Performance planning and adaptability: A conversation with Olympic Coach, Craig Morris and Richard Seals.

In this conversation we explore the performance demands of sports where each competition course is unique and is viewed from a position other than by practicing. By walking the course in Showjumping or walking along the banks to view the course in Canoe Slalom.
Other than identifying the best route through the course, what other information could be attended to that would support a successful performance? Craig and Richard discuss and compare the performance demands of the two sports.
These include:

• The need to have a plan to reduce the number possible actions and identify the best routes or lines though a course. This is an education of 'intention.'
• Having a plan that helps to constrain the focus of attention of the performer. Guiding their attention toward the information that will support them to realise their performance goals. This could be described as an education of 'attention.'
• Flexible enough to allow them to remain open to what is happening in the performance and be adaptive. Ongoing calibration of perception and action.

I hope you enjoy listening to this conversation as much as I did!
About my guests:
Richard Seals is a Professional Show Jumper and like many others in this sport he continues to compete as well as coach and bring on horses. Richard is a British Show Jumping UKCC level 3 coach and has just started his Level 4 at Gloucester University. He has also completed National development program for coaching excellence and a Pony Club Accredited Coach.
Richard has also been active as a representative on many committees including British Show Jumping Area 21 (Derbyshire), the Rider representative on the British Show Jumping National Sport committee, and a representative/ consultant on the Sport Horse Research Foundation.
Richard can be contacted via facebook or his website.
Craig Morris is an Olympic Canoe Slalom Coach and High Performance Coach consultant with over 17 years of experience in performance coaching.

A person-centred, inspirational leader, Craig has gained recognition both nationally and internationally for his ability to develop individual athletes and teams through a trans-disciplinary approach to development transcending pathway to podium.

Personal coach to 1 individual senior Olympic, World and European podiums and over 30 World Cup podiums, across multiple athletes and 4 Olympic disciplines, Craig is regarded as one of the World’s leading Canoe Slalom coaches and skill acquisition specialists.

More recently Craig has become a Director and Performance Coach for Cultured Coaching Ltd, offering high performance bespoke development and executive coaching and mentoring to individuals and teams across a myriad of domains.

Wherever Craig goes he aims to be innovative in his coaching practice and is increasingly engaged worldwide in fields including leadership, coach development, skill acquisition, mentoring and ecological approaches to performance coaching.

Committed to facilitating others to shine, he is well known for being highly skilled in building and evolving relationships across performance teams.

Recognised for committing significant time to building a coaching chain, both within Canoeing and across other sports, Craig’s passion and skill to support other coaches and engage on a mutual learning journey through dyadic mentoring is growing rapidly.

Craig can be contacted via
email at [email protected]

On Twitter @MorrisCraig_

LinkedIn Craig Morris