Sport’s Loneliest Job Doesn’t Need To Be So Lonely: Brad McGee

Coaching has long been described as the ‘loneliest’ job in sport, but New South Wales Institute of Sport (NSWIS) High Performance Coach Advisor, Brad McGee OAM, believes the Institute’s coaches already have arguably the best support system available to them.

Along with Alan McConnell, former Greater Western Sydney Giants Director of Coaching, McGee forms NSWIS’s Coaching Regional and Talent Unit, and they work with the Institute’s coaches from 16 different sporting programs.

McGee, who is one of Australia’s most successful Olympic cyclist with five medals – including the gold he won at Athens and he’s also the only Australian to have led the ‘Holy Trinty;’ the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia, and Vuelta a Espana – was adamant the coaches across NSWIS have the knowledge, diversity and insights that are needed to guide one another through the roller coaster ride that can be their vocation.

The NSWIS scholarship holder from 1998-2008 said he learned the value of sharing knowledge – and experiences – when he joined Denmark’s highly successful professional cycling team, Saxobank, as one of its sports directors.

“It was essentially an apprenticeship model of learning,” said McGee of joining Saxobank, which in 2008 was a team with over 70 employees from 14 different countries. “I was a newbie and found myself working with some of the world’s best sporting coaches.

“I was taken under their wing and went to all of the events with them. I shadowed the coaches and built up my confidence and competencies. And what I found is confidence and competencies came from the sharing of knowledge and capabilities.”

McGee wasted no time in applying what he learnt because after being elevated to Saxobank’s Lead Sports Director from 2010 until 2012, he led the squad to victory in both the national tours of France and Spain.

His realisation coaches from other sports could feed off one another’s wisdom and experience took hold soon after McGee returned home as the Head Road Coach for Cycling Australia, and he attended coaching and leadership courses run by the Australian Institute of Sport.

“We were put into little groups with coaches from other disciplines,” he recalled. “I found that experience to be very powerful, and I’ve since learned the research into adult learning has found there’s many reasons as to why shared learning is beneficial.

“I believe another benefit of collaborating with other coaches is that it has a knock on affect into the wellbeing space. There’s something that comes with the acknowledgement by your peers in other sports that they’re going through a heap of challenges – many which are similar to your own.

“Most of the solutions and answers we need are among NSWIS’s coaches; we don’t need to look too far afield for help. Although, of course, we will engage with our networks as further themes emerge, starting with our connections here in Sydney Olympic Park and seeking to build learning partnerships.

“What we also know about successful and medal winning coaches, is that they have a voracious appetite for continuous learning and curiosity, on innovation and approaches to best support their athletes to provide that winning edge.

“I think we appreciate it takes a central figure to bring everybody together . . . to do the coordination and to set the agenda . . . to essentially initiate conversations, to capture themes, and to keep the coaches moving through facilitation.

“Eventually that could lead to an organic continuation of these groups, but the coaches need to have that structure – and, I guess, a bit of ‘oomph’ – at the start.

“We’re not digging too deeply into the technical aspects of coaching – because there is so much to it – but each coach can support the other with shared knowledge; shared experience; by trying and suggesting things; by being aware of where each other is at, and what phases they’re in so we can offer support.

“NSWIS has an incredible community of athletes, support staff, and coaches. We are in the extremely unique, but powerful, position of housing 16 different sport programs.

“When you look at the resumes of the people in our coaching roles its clear they are intelligent, have incredible life experience, some were elite athletes who reached the pinnacle of their sport, and, just as they demand it from their athletes, they have the will and desire to keep learning.

“The diversity on offer at NSWIS can undoubtedly influence creativity, ignite different but effective, thinking, and share learning between coaches and sports that would never have the opportunity. Rather than remain in their individual growth silo, our coaches can work together in a collaborative and meaningful manner.”

“At the end of the day it speaks of ‘confidence’. And the one key takeout of this plan is building and sustaining confidence.”

 

NSWIS Coaches, May 2023

Director High Performance: Barrie-Jon Mather (Sport Programs), Andrew Logan (Coaching, Regional & Talent)

Senior Manager High Performance Anna Longman

Managers, High Performance: Andy Burns, Vicki Linton

Athletics: Andrew Dawes, Louise Sauvage

Archery: Ricci Cheah, Kyomoon Oh

Canoe Slalom: Titouan Dupras

Canoe Sprint: Jake Michael

Cycling: Rebecca Dicello, Sean Eadie, Michael Marshall

Diving: Chava Sobrino, Joel Rodriguez, Emma Lynch, Joe Meszaros

Hockey: Brent Livermore (Men), Ben Senior (Women)

Swimming: Adam Kable

Triathlon: Liam O’Neil

Water Polo: Rebecca Rippon, Jacki Northam

Winter Sport: (Peter Topalovic – Manager); Kate Blamey; Stan Wu; Peter McNeil (Alumni)

Gen32 Coaches: Kate Jenner, Hally Chapman, James Greathead, Jackson Holtham, Nicole Parks,

Jay Thompson.

NSWIS STRENGTH & CONDITIONING COACHES

Head of Department: Simon Harries

Archery: Jason Howell

Athletics & Combat: Billy Macklin

Cycling & Winer Sports: Chris Brandner

Diving: Spencer Goggin

Hockey: Braydon Cassar

Individuals: Ebony Charles

Rowing: David Young

Rowing & wheelchair track and road racing: Kellyanne Redman

Sailing: Sam Cataldo

Skate: Simon Harries

Swimming & Trampoline: Rebecca Dowse

Sprint Canoe & Triathlon: Justin Noonan

Water Polo: Nathan Spencer

 

Daniel Lane, NSWIS