Game Plan Coaching Podcast

Less drills, more thrills. I sit down with my good friend and long-time colleague Stuart Armstrong. I’ve known and worked with Stuart for years, especially during his time leading workforce development at Sport England. I’ve always admired his thoughtful, progressive approach to improving coaching, learning and policy across the UK.
We explore the balance between technical knowledge and human connection, the realities of being a parent-coach, and how we design environments that help people grow. Stuart also shares some fascinating ideas around “remembering” rather than “memory” and what that means for the way people learn.
Some key headlines:
 
1. It’s not all about the tech-tac: Technical and tactical knowledge matters but maybe it gets more of the limelight than it deserves. The ability to connect, support, listen and care is often what truly makes the difference.
 
2. Coaching is deeply human work: From parent-coaches to young volunteers, Stuart shares real-world stories that show the emotional complexity and the privilege of supporting others on their sporting journey.
 
3. From “memory” to “remembering”: A fascinating reframe: instead of trying to store techniques like files in a folder, great coaching helps people become familiar with real environments, so they can recognise and respond when it matters.
 
If you are interested in the ideas and discussion, you can listen to Stuart’s podcast, The Talent Equation, and explore his work here: https://www.thetalentequation.co.uk
 
And follow us here:
Tom: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomhartleycoaching/
Stuart: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuartarmstrong/
 
Thank you for listening to the show, and wishing you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Change a life, not just a bib. I’m joined by Rus Smith, founder of the Black Country Coaches Club and a proper community coach in the truest sense of the word. Rus has spent over 25 years investing in people in his local area, creating opportunities for young coaches to learn, lead and belong.
We talk about what coaching really is (and isn’t), why empowerment beats control, and how long-term impact often shows up years after the session has finished.
 
In the conversation we explore:
 
1. Coaching is about people, not just performance: Rus is clear: coaching isn’t simply about results, winning or technical outcomes. It’s about relationships, confidence and helping someone feel better about themselves. The real impact of coaching often can’t be measured in weeks or seasons - it shows up years later in who people become. “Change a life, not just a bib.”
 
2. Empowerment comes from experience, not instructions: Young people learn to lead by being trusted to lead. Rus shares why experiential learning; having a go, making mistakes, figuring things out - matters far more than ticking boxes online. When coaches step back and share the voice, they create environments that build character, resilience and real understanding. “I trust you. Have a go.”
 
3. Coaching works best when it’s shared: Whether it’s players, parents, young leaders or other volunteers, coaching improves when the coach isn’t the only voice in the room. Rus challenges coaches to rethink their role - from problem-solver to problem-setter - and to involve stakeholders as allies rather than obstacles.
 
This conversation shows why great coaching is deeply human work. Rus shows what’s possible when coaches commit to their community, innovate around real needs, and become consistent people that others can lean on.
If you work in grassroots sport, youth development or coach education or if you simply care about creating better experiences for young people this episode will give you ideas, reassurance and practical prompts to take into your own coaching.
 
Follow us here:
Tom: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomhartleycoaching/
Rus: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rus-smith-a85ab16b/
 

Make Today Count: I’m joined by Jean Côté, one of the world’s most influential voices in coaching and talent development.
We explore relationships, environments, reflection, and the everyday experiences that shape how children and young people engage with sport. Jean challenges some of the assumptions we make about long-term development and reminds us that great coaching is often found in the smallest, most human moments.
 
During the conversation we explore:
1. The daily experience matters just as much as the long-term plan: We talk a lot about long-term athlete development, and rightly so, but Jean offers a powerful reminder: children live in the now. If today’s session isn’t engaging, enjoyable, or meaningful, there is no long-term journey. Coaches need to zoom in on the week, the session, even the moment, because that’s where motivation is built (or lost).
 
2. Relationships are decisive: Jean makes it clear that technical knowledge alone doesn’t define great coaching. What separates good coaches from excellent ones is their ability to build trust, show care, involve athletes, and see the person beyond the sport. Transformational coaching gives us a practical, observable way to talk about relationships.
 
3. Coaching is as much about developing people as it is developing players: Less than 1% of young people will earn a living from sport, but all of them are becoming future adults, citizens, teammates, and leaders. Sport offers one of the most powerful environments for building confidence, character, compassion, and integrity. Every interaction, every behaviour, every session contributes to that wider impact. Whether we intend it to or not.
 
If you enjoyed the episode, please share the show with a friend. You can follow us here:
 
Tom: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomhartleycoaching/
Jean: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jean-cote-b048b129/
 

Grit, Growth and Goats
Bobby Scales II is one of those people you just can’t help but learn from. Former Major Leaguer, senior leader with the Los Angeles Angels and Pittsburgh Pirates, and now a broadcaster with the Detroit Tigers. But more importantly, someone who thinks deeply about people, development and what truly helps athletes thrive.
 
In this episode, we get into the human stuff. The stuff coaches don’t always talk about but absolutely need to hear.
 
Three big themes stand out:
 
1. The player resides within the human.
Bobby unpacks why coaches can’t separate performance from the person. If you want access to the athlete, you have to earn trust first.
 
2. Why part of Plan A should be Plan B.
We explore identity, transition and the dangers of narrowing a young athlete’s world too early.
 
3. Meeting every person where they are.
Bobby shares how he learned to coach beyond his own wiring, why players respond differently to the same message, and what it takes to see individuals clearly rather than forcing everyone through one lens.
 
And yes, we also talk about “putting it where the goats can get it.”
 
If you love sport, you’ll love Bobby. I always walk away from our conversations with something new and meaningful to think about.
 
Enjoy the episode: Grit, Growth and Goats, and follow us here:
 
Tom: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomhartleycoaching/
 
Bobby: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobby-l-scales-ii-b72a4b43/

Today’s episode offers something unique. Not a typical interview, but a rare window into the thinking of John Hendry OAM, one of the most experienced educators and coaching minds in Australia.
 
John has spent more than five decades working with young people, coaches, teachers and schools, and has shaped how organisations think about relationships, wellbeing and performance.
 
In this conversation, John shares his philosophy with real generosity. He shows why skills, tactics and performance only emerge when young athletes feel safe, trusted, hopeful and understood - and why relationships aren’t just part of coaching, they are coaching.
 
In the conversation we explore:
 
1. Relationships Come First, Always: Coaching doesn’t begin with strategy or feedback. It begins with trust, safety and genuine care. Without this foundation, young people can’t take risks, learn or grow. When athletes feel valued as people, they become better players.
 
2. Mistakes Should Be Forgiven: The way coaches respond to errors shapes confidence, creativity and resilience. Punishment shuts down learning; forgiveness opens it up. When coaches “give for” the athlete, they create a culture where mistakes become opportunities, not threats.
 
3. Never Take Hope Away: Hope fuels engagement, effort and the ability to bounce back. A coach’s belief can restore hope after setbacks or destroy it. Protecting hope helps young people think clearly, regulate emotions, learn faster and make better decisions under pressure.
 
This episode is for anyone who works with young people and wants to help them thrive; not just in sport, but in life. Whether you’re a youth or community coach, a teacher or educator, or a parent supporting a young athlete, John’s philosophy offers practical wisdom on how to build trust, resilience and genuine growth.
 
Please follow the show and share it with a coach who would benefit from John’s message. You can get in touch here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomhartleycoaching/ 

In this episode of the Game Plan Coaching Podcast, I am joined by Paul Bodin. Former Wales international, Swindon Town icon, and respected coach who made more than 450 senior appearances in his professional career spent more than a decade developing young talent for the Welsh national teams.
 
From scoring one of Wembley’s most high-pressure penalties to guiding future stars into international football, Paul brings a unique perspective on playing, coaching and developing people.
 
In the conversation we explore:
 
1. Simplicity Beats ComplexityPaul shares how football is often overcomplicated and why even elite players learn best through simple, purposeful practices.
 
2. Coaching Environments that Help Players ThriveWith Wales youth teams, Paul prioritised enjoyable, simple and motivating sessions, where players explore, express themselves and learn through doing.
 
3. Parents, Roles and Real SupportReflecting on raising a professional footballer, Paul shares why fairness, encouragement, and understanding your role are crucial for helping young players progress.
 
If you enjoyed this episode, follow the show and share it with a coach who’d find it useful. Thanks for listening!
 
Follow me here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomhartleycoaching/ 

In this episode of the Game Plan Coaching podcast, our guest is Professor Joe Baker, Tannenbaum Research Chair in Sport Science, Data Modelling and Sport Analytics at the University of Toronto and author of The Tyranny of Talent.
 
Together we explore why talent is much more complex than most systems assume, how early selection and deselection can shape the arc of a young person’s life, and what coaches can do to create environments that keep athletes engaged and developing over the long term.
 
In this episode, we explore:
Cringey clichés and myths in talent ID - Why phrases like “natural talent” and “10,000 hours” can be unhelpful.
Can we really identify talent early? - Joe’s take on why early prediction is so unreliable, and why the “messy middle” of a squad is where the hardest.
Challenge, safety and ethics - How to balance high challenge with high support, why “feeling unsafe” is not the same as “being unsafe”.
Long-term commitment and the training environment - Joe’s simple framework: long-term success needs extended commitment from the athlete and a high-quality learning environment.
Selection, deselection and “not yet” - How language like “not yet” can soften the landing, keep doors open, and better reflect the error built into selection decisions.
Parents as part of the ecosystem - Reframing parents from “problem” or “taxi and bank” to a crucial part of the developmental ecosystem, with a clear role around safety, security and support.
 
And so much more!
 
Follow us:
 
Tom: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomhartleycoaching/
 
Joe: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-baker-320b9a32/

This episode of the Game Plan Coaching Podcast features someone who’s lived the full racing dream: Mark Blundell. From a council estate and motocross, to Formula One, IndyCar, World Rally and a Le Mans 24 Hours victory, Mark’s story is anything but ordinary.
 
After nearly 20 years at the top of global motorsport, a BAFTA-winning stint as an F1 pundit, and now CEO of MBP, he brings a rare inside view of what real performance looks like, and what it costs.
 
Mark takes us into life at 200+ mph - from the iconic Corkscrew at Laguna Seca to threading an IndyCar around an oval at 253 miles an hour - and why the ultimate difference-maker isn’t horsepower, it’s processing power. He shares lessons learned alongside teammates like Martin Brundle and Ayrton Senna and explains why the most important tuning tool for any athlete sits right between their ears.
 
We talk about motorsport as a team sport disguised as an individual one, with his Le Mans win as the perfect example of elite preparation, clear roles and total accountability. And from 20+ years managing top drivers, Mark is honest about what keeps people at the sharp end: integrity, transparency, respect, humility and trust, plus the confidence to say “no” when the fit isn’t right.
 
Whether you coach racing drivers, footballers or any athlete trying to reach their best, this conversation is full of gold: handling pressure, placing risk wisely, embracing mistakes, and holding onto self-belief when the road gets bumpy.
 
Follow us:
 
Tom: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomhartleycoaching/
 
Mark: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-blundell-655a86b/