Back to the track for this one — a review tool that costs nothing and still works when the phone's flat. Next session, pick one athlete's rep and just listen. Turn away from the track if you have to. What you're after is a light, quick tap-tap-tap – the sound of a stiff ankle and a foot getting off the ground fast. A heavy slap or a dragging scuff tells you the foot's landing out in front and sitting on the ground too long – and you'll usually hear it before you'd spot it on video. Then I hand it straight to the athlete: "Run that again and make it sound quieter and quicker." No body-part cue needed – the ear finds the fix. Quieter contacts almost always mean the foot's landing closer under the hips, and the athlete owns the change because they found it themselves. Three places it earns its keep for me: wickets (the drill's built for it), ankling and dribbles, and the back end of a fly when fatigue starts making contacts long and loud. It's also the one review tool that scales to a group – you can hear eight athletes at once but you can only film one. What's a sound on the track that's become a cue for you – foot contact, breathing, spikes on the surface – and how do you use it with your athletes?

One from the mindset side this week — sparked by a run of new one-on-one athletes coming on board this month. An athlete trains with me for about an hour a week. Early on I treated that hour as the whole job — plan it well, coach it hard, see them next week. These days I put nearly as much thought into what they leave with, because the week between sessions is where that hour either compounds or evaporates. 3️⃣ things I build into the end of every session now: one drill they own for the week (something we've already grooved, so they're repping quality rather than guessing) 🎥 One filming task — a single clip of that drill sent to me mid-week, two minutes of their time, and it gives me eyes on the week; and one question — 'what did you notice?' carried into their own training, answered before we meet again. The mid-week clip is the quiet winner. Athletes rep the drill properly because they know someone's watching, and I walk into the next session already knowing what we're working on. What's the one thing you send athletes away with between sessions that reliably comes back done?

Let’s talk about Nutrition and Refuelling. Are you eating enough through the day or running out of food? How is your energy throughout the day and at training? Do you feel hungry before bed? Big breakfast or no breakfast? What are your fuelling strategies? What works, what doesn’t?

1. Talking tech tools and learning automation tasks with AI 2. Competition Preparation 3. Looking after you

📌 PINNED POST • READ FIRST Your questions. Real answers. Every week. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 👋 Welcome to Hey Coach! Hey team — welcome to one of my favourite spaces in this community. Hey Coach is your dedicated weekly thread where you can bring anything that's on your mind, and I'll be right here to help you work through it. Whether you're stuck, unsure, fired up, or just need a nudge in the right direction — this is your space. No question is too big, too small, or too "out there". If it matters to you, it matters here. — Coach Al 🧡 💡 What is Hey Coach? This is a safe, judgement-free zone where you can: • Ask questions about mindset, performance, training, recovery, or life balance • Get honest, practical coaching advice tailored to where YOU are right now • Learn from other members' questions — because if you're thinking it, someone else is too • Share wins, breakthroughs, and challenges with a community that gets it 📋 How It Works There are two ways to get involved each week: 1. Drop a question in this thread Post your question anytime — day or night. I read every single one and do my best to respond thoughtfully. Others in the community are also encouraged to weigh in! 2. Join the live call Each week I host a live Q&A call where I answer questions in real time. Can't make it live? No worries — a replay will always be posted here afterwards so you never miss out. 🔥 What Can You Ask About? Anything! But here are some popular topics to get you started: • Mindset & mental performance — overcoming doubt, building resilience, staying consistent • Training & movement — technique, programming, injury prevention, recovery • Goal setting & accountability — how to set goals that actually stick • Performance under pressure — competitions, big moments, nerves • Life balance — juggling sport, work, family, and everything in between 🚀 Jump In — We'd Love to Meet You! If you're brand new here, the best place to start is right below 👇 Drop a comment and tell us: • Your name and where you're joining us from