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"Confidence Doesn't Exist" (And How to Coach It Anyway)

"Confidence Doesn't Exist" (And How to Coach It Anyway)

In this conversation, I sit down with Mike Porteous, triathlon coach and author of the book on 'Beyond Belief' - the art of confidence-centred coaching'. https://amzn.to/3G5ZKh2 Mike's journey from academic to civil servant to failed mountain bike business owner to successful triathlon coach reveals fascinating insights about what really matters in developing both athletes and coaches. We explore Mike's revolutionary approach to confidence-centred coaching, which places how people feel at the very heart of the coaching process. Rather than focusing purely on performance metrics or development outcomes, Mike argues for a third way that prioritises the subjective experience of both coach and athlete. Three Key Takeaways: 1. Confidence isn't a thing you acquire - it's actually a combination of three feelings: excitement (thrilled anticipation), composure (control over what you can influence whilst being calm about what you can't), and fluency (losing yourself in the moment and finding flow). 2. The best coaches often aren't the best athletes - Mike's own journey from being a mediocre mountain biker to helping athletes achieve extraordinary feats shows that empathy, presence, and the ability to be alongside someone on their journey matters more than technical prowess. 3. Drawing out beats putting in - Rather than instructing athletes what to do, confidence-centred coaching focuses on helping people discover their own solutions through feeling and awareness, creating more resilient and self-reliant performers. This conversation will change how you think about coaching, confidence, and what it really means to help someone reach their potential. Ready to transform your coaching approach? Join 'The Guild of Ecological Explorers' learning group by heading to www.thetalentequation.co.uk and clicking the 'join a learning group' button. Let's explore these ideas together and revolutionise how we develop talent.
The beautiful complexity of learning transfer.

The beautiful complexity of learning transfer.

In this episode, I reconnect with Dr. Andrew Wilson, Reader in Psychology at Leeds Beckett University and a leading voice in ecological psychology. We delve into the fascinating world of affordances, skill development, and the complex challenge of transfer of learning in sport. Andrew brilliantly explains how our traditional understanding of skill acquisition often misses the mark, and why an ecological approach offers a more complete picture of how humans actually learn and develop skill. Three Key Takeaways: The overlap between training and performance contexts that enables transfer of learning is primarily in the information about affordances. When designing practice, focus on ensuring the right information is present rather than prescribed movement patterns. Variability in movement and practice isn't noise to be eliminated but rather a crucial signal that helps develop adaptable, creative performers. The best athletes aren't those who repeat identical movements but those who can respond to dynamic, ever-changing affordances. The ecological approach to coaching might benefit from being framed as an "affordance-led approach" rather than "constraints-led," highlighting how affordances define what counts as functional movement and serve as the primary constraint on motor abundance. Support my work and help your own development by joining my learning group 'The Guild of Ecological Explorers' by clicking this link https://www.patreon.com/c/thetalentequation #sportsscience #podcast #movementdevelopment #skilldevelopment #learning #practice #talent #youthcoaching #youthsports
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