, including Aussie Rules and Rugby League.His philosophy is that kids learn teachers NOT subjects; Sometimes you have to mow the grass before you save the whales.You can contact him on LinkedIn or The Coach Whisperer.To find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach WeeklyAlso, tap into the library of 4,000 pages of activities, advice, tactics and tips to help you become the best rugby coach you can be!

Welcome to the Coaching Knife when we cut to the root of the matter. In this episode, we speak to Ian Costello, Head of Rugby Operations at Munster Rugby. Focusing on talent, we are going to focus on how that term might impact the way we approach coaching.Ian has had a busy coaching career, with stints as assistant coach at Munster and Wasps, the Munster Academy manager, as well as head coach at Nottingham and an Elite Development Manager with the Irish RFU. His philosophy:The purpose is to develop and sustain a high-performance strategy for Munster Rugby. Philosophy would be to find and develop the best people, build system capability, always improving, learning faster than the opposition. Quality coaching is key to producing consistent winning performance.You can contact him on Twitter at Iancostello1 To find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach WeeklyAlso, tap into the library of 4,000 pages of activities, advice, tactics and tips to help you become the best rugby coach you can be!

Welcome to the Coaching Knife when we cut to the root of the matter. In this episode, we speak to Grant Doorey, performance coach @Mobicoach Australia and passion projects Rugby ATL, Queensland Rugby and Australia Rugby.Focusing on the power of purpose in coaching and life, we are going to cut to the root on how we can turn thoughts into action.Before becoming a consultant high-performance coach, Grant was an assistant coach with Tonga, Italy and Japan national teams, a technical adviser with the IRANZ, plus roles with pro clubs in France, London Irish, and the Blues Super franchise. He started as a teacher and director of school rugby in Australia.His philosophy is the relentless pursuit of short-term goals leading to long-term success. To inspire leaders and teams to develop rigour and discipline, striving for excellence in their daily habits,  he connects, engages and empowers people through coaching. You can contact him on LinkedIn or directly to mobicoachnz@gmail.comHe values human connection. Please reach out for a conversation and explore synergies to collaborate.To find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach WeeklyAlso, tap into the library of 4,000 pages of activities, advice, tactics and tips to help you become the best rugby coach you can be!

Dan chats with Gary Townsend, the Bristol Bears Junior Academy manager about a question from Will Jones, an U15s coach from Cardiff.He asks: The backs are doing the forwards' work when it comes to the breakdown. Plenty of forwards are way too lazy and not bothering to clear out and secure the ball. Do you have any good drills we could use to get them switched back onto this?We cover:What do the forwards want to doDo we need to have position-specific rolesHow to use decision-rich training, both drills and gamesEncouraging players to ruck, and also encouraging the ball carrier to be active at the ruckChanging habits by manipulating the drillTo find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach WeeklyAlso, tap into the library of 4,000 pages of activities, advice, tactics and tips to help you become the best rugby coach you can be!

Welcome to the coaching knife when we cut to the root of the matter. In this episode, we speak to Keith Lewis, founder of rugbyreferees,net, the leading online community for rugby referees across the worldFocusing on the refereeing the new tackle height laws, we are going to cut to the root of what referees will be looking for next season.Philosophy: Helping people to become better referees, no matter what level that may beYou can contact him on rugbyreferee.net or keithlewisrugby on TwitterTo find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach WeeklyAlso, tap into the library of 4,000 pages of activities, advice, tactics and tips to help you become the best rugby coach you can be!

Welcome to the coaching knife when we cut to the root of the matter. In this episode, we speak to Catherine Spencer, author, speaker, and former England women’s rugby captain.Focusing on coaching women’s and girls’ rugby, we are going to cut to the root on what men need to know about coaching women. Catherine retired from international rugby in 2011, with 63 caps, 18 tries, winning 6 Six Nations titles, 3 for them as captain. She has written the award-winning book ‘Mud, Maul, Mascara’. She is a patron of the Tag Rugby Trust, and she is CEO and founder of Inspiring Women. Currently, she is teaching sociology and RE at a secondary school in Kent.You can contact her on Catherine@inspiringwomen.co.ukOr on Twitter: cathspence8To find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach WeeklyAlso, tap into the library of 4,000 pages of activities, advice, tactics and tips to help you become the best rugby coach you can be!