Mark Stuart-Thompson

Past it hockey player, turned sports coach. Olympic supporter and sports fan. Frequent @hockeymaker.

[Mark Stuart-Thompson @MiSTy49b]

FIH Pro League Trip https://t.co/TkzIsbkL2A via @Gateway

[Mark Stuart-Thompson @MiSTy49b]

@sportsdirectuk do you have any coupon codes? Thank you! https://t.co/HgrP7K86Kg via @couponfollow

[Mark Stuart-Thompson @MiSTy49b]

via @CoachingManual

[Mark Stuart-Thompson @MiSTy49b]

https://t.co/AI0mPnUO1L

[Mark Stuart-Thompson @MiSTy49b]

@LeftFieldThink @jannekeschopman @FowerakerE @willmurray86 Really loved these podcasts. Had to listen retrospectively as I was in Paris, but create insight. Thanks guys.

[Mark Stuart-Thompson @MiSTy49b]

Difficult to be sympathetic when 18-24 months out from the games, hotel and Airbnb process were through the roof! https://t.co/TNAFHqm6Zn

[England Hockey South @EHSouth]

How amazing is this news!!!
#HockeyFamily shout loud and share/repost, let’s make sure we get as many people watching as possible. Let’s show @BBCSport how much we love our game and need it to be on the BBC 🏑👏🥰

[Tom Hartley @thomaswhartley]

What are the principles that guide your practice design? Some that you might want to consider could include…

🫤Consequence - if you loose the ball your opponent have a chance to score

🔎Representative - how much does your practice look like the game

🔂Repetition - how do you build in repetition, without repeating things

⚽️Practice type - different practice types will ultimately have different outcomes, and impact different players in different ways (games based, closed / block, skill based, full game…etc)

✅Coaching role - will you be a problem setter, an error detector, or something else

🧨Coaching behaviours - what behaviours will you be intentional with before, during and after the practice

In many ways, this list could be endless, but having some guiding principles in mind when designing practice is always going to be really valuable

As the great @MorrisCraig_ says, “I’d rather be prepared, than planned”

[Tom Hartley @thomaswhartley]

From my experiences, great coaching sessions aren’t characterised by lots of cones, high-structure and lots of instruction

Simple design, representative information (looking like the game) and being dynamic and agile with your role as a coach (problem setter, rather than problem solver) adds lots of value

Sometimes, letting go a little can leave the door ajar for players to thrive

[England Hockey @EnglandHockey]

🤩 They've made the semi-final! 🤩

The England U21s have beaten Germany 1-0 in the QFs to reached the semi-final on Friday!!

🏑 🥅 - Scarlett Spavin

📸 - @gpfoto.ie

#LetsGoENG

[Mark Stuart-Thompson @MiSTy49b]

U16 Abbey Hockey – South Central Regional champions https://t.co/BdVIyx67MR via @Gateway

[Brett Holland @Hockey_Brett]

And…. Preparations are done!!!
First game tomorrow vs NZ at 1pm GMT.
#JWC2023 #RisingStars @FIH_Hockey @EnglandHockey

[Tom Hartley @thomaswhartley]

When I started coaching as a coach in an academy, early in my journey, the academy manager shared some insight

“I’ll always ask, how did we play? I’ll never ask, what was the score?”

Simple, but important statement

Youth development should be focused on intent over outcome

[Wayne Goldsmith @waynegoldcoach]

Most common question I am asked everyday from #coaches.
"How do I get this generation of young #athletes to work hard".

My response. You don't!
What I mean is you don't "get" them - i.e. make them / force them / order them / etc to work hard.

We are way past the era of "telling and yelling" and ordering young athletes to do what they're told. Those days are long gone. And good riddance.

It's about creating effective relationships with athletes and fostering an environment where athletes feel they belong, they're respected, they have "skin in the game" - i.e. they have ownership and responsibility for their own destiny.

When I talk about this, many coaches will misinterpret my reply as "you're saying young athletes don't need to work hard".

No. That's not what I am saying. Far from it.

If anything, around the world I see athletes working harder than ever - BUT - I also see coaches creating training environments where athletes CHOOSE to work hard to achieve their goals.

This perhaps the greatest challenge in #coaching around the world right now so - what's your solution?

PHOTO - THE AMAZING PETER BICK

[Allistair McCaw @AllistairMcCaw]

Champion Mentality v Victim Mentality:

[Wayne Goldsmith @waynegoldcoach]

#Coaches - here's four great questions to ask athletes / players at the end of training sessions to help teach them to be more self-reflective:

1. If you had to rate how you completed that session out 10, what score would you give your training effort? Why? How could you make it a higher rating?

2. Tell me one thing you learnt from that session that's going to make you a better #player ?

3. Thinking back to the start of that session - if we were doing it again - how could we do it differently? Better? Faster? Smarter? More accurately? More relevant to your competition goals?

4. Before you leave, is there one #skill that you learnt today that would benefit from another minute or two of practice? How can I help you get the most out of that practice time?

Coaches - we're not just about optimizing the session that's FINISHED - we're about #coaching , building, shaping and re-inforcing the training habits and behaviours that will shape the effectiveness of all the hundreds of #Training sessions to come.

[Elliot Foweraker @FowerakerE]

🔥

[Jack Rolfe @JPR_25]

Why starting training with games is so powerful ⬇️ Try starting training with the game you finished with in the last session and reflect on what you notice....

[KeyframeSports @KeyframeSports]

This speech from Pep Guardiola in training is incredible 👏

He demands his players to use training to make mistakes, encourages mistakes even.

[South Central Hockey @SouthCentralHo2]

There has been some debate on social media about potential changes to the rules of penalty corners. this FIH link clarifies https://t.co/OSOSaP7sfN