In this podcast, I sit down with professional coaches and high performing athletes to explore what it truly means to become a better coach. Through honest conversations and real world experiences, I ask questions, challenge assumptions, and learn directly from those that have lived the process at the highest levels. Each chat is a deep dive into coaching philosophy, leadership, communication, athlete development, and continuous growth. This podcast isn't about having all the answers, it is about being curious, staying coachable, and committing to lifelong improvement. Whether you are a coach, athlete, or leader looking to grow, these conversations offer practical insights, fresh perspectives, and lessons you can apply both on and off the field. If you believe great coaches never stop learning, this podcast is for you. Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener
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The Coaching Arena is a sports podcast hosted by James Shaw, with 18 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.
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James Shaw hosts The Coaching Arena, a sports show with 18 episodes published.
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Episode #18
Lessons From An All Black - Greg Feek
Aug 16, 202655 minS1
On this episode, I was blown away to be able to speak with an All Black both as a player and coach, Greg Feek. Greg's insights were incredbile, as you can expect from an All Black, this chat was jam packed of lessons and insights. Greg covered so much, but what stood out for me is that good coaching is not all about trophies. Winning and winning regularly does not happen by accident and that there is a lot of work behind the scenes. Relationships are the foundation, not just with the players but with everyone associated with the team. A coach should know their players, as Greg puts it, know them before you can coach them and build the connection. A great coach should look for the buy in and find your own identity. Making players feel valued is number one and needs to be done early. A Greg said, a good coach is never in a hurry and makes the players feel relaxed with a chance to learn. The concept of tell, show and discuss really stood out for me. Lastly as a coach, are you present, flexible and are you enjoying it, because if you are not, how can you expect your players to? I really hope you enjoyed this chat as much as I did, thanks for listening. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Clarity & Purpose - Ash Thompson, Professional Football Coach
Aug 9, 202643 minS1
On this episode it was fantastic to sit down and chat with professional football coach, Ash Thompson. You could sense the approach Ash has to his coaching with clarity, purpose and culture ringing very loud. Ash explained that yes, there is planning and topics to be addressed, but at the heart of it is a human being, and that person is at the centre of it all. It was evident that Ash believes that a coach has to know their message and create a culture where players can ask questions, but there are times where collaboration is needed and times where a coach takes the lead. Ash explained the importance of communication and the process is two way but a space has to be created which allows conversations and discussion. With this in mind, it was very interesting to hear how Ash has those difficult conversations that are sometimes necessary in elite sport. The concept of not coaching the game, but coaching the individual to solve the problems that the game brings to them really resonated with me. As too having self regulating players making decisions live on the pitch. Also of interest was the use of data and stats. Everything is measurable, but not everything has to be measured, so it was great to hear Ash's view of data vs intuition. It was also incredibly useful to hear Ash explain how to and the importance of communication, with the benefits of coaches self reflecting how they give their message. It was great to hear Ash explain why a coach knows their players and their context. I hope you found this chat with Ash as helpful as I did. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Coaches Are Landmarks - Tomaso Parrini, Professional Rugby Coach
Aug 2, 202639 minS1
On this episode, I had the privilege to chat with professional rugby coach, Tomaso Parrini. This chat was incredibly enlightening, as we discussed the responsibility but sheer privilege of coaching. Tomaso has coached across many countries and his reflections that as coaches, we are landmarks and allow players to make their own path with a coach acting as a guide really resonated with me. Tomaso's insights on culture and making players better people were fantastic. Coaches are not necessarily there to give all the answers, and as Tomaso put it so well, giving solutions to the players is the sedative to creativity. We also spoke about creating the right environment which instils players with courage, creating hunger, establishing standards but also as a coach, how you create your own path. Let me know what you think Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Relationships Are The Foundation Of Coaching - Coenie Basson, Professional Rugby Coach
Jul 26, 202648 minS1
On this episode, it was incredible to chat with professional rugby coach, Coenie Basson. Coenie is a former professional player who transitioned into coaching, coaching in the French Top14 and Pro D2 leagues. This was an incredibly insightful chat on understanding the human element to coaching and understanding players as people first, then athletes. Coenie also explained the importance of culture and I loved the quote that Culture Wins Championships. I really hope you enjoyed this chat as much as I did, so much of what Coenie spoke about really resonated with me. As he said, players don't care about what you know, they care if you care. Relationships are the foundations of coaching Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The End In Mind - Calum Clark, former Professional and International Rugby Player
Jul 12, 202651 minS1
On this episode of the Coaching Arena, it was brilliant to sit down with Premiership winning rugby player, Calum Clark. Calum has played for Northampton Saints, Saracens and England and is the founder of Innate High Performance, working with individuals across sports and business. Calum is a psychologist, coach and consultant. This was an incredibly eye opening chat focusing on many aspects around psychology and performance. The points on intent as a coach and keeping the end in mind were incredibly useful to me. We spoke of many things, including : Seeing the end and building the process Whilst understanding athletes and individuals is important, the tactical part of the game remains vital also There are not one or the other aspects, but components to sport High performance Similarities of elite sports and business leaders What does performance look like Doing the right things on a day to day basis to achieve success Sport as a vehicle for personal development A coach's intent Team dynamics How to have difficult conversations The types of mistake Check out Innate High Performance at https://www.innate.works/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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