Inspirational sports coaches and managers have tackled many challenges in their careers. Their style, skill, and expertise can help you to think creatively.
We have provided several examples below, with a prompt or question to assist you in thinking differently about your own challenge.
SAM ALLARDYCE
Sam Allardyce is a professional football manager who introduced a modern, technology and statistics-centred approach to tactics and coaching, and has been praised for his organisational and management skills.
Allardyce was a keen proponent of sports science and using technology and innovative techniques in coaching, e.g. computerised performance analysis and yoga. He has been described as one of the pioneers of sports science in English football.
How could innovative technology assist you in overcoming a challenge?
SARINA WIEGMAN
Sarina Wiegman CBE is regarded as one of the best international coaches in women’s football. She’ll be remembered in English football history for leading the Lionesses to victory in the UEFA Euros 2022.
She became the first coach to win back-to-back tournaments, having led her native Netherlands to a Euro 2017 win. She is known for her no-nonsense and low-key demeanour, focused on tactics.
Imaging taking a low-key approach to your challenge, what might this allow you to do?
JURGEN KLOPP
Jurgen Klopp is a professional football manager and former player who is the manager of Premier League club Liverpool. He is widely regarded as one of the best managers in the world. He has called his style ‘heavy metal football’, a high-intense attacking philosophy requiring a whole team effort of organisation, speed, and flair.
What intense approach could you adopt to tackle your challenge?
TANNI GREY-THOMPSON
Tanni Grey-Thompson is renowned as Britain’s greatest Paralympian for 11 gold, 4 silver and 1 bronze medals, and competed for Wales across five Paralympic games.
She was appointed as a crossbench peer to the House of Lords and is co-Chair for the all-party parliamentary group on women’s sport. She takes active part in debates around gender, disability, sport, and youth development.
Imagine your challenge as a debate; discuss the different angles of the debate with your peers.
CHRIS MCLEOD
Chris McLeod is Lead Strength and Conditioning Coach at the Lawn Tennis Association. Former senior innovation consultant at the English Institute of Sport, Chris focuses on people interactions and the challenge of working with others to create relationships and environments that give athletes the opportunities to improve.
What relationships could you develop to help with your challenge?
MARIEANNE SPACEY
Marianne Spacey is a football coach and former player. She has earned 91 caps for England and is considered one of the best English footballers of all time. She was appointed assistant to the England women’s football manager for the FIFA World Cup in 2015.
Her style is to understand who she is working with and try to get the best out of the team. She also develops other female coaches and gives them opportunities to work in different environments.
What different environments might you learn from to help with your challenge?
SARAH STONE
Sarah Stone is an Australian tennis coach and former professional player. She specialised in playing doubles and now coaches professional tennis players. She founded the Women’s Tennis Coaching Association, a global organisation to support coaches working with female players.
She believes working with a player is a way of life that requires both mentoring and supporting, and her style has a strong technical element.
What mentoring might help your athlete with their challenge?
Sport Sparks (TM) is a service developed by the National Centre for Creativity enabled by AI (CebAI) and funded by City, University of London and UK Research England
Copyright 2022 Sport Sparks (TM)