Free yourself from improving athletes at the expense of yourself!

Find your personal freedom within sport or create your own exit strategy to stop living to work and start living your life.

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The Men Behind Sport Mission

Men Behind Sport provides coach development like no other.

We specifically help coaches and support staff who are driven to make an impact in high-performance sport yet feel lost with direction, stuck and pigeonholed by their identity in sport, and/or burnt out from improving their athletes at the expense of themselves.

Our transformational coach development process allows you to identify what qualities are most important for you to show up in your role, career and life in your fullest expression.

It provides an inner analysis that highlights the components of your life, giving you clarity on what is blocking you, how it's blocking you and what you need to do to release those blocks.

This guides you to tailor your goals and actions away from potential burnout, divorce or illness, and instead towards one where you thrive as a practitioner and in your home life.

You Are Not Your Job

Specific focus on your personal growth & development as a man away from your role in sport, that parallels the focus you put into your athlete's development

Work:Life Harmony

The skills to create the ideal work:life harmony for you and the people that matter to you

Deep Clarity

Discover clarity and peace away from the constant need to keep doing and achieving to live your life for yourself

 

 

I have supported performance staff from organisations including...

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I have also spoken at internationally recognised conferences such as...

 

 

This is the support I offer...

1-2-1 Coaching

  • A deep journey of self-awareness
  • Discover your internal drivers
  • Get clarity on your purpose & vision
  • Define a clear vision of how you want your career in sport to be moving forwards
  • Get clear with & define your exit strategy from sport
  • Uncover your key skills & attributes that transfer into other areas of work
  • Get clarity on the values that matter most to you, and what identities you uphold & defend that creates a discrepancy between your values & your lived experience
  • Clarity on what is blocking you, how it's blocking you and what you need to do to release those blocks - leaving you free to make the choices you want
  • This process will help you reconnect with your authentic voice and soften the grip your coaching identity has on your life so that you can become more present, stop living to work and enjoy life outside of career.
  • The true journey of life is letting go of what no longer serves us. You'll develop the skill to identify and ultimately change old belief systems and thinking  towards new ways of thinking, acting and feeling aligned to how you want to show up as a man, partner, parent and leader.
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Group Coaching

 

 

The Practitioner Project 20/20 is a group coaching program designed for those looking to have a rounded and complete development beyond the superficial CV.

  • Registration opens Monday 7th October
  • Closes Saturday 30th November
  • Program starts January 2025
  • Skewed motivation to “succeed” or “achieve” is what sits at the heart of many practitioner problems. 
  • Many expend great energy in sustaining an identity that no longer serves them. Identiities however are simply a set of beliefs, which can be redefined.
  • Practitioners rarely have the space to freely question their assumptions or challenge traditional performance department "norms" that leads to frustration in their professional or personal situations. 
  • Become more balanced in your considerations in both your professional and personal life by defining the contents in your life - should be doing Vs want to be doing.
  • Leaving you more at peace, enjoying coaching a lot more with a process allowing you to dive deep into your development from a new place of enthusiasm - rather than the old place of anxiety and fear of missing out.

Leadership starts with understanding self, and this is what the Practitioner Project is solely aimed at! Who YOU are behind your role.

A proven process.

Clarity. Direction. Freedom

12 weeks.

Support group.

Practical frameworks and resources to support your growth. Networking.

Additional support from external speakers.

Learn more

Workshops & Speaking

We are guided by measuring our individual success by external benchmarks, fueled by a relentless drive to upskill only through the technical lens.

This leaves us with huge blindspots within ourselves that limit our happiness and the impact we deliver as an individual and support staff team.

It's easy to learn the scientific principles and X's & O's of our trade. The hard part is mastering our human side, which has been forgotten amidst the data, programs, promotions, medals won & papers published.

  •  As a HOP or PD do you feel comfortable opening up these conversations?

  •  As support staff team (medical, performance etc) are you sitting down together to discuss topics such as self preservation or values-based culture?

I can help you with these things if you’re looking to optimise the impact and well-being of your department or organisation.

Book a Call

My Why

 

Hi, I'm Richard, the experience of giving end-of-life care to my mother allowed me to truly see what was important to me, and has now inspired me to provide the support I didn't have as a performance coach.

 

This is my why for founding men behind sport.

 

More About Me

The Crisis in Performance Support Staff

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My Research within performance support staff

The men I have interviewed (>160) inhabit roles including physiotherapists, nutritionists, data analysts, physiologists, performance coaches, sports scientists, performance directors, sports coaches, head of performance, head coaches, and head of academic programs.

I've learned how highly successful men that have achieved a great deal within high-performance sport and academia are quietly suffering to maintain the perception of being successful and happy.

I am in no doubt - Coaches need coaches!

Athletes have a vast array of options within their support network, but there is very little currently aimed at offering this unique support for senior performance staff.

men behind sport fills that gap

Many performance support staff have been following a path that has been defined by the perception of what other people think or by their own lack of self-worth and compassion.

There are three common reasons I see why men are quietly suffering: 

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Real quotes. Real problems performance support staff are experiencing.

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What performance support staff have to say about working with me:

 

“Richard and I connected at a perfect time in my career. We were able to walk through my career path and he was able to understand where I have been and where I want to go. Within the time we met he was also a great teacher and brought pertinent examples from his background, experiences and analogies from tribes to create learning points for me. His softness, ease in communication, flexibility to work with my schedule all made his program stand out and work for me.

What I liked the most was his ability to take all the different information I threw at him and he helped me become more singularly focused on one thing at a time.

It was great to work with Richard. I looked forward to the time we set aside to work together. The meetings felt comfortable, focused and a safe space to get away from the high stress of the day to day of working in professional sports.“

 

Tony Katzenmeier

(NBA Athletic Trainer, Oklahoma City Thunder)

 

Since the latter part of last year, I have been engaged in one-on-one coaching with Richard. My motivation for starting this proces stemmed from some challenges involving my identity and values that reached their peak last year.

At the time, I was probably still a bit burnt out from an intense five-year period in football while simultaneously working toward a PhD. Additionally, my career in sports started to feel misaligned with my changing life after the birth of my son.
Soon after I accepted a job that felt out of sync with "my identity as a coach". An identity I've pursued and held for well over a decade. This new role was much-needed work, having felt the ruthless nature of sport a few months previously. However, I needed to learn how to reconcile this new role with my "identity".

Navigating these issues was tough, especially without a clear method for examining or questioning my identity, values, and goals beyond my professional life. Moreover, I hadn’t really discussed these challenges with anyone else.

Richard has helped me achieve greater clarity about my broader purpose, values, and boundaries, most of which extend beyond my professional life. He has also provided me with useful frameworks and exercises for challenging my assumptions and thoughts. I've spent a lot of time and money in the past on CPD, but this is one of the best investments I've made in myself, the benefits of which will also impact those closest to me. Well worth considering. 

 

Adam Sullivan PhD

(Performance Coach, Sports Science Consultant, Researcher)

 

Working with Richard has taught me the ability to separate who I am from what I do. Searching for satisfaction in work by first understanding what my values are and learning to be happy regardless of what I do has allowed me step forward and not only have greater impact in what I do but also outside of work.“

 

Julian Haigh

(High Performance Director Gotham FC,  Sport Scientist US Men’s National team)

 

“Richard was great, he has helped me realise what I want and how I value my self. He has also helped me in becoming a better leader and how to understand how I’m feeling or how others are feeling. 

Richard spent time getting to know me and we went further than surface level feelings and thoughts. He helped me understand why I was feeling certain ways and how to manage these feelings. He helped me find solutions to a mixture of issues around day to day problem solving to long term career and my own needs and values.“

 

Robert Morledge

(Fitness Coach, Derby County FC)

 

"The more I delve into this topic, the more I see real life examples not only with me but other people in the sport sector. It's the pink elephant in the room that no one is talking about. But as soon as someone brings it up it's immediately aware how important this subject is."

"The course itself is good, but what makes it great is how it's delivered. You need someone who cares and who truly is passionate about the subject and Richard does that. I like also how he pushes me out of my comfort zones and delve into topics that I dont normally get into. It's these moments that really helped me move forward."

"What I am seeing now after going through the Practitioner Needs Analysis is how it has impacted my coaching. I didnt take the course to become a better coach, it was to find myself, but in doing so there have been so many positive aspects on my coaching style and how I work with my athletes and fellow staff. Finding and understanding yourself feels almost selfish at the beginning, but in the end it's the most unselfish thing you can do as everyone around you benefits.The blueprint is exactly that, a blueprint. The plan is in place now and I need to continue doing the work. I look forward to continuing my journey with Richard and Men Behind Sport."

Paul Marks

(Head Coach Snowboard Race Team, Snowboard Germany)

 

"There are people you meet in life and there are people you meet in life for a reason. Richard is the latter. We crossed paths a couple of years ago but I wasn't ready for what Richard had to offer to be honest. But last year I was ready and needed help and Richard was my go to man. Richard walked with me for the last quarter of last year and I will always be grateful.

Richard is unique especially in sport. You have to be prepared to 'let go'  to the process though to maximise the benefit of working with him.

As a result of our work together I now have a better understanding of who I am having literally done some soul searching. Align this with a better understanding of my purpose and my values and the end result is Ian Braid 2024 - At peace because the dissonance in my mind has gone. I am up for whatever is my destiny, free from my mistakes of the past and have let go of being in control. I am the best version of me and know I will continue to grow. Thank you my friend."

Ian Braid

(MD, DOCIA Sport)

 

"I can't believe I doubted signing up to start with because it has had a massive positive effect on my professional and personal lifeMore people need to know about this. I wish someone had told me earlier."

Dan Cluett

(Head of Medical, Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC)

 

"One of the stand out aspects to this was the organic nature of it. Richard seemed to tailor things to what I needed for the day. He never felt rushed to end a session or stay on a thought... I felt he truly wanted to help me. I've been scattered for too long and now I have a better point to help myself. "

Vaughn Arthur

(MAG Gymnastics Coach, Team Canada)

 

"Despite having a generally good working life, I had still experienced two burnouts. I also regularly see the same stress & fight within my colleagues that I used to live before, just to maintain the expectations and pressure I put on myself.

I started working with Richard to make sure I had a right balance between life and work, with special reference on the role of my values and purpose of life in the context of my job.

I was impressed how deeply we went in terms of destroying myths and false beliefs I had, which led to many profound insights.

I really enjoyed the calls with Richard, and above all he is a very good at listener and offers great reflections that I couldn't see before.

If you work in high-performance and you are struggling to find a work life balance, I highly recommend you contact Richard.

Looking forward to what's next which will be a more conscious stage of my life and career."

Vincenzo Rago

(Sport Scientist, S&C Coordinator, Al Ain FC)

 

 

"Working with Richard has helped me to have a clear idea of navigating through difficult situations, busy moments, busy periods of my life, and having the discipline to take care of myself.

Richard and the group made me realize that many people in our industry face the same difficulties and there are ways to get out of that and do things in a healthier and more positive way.

An unexpected result has been my ability to connect to my inner self that I didn't go into this program thinking about. It’s been very positive because it makes me understand that the more I'm connected with what I feel, the more I can present and show myself to the world in a more positive authentic way.

To anyone that is considering this program, reach out, reach out, reach out! Richard has been amazing and the group is a safe space to talk about everything."

Federico Pizzuto

(Director of Performance, Columbus Crew)

 

"I have to say I've taken a huge amount from this program. It came at a really important time for me in my personal development. The program helped me really assess how I want to take the next steps in my life. The incredible framework gave me clarity on my own personal journey, I really enjoyed this program."

Rhys Ingram

(Senior Strength & Conditioning Coach, British Cycling/EIS)

 

"Rich is a subject matter expert, who added a different slant to my personal problems. He helped me to find solutions to the issues that I was struggling with. The skills and tools that I’ve learned on this course have really, really been beneficial to me, almost instantaneously. It's been one of the most impactful investments I’ve ever made."

Josh Fletcher

(Senior Consultant Performance Coach)

 

"It struck me how lost I was in terms of working in performance sport. The more I’ve been involved with Rich, the clearer I've become with what I want, why I’m not feeling happy with what I’m doing, where I want to be heading and how to start putting change in place."

Rob Francis

(Senior Performance Coach & Founder Movement Mojo)

Book A Call

Services

Group Coaching

The Practitioner Project 20/20 is a group coaching program designed for those looking to have a rounded and complete development beyond the superficial CV.

Registration opens Monday 7th October

Closes Saturday 30th November

Program starts January 2025

  • Skewed motivation to “succeed” or “achieve” is what sits at the heart of many practitioner problems. 
  • Many expend great energy in sustaining an identity that no longer serves them. Identiities however are simply a set of beliefs, which can be redefined.
  • Practitioners rarely have the space to freely question their assumptions or challenge traditional performance department "norms" that leads to frustration in their professional or personal situations. 
  • Become more balanced in your considerations in both your professional and personal life by defining the contents in your life - should be doing Vs want to be doing.
  • Leaving you more at peace, enjoying coaching a lot more with a process allowing you to dive deep into your development from a new place of enthusiasm - rather than the old place of anxiety and fear of missing out.

Leadership starts with understanding self, and this is what the Practitioner Project is solely aimed at! Who YOU are behind your role.

A proven process.

Clarity. Direction. Freedom

  • 12 weeks.
  • Support group.
  • Practical frameworks and resources to support your growth. Networking.
  • Additional support from external speakers.
Learn more

1-2-1 Coaching

  • A deep journey of self-awareness
  • Discover your internal drivers
  • Get clarity on your purpose & vision
  • Define a clear vision of how you want your career in sport to be moving forwards
  • Get clear with & define your exit strategy from sport
  • Uncover your key skills & attributes that transfer into other areas of work
  • Get clarity on the values that matter most to you, and what identities you uphold & defend that creates a discrepancy between your values & your lived experience
  • Clarity on what is blocking you, how it's blocking you and what you need to do to release those blocks - leaving you free to make the choices you want
  • This process will help you reconnect with your authentic voice and soften the grip your coaching identity has on your life so that you can become more present, stop living to work and enjoy life outside of career.
Book a call

Workshops/Speaking

We are guided by measuring our individual success by external benchmarks, fueled by a relentless drive to upskill only through the technical lens.

This leaves us with huge blindspots within ourselves that limit our happiness and the impact we deliver as an individual and support staff team.

It's easy to learn the scientific principles and X's & O's of our trade. The hard part is mastering our human side, which has been forgotten amidst the data, programs, promotions, medals won & papers published.

  •  As a HOP or PD do you feel comfortable opening up these conversations?

  •  As support staff team (medical, performance etc) are you sitting down together to discuss topics such as self preservation or values-based culture?

I can help you with these things if you’re looking to optimise the impact and well-being of your department.

Book a call

Frequently Asked Questions

Book a Call

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