Coach Mentoring Programme

Improve your coaching

This year with the support of Kiwisport Funding we are offering a great opportunity for any coach from Year 5 right through to First elevens.

Mentoring is a highly effective way for coaches to learn the ‘art’ of their role and apply theory that they may have learned in a coaching course or read in a book. Mentors can bring life to a theoretical concept, demonstrate practical coaching skills, be a sounding board for problems, help the coach to identify some weaknesses or just be a source of motivation and a reminder that the coach is doing a great job.

It doesn’t matter what form a mentoring relationship takes, as long as both the coach and the mentor see value in the relationship and it helps them to develop and become better at their job.
We have all turned to an experienced friend or workmate for advice before, and the reason these informal relationships are so successful and beneficial is that there is a mutual trust and respect, and both parties feel comfortable with one another.

As mentioned above, the environment is also non judgemental. In a formal mentoring programme where a mentor is paired up with a coach they may have never met before, there is no previous relationship and so trust and respect has to be developed. As such, it is important for the coach and the mentor to get to know each other and for the relationship to be one of collaboration and shared enquiry rather than an expert-tells-novice form of relationship.

Coach Mentors for Season 2012/13

Neil Gray- NZC Level 3, Auckland U16 Boys, Epsom Girls Grammar 1st XI and Takapuna Womens Prems

Hayden Gardner- NZC Level 3, Auckland U16 boys, Howick Pak Premier Reserve coach and MacLeans College 1st XI

Roy Goodyear- NZC Level 3, Current Kings College 1st XI coach

Nick Craig- NZC Level 3, Winner of Sir Jack Newman award last year and Aces selector and A team coach/Manager

Ryan Scivier- NZC Level 3 Current Westlake Boys 1st XI coach and Takapuna Prem Player

Randall Todd- NZC Level 3- Ex Waitakere Premier coach and numerous Auckland Age team coach

Minimum expectations of an ACA Coach Mentor

•    Hold a pre season meeting to identify needs and set goals for the season
•    Observe at least 3 training sessions to see the coach in action
•    Provide analysis and feedback, whether after training sessions, over the phone or over e mail
•    Conduct a post season debrief and review
•    Be available within reason to discuss any issues, concerns or questions the coach may have over the phone or by email.

Partner Organisations involved will include Auckland Cricket, New Zealand Cricket, 14 Principal Clubs, Local RSTs, GACU and potentially other RSO’s.

At the end of this project we would like there to not only be a group of qualified and competent mentors involved in Cricket throughout Auckland but also a number of Level one and below coaches who feel improved in their coaching, motivated to continue on their development pathway and eager to give back in a similar way in future.

Auckland Cricket hopes that at the end of the programme we will have a sustainable and regular structure that will allow the programme to grow to encompass both higher and lower ends of the scale and also involve other sports mentors for our coaches as well as offer our coaches to other sports. We also hope that the advertisement and awareness of this project will see an increase in both competent coaching presenters and also numbers attending courses.

The aim is to have a successful and sustainable coach mentoring programme that will continue for many years to come. This will hopefully drive an increase in registered coaches for coaching courses and an increase in active coaches in school and club land. We also hope to be in a position where we can grow the project at both the High performance end of the scale and the grass roots end.

The following people have been succesfully selected as Mentees for this year;

Andrew Davies- Cornwall

Michael DeSouza- Ellerslie

Vijay Nyayapati- Suburbs New Lynn

Andrew Lance- Takapuna

Campbel McLaughlin- Sacred Heart College

Jon Dale and John Prinns- St Kentigern College

Adolf Rousseau- Howick Pakuranga

Grant Sundin- Howick Pakuranga

Johan Venter- Kumeu

Stephen Osborne- Waitakere

Richard Adams- Cornwall

Michael Benfell- Parnell

Paddy Callesen- Cornwall

Ben Mana- East Coast Bays

Philip Potbury- Kumeu

Bruce Winter- East Coast Bays