Are you a chef or a cook?

Coaches have their philosophy shaped and influenced by the environment they work in. However, if we are to develop intuitive and creative decision–making players, we need coaches who have developed their own philosophies.

So are you a chef or a cook?

A high–performing chef has the ability to choose the right ingredients then combine this with their cooking skills to make a delicious dish. If there is a problem in the creation of a recipe, they can deal with this. They innovate and discover.

The cook, by contrast, tends to follow instructions: they buy a recipe book and uses somebody else’s procedures. 

Most coaches have a tendency to copy the coaching and systems of the first team – like a cook. 

While I accept there is a need to have similarity in programmes, a club coach will never get a better opportunity to develop a philosophy than in an environment where results are important but not the sole focus.

“A good coach is always learning - an expert coach is not born with innate talent”

Coaches need to think about critical issues and decide their position over matters that emerge. Ideally, this should be done continuously, even when observing someone else, so that when the coach is put in charge of a team or programme they have a clear philosophy. 

Many coaches make it their job to study others and accumulate expertise.

A good coach is always learning. An expert coach is not born with innate talent, they develop it, research it and thrive on learning and reflecting on the subject.

I was lucky enough to work with Phil Davies when I was at Leeds and he taught me a lot. Kevin Bowring, head of coaching development at the RFU, and Bill Beswick, also played roles in shaping my coaching ideas. But no one particular person has influenced me – lots of different coaches have supported me along the way and I have tried to take bits and pieces from all of them while studying all the other great coaches in the world. 

This is what makes coaching unique and gives you the chance to make a mark all of your own on a group of players.