{"id":29464,"date":"2025-02-19T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-02-19T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/?post_type=article&p=29464"},"modified":"2025-12-15T05:10:46","modified_gmt":"2025-12-15T05:10:46","slug":"six-ways-to-help-set-athletes-for-success","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\/six-ways-to-help-set-athletes-for-success\/","title":{"rendered":"Six Approaches to Help Set Athletes for Success"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
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\n 19 Feb 2025 <\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>Articles<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Six Approaches to Help Set Athletes for Success<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n \n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Category<\/div>\n Coaching & Development<\/a>, Leadership & Culture<\/a> <\/div>\n
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Nurtured and sustained excellence sat at the heart of proceedings at the 2025 Leaders Sport Performance Summit in Melbourne. Below, discover the insights to help propel you to greatness courtesy of the worlds of medicine, academia, the military and, of course, the world of sport.<\/p>\n \n \n \n

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Brought to you by our Event Partners<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n

By the Leaders Performance Institute team<\/h6>\n
Collingwood captain Darcy Moore once compared preparing to play Australian rules football to spinning plates.<\/h6>\n

\u201cThere are parts of your game going well at a particular time and other parts of your game that are not going well,\u201d he told Fox\u2019s Face to Face<\/em> in 2023.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re trying to improve these things without sacrificing the things you\u2019re doing well.\u201d<\/p>\n

He and Collingwood span those plates with alacrity during the 2023 season, his first as captain: they won the AFL Grand Final. Today, they remain one of the league\u2019s finest teams; and Moore has been praised for his leadership abilities both on and off the field. It was to great acclaim that we welcomed him to the stage at the 2025 Leaders Sport Performance Summit at The Glasshouse in Melbourne.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood player leadership is organic and comes from natural respect based on competency, status and character in alignment to the team\u2019s values,\u201d he told an audience of Leaders Performance Institute members.<\/p>\n

In addition to Moore, across two insight-laden days, we hosted a range of speakers from organisations including Melbourne FC, Leinster Rugby, the Royal Melbourne Hospital and Royal Australian Air Force. The overarching theme was the approaches one can adopt to give performers the best chance of success.<\/p>\n

There were six approaches that stood out.<\/p>\n

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  1. Prioritise the athlete-coach relationship<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    The athlete-coach relationship is pivotal, whether it\u2019s a long-tenured coach setting up a new leader for success or, conversely, a senior athlete taking steps to put a new coach at ease.<\/p>\n

    Craig McRae, the Senior Coach at Collingwood, demonstrated the former with his public endorsement following Darcy Moore\u2019s appointment as captain in 2023. \u201cBe yourself, forge your own journey, and take a swerve at what that needs to be,\u201d he told Moore. \u201cLead from the front and lead your way.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Across town a year later, Rebekah Stott, a hugely experienced New Zealand international defender with more than 100 A-League appearances under her belt, went out of her way as captain of Melbourne City FC to ensure incoming Manager, Michael Matricciani, felt at home.<\/p>\n

    \u201cFrom day one when I signed for the club, from the first conversations I\u2019ve had, she\u2019s only welcomed me with open arms,\u201d said Matricciani. \u201cShe\u2019s been a great support and she\u2019s an excellent leader off the pitch.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Neither Moore nor Stott, who spoke onstage together, believe they\u2019re the finished article. Both spoke of their need to work on confronting teammates and having difficult conversations. In that regard, it helps when the on-field leader feels both comfortable and supported.<\/p>\n

    \u201cIt is every player in the team\u2019s job to lead in their own way, however they can do that.\u201d<\/em><\/h3>\n
    Rebekah Stott, Melbourne City FC<\/em><\/pre>\n
    \u201cWhat makes a good coach? The coach knowing their players, having good relationships and understanding what they need \u2013 this sets you up for success. They also let talented people around them do their jobs. This is particularly important when the pressure comes and you need to remember that everyone is there for a reason.\u201d<\/em><\/h3>\n
    Darcy Moore, Collingwood FC<\/em><\/pre>\n
      \n
    1. Build trust at pace and communicate with care<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
      Moore and Stott\u2019s concern with confronting people in emotionally charged environments is a daily feature of life at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, where Brian Le serves as Director of Palliative Care at the\u00a0Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. \u201cPreparation is really important,\u201d he said. \u201cI formulate what needs to be spoken about and what my agenda is. But once with the patient, I adjust to what I\u2019m hearing and the clues I\u2019ve picked up in relation to their context.\u201d<\/p>\n
      Timing is critical too. \u201cNot addressing the situation has its own cost,\u201d said Le, adding that delays are regrettable when the patient likely knows that an emotionally-wrought conversation is coming anyway.<\/p>\n
      \u201cWhen I started to apply what I had learnt, as I\u2019ve matured in my career, I\u2019ve realised it\u2019s not about me but the person I\u2019m looking after. My job is to apply what I know to help the person, listen more and let them lead more \u2013 it\u2019s more effective than leading with knowledge and expertise.\u201d<\/em><\/h3>\n
      Brian Le, Royal Melbourne Hospital<\/em><\/pre>\n
        \n
      1. Balance disruption and stability<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
        Data-informed decision-making is preferable, but where does the balance sit between objective and subjective sources? Additionally, what of the balance between disruption and stability? The topic was tackled by Kate Hore, the captain of AFLW team Melbourne FC, who spoke alongside Marcus Wagner, the club\u2019s Chief Innovation Officer & General Manager of Football Operations. The Demons have been using Teamworks Performance<\/a> as they look to strike that balance.<\/p>\n
        \u201cYou can get a flag from your monitoring that helps a discussion, but the impact really comes from your relationship with the athletes,\u201d said Wagner. \u201cBaseline information helps, but understanding the person is most important.\u201d<\/p>\n
        When you understand the person, you can ask the right questions (either in-person or via questionnaires) and, if something needs to change based on something that happened in training, staff can swiftly make adaptations (supported by data).<\/p>\n
        As for the balance between disruption and stability. \u201cIt\u2019s fine balance,\u201d added Wagner. \u201cYou need to ensure you don\u2019t lose your identity by going too far either way. How we measure is by looking at overall performance internally and externally, how we communicate, and the quality of our data.\u201d<\/p>\n
        \u201cI really like the idea of having a dropdown [list] of someone you may want to speak to as a follow on from completing [the team\u2019s wellness questionnaires]. [As a player] you may value speaking to a different person each time depending on how you are feeling.\u201d<\/em><\/h3>\n
        Kate Hore, Melbourne FC<\/em><\/pre>\n
          \n
        1. Give a platform to \u2018terrible ideas\u2019<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
          Approximately 95 per cent of Nobel Prize-winning scientists emanate from the same cluster of labs or have enjoyed the proximal influence of past winners. Why? It is their higher minimum standards or greater openness to new (and often bad) ideas?<\/p>\n
          David Burt, the Director of Entrepreneurship at the University of New South Wales, delivered a presentation in which he lauded the value of exploring \u2018terrible ideas\u2019. His rationale was sound: it reduces the negative emotions that can cloud creativity and reduces the impact of power dynamics in a team environment.<\/p>\n
          He recommends an \u2018accountability loop\u2019:<\/p>\n
            \n
          • Build<\/li>\n
          • Measure<\/li>\n
          • Learn<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
            \u201cTerrible ideas allow you to develop new skills and meet different people in the process. There is a surprising amount of value in implementing a little bit of resource in them to drive another layer of growth.\u201d<\/em><\/h3>\n
            David Burt, University of New South Wales<\/em><\/pre>\n
              \n
            1. Sustained excellence does not happen by accident<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
              What must we do to sustain excellence? That was at the centre of Dave Walker\u2019s appearance at the summit. The former naval pilot, who works for the Royal Australian Air Force, spoke of PBED:<\/p>\n
                \n
              • Plan<\/li>\n
              • Brief<\/li>\n
              • Execute<\/li>\n
              • Debrief<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                PBED, he explained, is a continuous improvement process to table improved error recognition, error reduction or correction, which enables the creation of efficiencies that lead to improved performance. It is an essential tool in an environment where students must learn quickly.<\/p>\n
                \u201cIt\u2019s the quality of interaction in each event that ultimately turns a team of experts into an expert team,\u201d said Walker. \u201cWe often find that members do not know how to work or operate as a team \u2013 just following a framework does not make a team.\u201d<\/p>\n
                “We must give people the \u2018how\u2019 \u2013 it is not enough to say \u2018this is what you have to do\u2019 \u2013 people will learn at a higher rate when you give them the \u2018how\u2019.\u201d<\/em><\/h3>\n
                David Walker, Royal Australian Air Force<\/em><\/pre>\n
                  \n
                1. Proximal role modelling for the next generation<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                  Leinster Rugby, one of Europe\u2019s most prominent teams, has a squad that is 86 per cent homegrown \u2013 what is the secret to finding and nurturing supreme talent in your region? As Simon Broughton, the Academy Manager at Leinster, explained, the team benefits from a group that has played and developed together in the youth ranks. They have travelled, won and lost as a collective. \u201cSo many experiences that strengthens their connection,\u201d said Broughton.<\/p>\n
                  The club has adopted a variety of approaches, including proximal role modelling, which sees younger players spend 80 per cent of their time integrated with older players. Proximal role modelling is \u201cintegrated organically into different aspects of their training week, from walking the pitches, to session design, and into analysis rooms.\u201d<\/p>\n
                  Leinster have also latched onto the \u2018goldilocks principle\u2019 as 33 per cent of their players are neurodivergent. \u201cThis has led to changes in how messages are delivered,\u201d Broughton added. \u201cThere are slides, but also video and walkthroughs, and time for reconnecting and breaking mental circuits.\u201d<\/p>\n
                  \u201cWe use proximal role modelling so that less experienced players have social interactions with more experienced players. [This is] to create an environment where learning and development can take place without a coach or a member of staff.\u201d<\/em><\/h3>\n
                  Simon Broughton, Leinster Rugby<\/em><\/pre>\n
                   <\/p>\n<\/p>\n                                <\/div>\n                            \n                            \n                            \n                                                    <\/div>\n                                        
                  \n                                            <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n        <\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"featured_media":29465,"menu_order":0,"template":"","categories":[22,20],"pathway":[295],"topic":[318,296,308,299],"sport":[349,303,310],"class_list":["post-29464","article","type-article","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-coaching-development-performance","category-leadership-culture-performance","pathway-leadership-development","topic-alignment","topic-culture","topic-influence","topic-team-building","sport-australian-football","sport-football","sport-rugby-union"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nSix Approaches to Help Set Athletes for Success - Performance Institute<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\/six-ways-to-help-set-athletes-for-success\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Six Approaches to Help Set Athletes for Success - Performance Institute\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\/six-ways-to-help-set-athletes-for-success\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Performance Institute\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-12-15T05:10:46+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/app\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/GettyImages-2166362789-scaled-e1739889137894.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2551\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1279\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"1 minute\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\/six-ways-to-help-set-athletes-for-success\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\/six-ways-to-help-set-athletes-for-success\/\",\"name\":\"Six Approaches to Help Set Athletes for Success - Performance Institute\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\/six-ways-to-help-set-athletes-for-success\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\/six-ways-to-help-set-athletes-for-success\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/app\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/GettyImages-2166362789-scaled-e1739889137894.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-02-19T09:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-12-15T05:10:46+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\/six-ways-to-help-set-athletes-for-success\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\/six-ways-to-help-set-athletes-for-success\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\/six-ways-to-help-set-athletes-for-success\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/app\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/GettyImages-2166362789-scaled-e1739889137894.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/app\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/GettyImages-2166362789-scaled-e1739889137894.jpg\",\"width\":2551,\"height\":1279,\"caption\":\"MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 17: Craig McRae, Senior Coach of the Magpies and Darcy Moore of the Magpies celebrate during the 2024 AFL Round 23 match between the Collingwood Magpies and the Brisbane Lions at The Melbourne Cricket Ground on August 17, 2024 in Melbourne, Australia. 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