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Now Available: The Development Level (L2) Coaching Course Online

2/12/2019

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Kia ora koutou,
 
We are pleased to announce the Development Level Coaching Course Online is “Live”
 
The much awaited online component of the course will be released December 3rd 2019.
The aim of the online component is to make the course more accessible, allow the learner to work at their own speed and give more time “doing” at the practical component of the course
 
Development Level Coaching Course online
Practice and Achieve
The Development course is Touch New Zealand’s level 2 accreditation coaching course. The course is recommended for all coaches looking to be involved the game and grow their touch coaching skillset.
The programme focuses on the PRACTICE and ACHIEVE coaching and learning stage.
The course aims to give the learner base learning in
  • Management & Organisation
  • Communication
  • Technical & Tactical Knowledge
  • Presentation and Interpersonal Skills
  • Review & Development Process
  • Game Concept & Strategies
  • Athlete Performance
 
NEW ADDITION
Video Resources – Accessible in “search Learning – Touch Resources” once you successfully complete the Foundation course

2020 will see the practical Component of the Development Course be focused on activities, skills, drills and delivery.

Keep an eye on the Touch Coach Connect website for further information
 
*Ensure you have completed the Foundation Coaching level course online as this will give you access to the Development Level.
 
A very big thank you to Sport New Zealand and Jay Masters in supporting the release of this course
 
FAQs – Frequently asked questions
 
Q  How long would it take to do the online course?
A  30min – 120min
 
Q  Can I start the online course, pause it and come back to it at a later date?
A  Yes, it is designed to make the availability and accessibility suited to the user
 
Q  Will it remember where I am up to?
A  Yes it will automatically save your progress
 
Q  What type of activities would I be required to do as I work through the online course? (multi-choice, written responses, upload documents, insert photos, etc…???)
A  The Course has a number of multi-choice questions to check for understanding, and you will also require to submit documents – all is explained as you progress through
 
Q  Does my computer need anything special to run the online course? (for videos, sound, etc…..).
A  You can access any of the learning modules / videos from your normal web browser (e.g. chrome, safari, internet explorer, firefox, edge and others) on your computer, laptop, tablet, smart phone. Sound should run through you standard device speakers or headphones if you have them plugged in.   
 
Q  Does the online course work on a MAC?
A  Yes the learning modules can be experienced on MAC
 
Q  What happens once I complete the online course? What are the next steps?
A  The system recognises you have completed the online part of your coaching and will allow access to coaching resource. You will then need to register for and complete the Development Level Coaching course practical component. Generally delivered regionally from July through to November. You will then be deemed competent
 
Q  If I have any technical functionality problems with the online course programme, who do I contact?
A  The system has a Help link available for you to email and ask questions.  If you have forgot your password you can use the forgot password link at the login point to reset this yourself. 
 
All the best on your coaching Journey and we look forward to crossing paths soon
“Touch what a game”
 
Touch New Zealand Community Coaching
George and Luke
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#CoachingtheTouchBlacks Series: Jean Marsh

30/10/2019

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This is the second interview in our Coaching the Touch Blacks series.

In this korero we catch up with Jean Marsh, who is the newest addition to the Touch Black coaching Whanau.

Jean is well known, hugely respected and often referred to as one of the greatest Touchies to come out of Counties Manukau.

Whilst she has an obvious wealth of experience and knowledge, our Jean is not the biggest fan of interviews - so getting her to share as part of this series was a bit of a coup!

​She's also probably going to kill me for using that photo! ha! I hope you enjoy hearing from our new NZ Women's coach. 

This is #CoachingtheTouchBlacks 

Congrats on being named Touch Black Open Women’s Head Coach through to the next World Cup. Can you share with us what being the Head Coach of the Open Women’s team means to you?

I don’t think I have come to terms with it yet... it almost feels like such an extravagant title and that it doesn’t belong to me! 

In saying that though I have learnt that playing touch is not the only way to represent the Touch Blacks so I thought heck if I couldn’t play - then I could coach! 

Can you describe the difference in how you handle the pressure as a Coach, to what you feel as a player?

As a player at times I took on a lot of pressure just with the style that I played and my role in the team. This was just part and parcel and you either take it on or you ask someone else too. 

The pressure as a coach for me personally was similar, and I followed the same philosophy as I did when playing. Take it on, or ask someone else too!

Whilst you are the ‘new’ Touch Black Coach as part of the latest announcement, you are certainly no stranger to high pressure games – coaching with Counties, the Warriors in the NRL Touch Premiership etc – can you share some elements of your coaching style that you will carry over into the Touch Blacks role?

The coaching style I use… I would call it “direct”, Lol. For me I feel this style comes from building trust with my players. 

I create a healthy, honest and fun relationship, which makes it easier to have the hard chats. By building this rapport with my team, they have a better understanding of where that feedback is coming from.

What's the dream?

The dream for this role? To win! Then to win again, and again! ... Why not aim for the stars! 

 Seriously though,    at this level of the game it’s a big component to want to win - but there are many  other ways to  make the dreams come true.  

 I’m also focused on ensuring I can bring balance to the role – and support my team to set and achieve goals, and do well on and off the field.

When it's all done and dusted, what will be your legacy?

Once the campaign is complete, I’ll be more focused on what holiday I’m going on!  But as far as leaving a legacy? Well, I will leave that up to the people that I have crossed paths with either as a coach/player/friend to decide. 

All I’m after is a smile. :) 

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#CoachingtheTouchBlacks Series: Rahul Das

23/10/2019

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In the first of a series of interviews with our recently appointed National Coaches, I caught up with Rahul Das, recently re-appointed  to Coach the NZ Men.

This is #CoachingtheTouchBlacks 

Congrats on being named Touch Black Open Men’s Head Coach through to the next World Cup. Can you share with us what being the Head Coach of the Open Men’s team means to you?
 
Firstly, thank you Pat. It’s not often we get an opportunity to do interviews like this so I appreciate your time and effort.
 
To be named the head coach of the NZ Men’s Touch Blacks is an absolute honour. I don’t mean for it to sound cliché but it means a lot for me to be working with some of the best athletes in our sport.
 
It not only allows me to spend time with great characters but has allowed me to be in an environment where I am always challenging myself at the highest level, am constantly learning and trying to better myself as a coach and a person.
 
I feel privileged to be in a position to chase my passion and create a culture that wants to help those involved succeed in all aspects of life. There are many exciting things coming up and I am looking forward to leading this team to achieve goals that have not been achieved yet.
 
What would be your personal highlight of your coaching career to date?
 
The 2019 World Cup journey would be my most memorable highlight to date.
 
The build-up was pretty cool and required a lot of planning and organisation. As a management group, working alongside Paora Peawini and Toni Wall, we challenged ourselves to bring a professional approach to an amateur sport with our on and off field preparation.
 
We tested ourselves to think outside the box, to try be innovative with our training/playing structures and to create an atmosphere that hopefully allowed each squad member to have a lifetime experience.
 
Each member of the team was superb. We were well led by our captain Mita Graham, who I hold in the highest regard. What he has done to support me in the last few years to bring about a change in our approach has been unbelievable. What we have envisioned and tried to create is a culture that strives for excellence on and off the field. He definitely leads by example and is well supported by our leadership group.
 
The week in Malaysia was amazing. Despite some testing conditions, nothing was an issue and we  had a great bunch of people wanting to achieve a common goal. Unfortunately, we came up just short, however it was a special time and the experiences and memories will always stay with me and adds more fuel to the fire.
 
I'm sure there have equally been some teachable moments - can you share with us something you have learnt from the job?
 
The biggest lesson I have learnt is to always keep evolving. I pride myself on being organised, having a clear plan and forward thinking, however in a user pays sport you have curve balls thrown at you all the time.
 
Therefore, it is important to have a holistic approach to coaching. To get to know your players and their respective journeys, to be empathetic and adaptable to overcome hurdles that a user pays sport faces. The players are the most important cog in this sport - so we want to make sure that no one is left behind and that we have a lot of fun along the way.
 
The other major lesson that I have learned is that success is not necessarily based on what you know rather the ability to learn and grow. I have come to understand that everyone teaches you something and if you are willing to listen.
 
What is something about the job you never get used too?
 
I think the hardest part of coaching is having to “cut” squad numbers for tournaments and games. That is something that I will never get used to.
 
I have however, been blessed with amazing players who have put the team first and realise they can play a different role in helping the team.
 
What's the dream?
 
For now the goal is to prepare for the 2020 Trans-Tasman in Newcastle. We have an exciting squad to work with and looking forward to playing Australia on home soil.
 
The ultimate dream is to win the 2023 World Cup – a few years down the track with a lot of hard work in between. It's a work in progress. More to come…
 
When it's all done and dusted, what will be your legacy?
 
That’s a tough question,
 
To be honest, I haven’t thought about legacy. I suppose when you start thinking about legacy, you will stop living in the moment. I’d rather just work hard because it would be a disservice to the people I coach if thought about it. If I do things right, legacy will take care of itself.

My personal coaching philosophy is based on three main foundations - creating a culture around competitive excellence, whanau values and continuous improvement.
 
Right now, I want to lead by example, empower our players to uphold  our culture and make a significant impact on the skills and development of touch in NZ. In the process, making sure we are all accountable for our actions and take the necessary steps required to perform at the highest level.

​I am excited to see the momentum the game is gathering in NZ and want to continue seeing the game grow.
 
I want the NZ Open Men’s to have more on-field success and we want to  play a style that is innovative, intelligent and relentless. A style that challenges us mentally and importantly built around our natural kiwi flair. 
 
As mentioned above, it is important to me to have an environment that allows individuals to succeed in all circles of life. The necessity for the group to understand our identity – who we are, what we stand for, and our collective and individual responsibilities as a Touch Black.
 
If I can develop character leaders through our sport (and get a gold medal haha) then I have done my job. 

#taketheblack
​
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Great Coach,  better person - Rahul Das

7/10/2019

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Disclaimer: This was supposed to be an interview with Rahul, in a series I'm pulling together to profile our National Coaches recently appointed through to the next Touch World Cup.  I've decided to share this as a seperate piece. Once you have read it, you'll understand why. 

My favourite thing about the Touch scene in Aotearoa is how much love the community has for each other. Don’t get me wrong, there is also a huge competitive nature about our game up and down the Country, but paramount is the love and respect that underpins the game and the community that serve it. 

Rahul Das is a perfect example of this.

In preparation for this article, I reached out to a few good mates of mine who have played for Rahul. I asked them to share with me their whakaaro on Rahul as a coach. The response I received was beautiful. 

I asked Touch Black Open Mens player Carlos Savage what he liked most about Das, to which he responded “he is not only a coach that wants to better you on the field but he wants to create good role models and leaders out in the community” 

Carlos went on to add, “He also thinks outside the box a lot with resources outside of touch he can bring in to benefit the team in one way or another”

I asked the same question to my good friend, another Touch Black Shaq Stone who played for Rahul alongside his older brother Mossy. 

Shaq said his most memorable moment with Das came in the form of a facebook message. Rahul sent through this quote, and left Stone stunned. 

"A Player that doesn't make excuses and instead takes ownership of their actions is so fun to coach. 

They buy into the team first concept and help implement and lead it. They don't get tempted to join in with the haters. They stand up for the team. 

They're a champion no matter what the scoreboard says. And they're usually the ones I recruit to be my assistant down the road."
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Rahul followed by adding,

“This is your mindset bro. I’ve seen you listen, grow, challenge yourself, have hunger and hard work and done it with humility. You’re a leader my friend. And I’m Proud to coach you and also more importantly to call you a friend”

That moment, says Shaq, cemented Das as “the greatest coach I’ve ever had”

“The professionalism he brings to an amateur sport is second to none & the work he has done to raise the bar in our men’s team is unreal bro. So, I have nothing but the best of words to say for him bro, he helped me also to get to where I am now” 

I asked Touch Black Tarkyn Loloselo to share some thoughts on Rahul - the Solomon Island native couldn’t speak highly enough of his Coach, 

“Before the second test in Rotorua stands out for me. He picked ratty over me because he was more experienced. He told me that I’m still young and he had bigger plans for me,

I then went on to captain the u20s at the youth World Cup & was also our flag bearer for that campaign. The following year I went to the opens World Cup with the Touch Blacks. This allowed me to land a rugby league contract in Australia.

So in a nutshell that is my favourite moment that we’ve had. Because that decision benefited me in the long run. He’s a man I highly respect”

National Referee Harley Wall summarises it best, and it’s a fitting way to finish this off. 

“He’s a legend of our sport, we’re very lucky to have him” 

After reading this, I think we’d be hard pressed to find anyone who disagrees. 

Rahul has the miDAS touch. 

Thanks, Coach.  

Pat Spellman

My Interview with Rahul will be uploaded shortly.  You can read the full Announcement from TNZ regarding the Touch Black Coaches   here
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Touch Blacks Coaches & Managers Announced

10/9/2019

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Touch NZ would like to congratulate the following Coaches and Managers who have been appointed to the Touch Blacks Mixed, Women’s and Men’s teams for the next 4 years.

Touch Blacks Open Mixed
Head Coach – Hika Pene (Kapiti/Horowhenua)
Assistant Coach – Damian Burden (Otago)
Manager – Rachel Stratford (Waikato)

Touch Blacks Open Women’s
Head Coach – Jean Marsh (Counties Manukau)
Assistant Coach – still to be appointed
Manager – Shelly Johnstone (Canterbury)

Touch Blacks Open Men’s
Head Coach – Rahul Das (Auckland)
Assistant Coach – Paora Peawini (Canterbury)
Manager – Toni Wall (Otago)

#backingblack
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Level 2 Coaching Development Course - Christchurch

3/9/2019

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Christchurch was the location of our most recent Level 2 Development course, and there were some legends on hand to assist with the delivery!

​A total of 7 keen Coaches took part in the level 2 course, hungry to add to their coaching toolkits and connect with friends from our Touch community.

Those in attendance were spoilt for choice  with sections delivered from Canterbury Legends Scott Grant (Shuts/corners and defense), Corey Tauwhare (Rucking and rollball) and Jason Puddles (Attacking moves).

 The course was delivered by Stevie Wall (Legend!), George Jahnke and Logan Forrester,   If you get a chance, check out the Touch New Zealand Coaching Developers Facebook page for a look at the  video of the day, and take a nosey at some of the photos  below. 

Solid work, Touch Canterbury. Touch! What a game! 
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Foundation Level Course - Hawkes Bay

29/8/2019

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Touch Hawkes Bay held their first Foundation Level Coaching course of the season, and the future of our coaching community in Ngati Kahungunu is looking pretty choice!

We reached out to see how things went - the good, the challenging - and everything in between. 

THB  Coaching Director, Dynamite Dan shared his whakaaro after the course  had wrapped up. 


In his own words; 

Lots of energy and enthusiasm with loads of fun and learning was achieved by a group of experienced coaches in attendance for the 1st of 2 Foundation level practical courses we have planned for Ngati Kahungunu this year..
Well done coaches! 

Our future in Hawkes Bay looks very promising if this is anything to go by!

5 key points from myself I wanted to achieve were:
1. Deliver all contents with confidence and clarity.
2. Nail the key messages/outcomes of each one.
3. Keep to the time schedule.
4. Use effective push/pull technique. 
5. Bring lots of positive energy to the lesson.

Work on's would include:
1. 20/80.. not 80/20! :/
2. Started late. Waited for 6 non shows! (15min)
3. ACC/AWHI component. 

Nevertheless, very pleased with my first delivery and definitely want to do more in the future!

Feedback from participants were:
1. Course was fun and engaging.
2. Mateship amongst coaches amazing.
3. All were excited and glad they attended.
4. Regardless of experience, all were able to take away new tools and learning.
5. Removing of financial barriers were key factor in having 2 participants attending.

Lastly, on behalf of myself and the THB Coaching community we would like to acknowledge the AWHI and TAUTOKO shown by Riki Enosa of Counties Manukau  who travelled all the way from Auckland the morning of our course to support our team. His knowledge and input was invaluable but more importantly, his assistance and reassurance gave me the self confidence and belief that I can do this!!

Thank you very much Riki.

Naku noa, na Daniel de Thierry.
THB Provincial Coaching Director.
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Foundation Level Coaching Course – Counties Manukau

5/8/2019

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Wow… I have received amazing feedback of an awesome group of coaches with great energy and enthusiasm taking part in the Foundation Course last week! Some great Touch minds,  boundless passion, and open minded thinkers. If this is a good representation of Counties future… we wait eagerly to see the fruits!

And wonderful to hear a few legends from within the region were present too!

Thank you all for your time to attend this Foundation Level 1 – Practical Workshop. Touch NZ and Counties Manukau Touch Association appreciate your time and commitment to improve your ability to make a positive difference with the people you work with.

We hope you all enjoyed the evening and took some new learnings away.

For those that attended and are interested in grabbing copies of the resources that were utilised at the workshop - flick me an email and I will forward them through. We also have  a whole heap of other  soft copies of additional resources that could be helpful for your coaching toolbox. Get in touch, and we will sort you out. 

Coaching is a fun and rewarding but sometimes a hard and solo gig. I recommend you continue to keep in touch with this great group as a supportive network on your journey. Remember to increase your ability of keeping your players injury free, familarize yourself and your province with TouchFit 360 - ACC Sport Smart initiatives. You can find more information here.

Feedback please – Counties Manukau and Touch NZ are doing their best to offer a quality course. To assist us, could you please take 2-3 minutes to fill in the survey monkey feedback form. 

Once again thank you for your time and your contribution to the kids, community, province, and this great game

Touch…what a game!

Nga Mihi, 
Luke Chapman 
Touch NZ Coach Development  Officer
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2019 Touch NZ Coach Developers Conference

1/8/2019

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Our 2019 Touch NZ Coach Developers Conference was held 19th -21st July  at Auckland's Kings College. 

30 open-minded attendees representing 14 forward thinking provinces took part in an amazing 3 day Wananga. This weekend was designed to bring out the best in our Coaching Development team - empowering them to own the development of the community coaching landscape in their respective provinces.

The 3 days from this year’s conference could be summarised by three key statements:

1.            Developing coaches of coaches and developing people

2.            Caring for people’s first encounter with the sport and the province

3.            Big and small collaborations/focuses to ensure win-wins for all

Over the weekend all attendees looked to extend themselves, their capabilities, and knowledge within a supportive, fun, relative, and collaborative approach. 

Some of the areas that added real meaning to the weekend included: Touch NZ Frameworks/Strategies/Pathways; Community coaching focuses; Coaching Pathways; Coach Developer/Facilitator Skills; Practical Delivery Opportunities; Delivery Techniques; Observation and Feedback Processes (REVIEW Process); Understanding Self; and Future Planning and Goals .

Make sure you check out the weekend wrap video - right here


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Blog: Identify, support, and inform your coaches early!

31/7/2019

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Benjamin Franklin supposedly once said, “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.”

It is great to see so many provinces being proactive in regards to the 2019-20 season and not leaving things to chance

5 THINGS TO CONSIDER:

1. Know what you require for the season: If you have a half descent idea of what the season requires in regards to coaches, you can at least set a target of how many coaches you want on the books or putting their hands up for roles. 
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2. Promote – Advertise – Publicise: From Fb, websites, phone calls, or/and to shoulder tapping people about coaching opportunities/dates…Be sure you generate the energy and information so you reach your target coach numbers.

3. Clarity – Be sure all coaches understand the provincial ideals, values, timelines, position descriptions, pathway way processes, expectations, and support systems. This will help outline a clearer understanding from both sides. An example of a successful process that is being utilised by provinces is to have a coaching hui/meeting before coaching applications close. This allows for one message to all and the opportunity for coaches to ask any questions before they apply.

4. Calendar – A coaching calendar of all relevant events, key dates, and deadlines will be priceless for all coaches!

5. Utilise your ‘Selecting a Coach’ guideline resource if you don’t have a system or structure – All PCD have been given, if you would like another copy please email us
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