#91 A Conversation with World Cup and Olympic Sports Psychologist Bill Beswick

It is important the people coaching our children have all the qualities and skills necessary to develop success beyond the game. Who "coaches" our children's coaches? This week, we continue with this theme of coach development to discuss how vital it is to have someone "coaching the coaches". Bill Beswick is widely considered one of the best coach trainers in the world and he joins us to share his philosophies and methods.

Bill is recognised as a leader in the field of applied sports psychology and especially renowned for his work with professional elite soccer teams. With an academic background to Masters degree level and experience as Head Coach to England Men's Basketball Team (Commonwealth Games Gold Medal Winners), Bill was ideally placed to become the first sports psychologist operating fully in English professional soccer.

In soccer, Bill has worked at Derby County, Manchester United, Middlesbrough & Sunderland in the English Premier League and contributes to UEFA Pro Licence award courses for a number of European Football Associations. He has international experience with the England U18 and U21 squads and as Team Psychologist with England Senior Men. Currently Bill is consultant Club Psychologist to FC Twente in the Dutch Eredivisie. He also provides mentoring and support to senior rugby union coaches, including supporting England Women's Rugby coaching team through their 2010 World Cup campaign and is unique in having England international experience across three major team sports: basketball, soccer and rugby.

His book 'Focused For Soccer' (now in a new, enlarged 2nd edition) published by Human Kinetics was one of the first to explore the psychology of soccer and has proved to be a sustained success, with translations into Japanese, Chinese, Spanish and German. Bill's own sportsmind resources available through this website provide coaches and players with unique development materials presented in accessible, up to date digital formats and based on more than thirty years of coaching and teaching experience.

He presents workshops across Europe and the USA and enjoys working 'on attachment' with the Athletics Departments of several US universities and with MLS team FC Dallas. Through his company, Sportsmind, Bill offers consultancy services on a wide range of performance and leadership related issues in sport and business. Companies and individual senior managers can benefit from the same executive coaching and mentoring relationship that Bill offers to top coaches and players.

As well as working with elite teams and coaches across many different sports, Bill's career has included coaching under 8 mini rugby, school team sports, men's and women's student and representative basketball teams - the importance of participation, enjoyment and involvement in sport at whatever level has always been part of his life.

Ask Bill what his most fulfilling role is and he'll reply "Coaching coaches." It is as a coach educator and mentor that his experience and insights prove the most valuable.

Getting in Touch

Website: BillBeswick.com

Amazon Links to his books:

Show Notes

3:00 Why Bill coaches the coaches

10:45 The rise of the "warm and demanding" coach

20:30 We must start with relationships to move them to the winning track

30:30 Any change of attitude has an underlying reason/feeling

41:00 Coaches need to get off the treadmill and give themselves a break too

48:00 What happens when the National Coach works with the under 8 team?

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Hosted by John O'Sullivan. Produced by Coach Reed Maltbie