Essex Coaches Club

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We are pleased to launch the new Essex Coaches Club Coach Development Programme! The Essex Coaches Club aims to create a place-based community of practice for coaches, where learning and development are driven by local needs while aligning with national strategies like Sport England’s Coaching Plan 2.0, CIMSPA Local Skills Hubs, and #PlayTheirWay.

This new and exciting face-to-face development programme will support coaches by providing:

Practical, real-world learning experiences from leading experts in coaching.
A connected coaching community that promotes peer-to-peer support and knowledge exchange.
Workshops tailored to everyday coaching challenges, helping coaches develop their craft while enhancing inclusion, wellbeing, and performance in sport.

This initiative aligns with the Essex Coaches Club’s broader strategy, which seeks to value, support, and reward coaches across all levels and sports while strengthening the overall coaching workforce in Essex.

As part of the programme we’re excited to announce six exciting Essex Coaches Club workshops that you can attend.

Programme Structure and Workshop Schedule

Each workshop will be interactive, engaging, and discussion-led, ensuring coaches can apply insights directly to their coaching environments.

Sign up below!

‘Why everything you ever thought about skill acquisition is wrong’ (24th April) University of Essex 6:30-9:30pm

Speaker: Stuart Armstrong (The Talent Equation & Former Head of Coaching at Sport England and Head of Player Development at England Rugby)

Key Themes:

The secret science behind skill acquisition that nobody gets told about
How to create adaptable learning environments for athletes.
Challenging traditional coaching methods to improve player autonomy and creativity.

Diary of a Grassroots Coach (7th May) Essex County Cricket Club 6:30-9:30pm

Speaker: Justin Price (Former FA Head of Coach Development)

Key Themes:

Player-centred coaching environments – developing talent for long-term success.
Building a philosophy that supports athlete growth at all levels.
Real world coaching – doing the the little things that make the difference.

Flourishing in High Performance (22nd May) Anglia Ruskin University Chelmsford 6:30-9:30pm

Speaker: Sarah Kelleher (International Hockey Coach)

Key Themes:

Creating a high-performance coaching culture that balances competition and care.
Leadership lessons from international sport – what great coaches do differently.
Nurturing belonging and flourishing in team environments.

Myths of Sports Performance Book Club (Date TBC) 6:30-9:30pm

Speakers: Jenny Coe (Head of Performance Wellbeing, Barclays WSL) & Dr Amy Whitehead (Reader in Sport Psychology & Coaching, Liverpool John Moores University)

Key Themes:

Exploring the myths that still persist in performance narratives around sport, including:
- The myth of periodisation.
- The myth of the Zombie.
- The myth that all feedback is beneficial