Leopard Performance

This week a sporting hero of mine passed away. Kevin Keegan was a huge part of my childhood as a Newcastle United fan.

The photo was taken at Blackburn Rovers in 1995, during the famous Entertainers era, the season we eventually lost that 12 point lead. Even then, you can see my potential for reaction time and a great CMJ height 😆

I travelled home and away with my dad watching Keegan transform the club from heading towards the old 3rd division into the most exciting team in England.

But what made Keegan special wasn’t just the football. It was the values he represented.

Hard work, dedication, humility, enthusiasm, always learning, believing in people. Above all, playing with joy and entertaining others.

These are lessons that go far beyond football. They are lessons for every coach and every athlete, and values I have tried to follow throughout my own coaching.

When working with young athletes, our role as coaches is not to create environments where they feel intimidated or afraid to make mistakes. Our responsibility is to create environments where they feel valued, supported and confident enough to challenge themselves.

The best learning happens when young athletes are encouraged to try, fail, learn and grow while enjoying the training journey as much as the competition.

Talent is important, but the mindset they develop, the standards they set and the love they have for their sport are what truly help young athletes flourish.

A reminder for all of us involved in youth sport: create environments where athletes want to improve, love what they do, and develop into hardworking, determined, humble young people both on and off the field.

RIP KK 🖤🤍

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