Who I look to as a Coach?

I am often asked this question when I talk to other coaches, or speak to other coaches at the various workshops I have run. Who do I look to as inspiration as Coach who do I look to to learn from?

Well the answer to this one is I look to many different coaches and also many different people from both within the hockey and sports world, and in the world in general. The first Hockey Coach I look to for guidance, and who inspires me is obvious, that is the great Dr Ric Charlesworth-

What can I say about this man, he is to me the greatest ever sports coach coming out of Australia ever, he is just brilliant. He has taught me so much through reading his books, being able to talk to him and watching him close up in how he goes about it. The record speaks for itself, but I want to talk beyond the coaching record, to the man himself, he is generous with his time, and he never ever looks down on people or ignores people, he always freely gives his time. He is and always be the greatest inspiration to me from a Hockey coaching and a sport coaching point of view and have the greatest influence over how I go about it. Thank you Ric you are a true legend of World Sports Coaching.

The next sports coach who inspires me comes from the sport of Ice Hockey and its Herb Brooks-

Herb was the Coach that led the 1980 US Ice Hockey Team to a great victory against the might of the Soviet Union in the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York. The reason he inspires me is because he was an innovator, he was constantly looking for that edge, that something different that would keep the opposition guessing. His view was we dont defend the might of the Soviet Union we attack them, thats how we will stay with them and it paid off. As a Coach the lesson Herb gave me is just that, that you should always be looking to attack, looking to innovate, making sure you stay one step ahead of the opposition at all times. Herb was without doubt a Coach before his time.

The third Coach who really inspires me is I guess a little bit of a surprise its Gerard Neesham-

Now I am sure some out there will say who is Gerard Neesham, Gerard Neesham, Coached the Fremantle Dockers in the AFL, he was there first club Coach, he also coached my Western Australian Football League Club the Claremont Tigers from 1987-1994 and in that time he tooks them to Grand Final every single year bar one in 1992, and won the Premiership in 87,89,91,93. He again was an innovator, in terms of the AFL, he was a man before his time, but what really I look to here is how well he managed his players who he had under his coaching, he found ways to get the best out of what others would consider sub-par players.

Now other notable mentions here are Mick Malthouse, Alistair Clarkson, John Buchannan, Alex Ferguson, Phil Jackson, Tex Winter, Brian Clough, Ryan Tout, Jim Galanos, Rod McQueen, Lisa Alexander, Allyson Annan, Katrina Powell, Kevin Sheedy and Wayne Bennett among others.

From outside of my sport, and perhaps from outside of the sporting area there are two perhaps who inspire me the most. The first is John Bertrand-

John Bertrand is most remembered as the Skipper of Australia II in 1983 when we won the America's Cup and ended the US 132 year dominance, but what it is about John that inspires me, is how he goes about uniting teams and building success. It was his efforts on the water in 1983 in uniting the crew, and getting them working together which made sure we were successful and without that the Cup never would have been won. Also what he has done to re-unite Australian Swimming and sort out the mess after London is truely inspiring and I gain allot from that as a Coach.

Now I know this next choice will be seem a bit odd, its from the world of Business and its Mark Boris, who is the founder of Yellow Brick Road-

Now why does he inspire me, because he is determined, and he is not afraid to take risk, try new things and stand up for what he believes in. I also like the way he is straight talker, there is no bull from him.

Other notable mentions in this area are, Ben Lexcen, John Longley, Warren Jones, Paul Keating, Richard Branson, Ray Mclean, Julia Gillard, Ashley Kate Frazier, Nellie Mary Hoad, Una May Buck, Ruth Brunswick and Georgie Holton.

Now finally two people, who have helped me become the person I am today, and the Hockey Coach I am today, that is-

What can I say about my Mum and Dad, Greg and Margaret Buck, they have grounded me in the values, I hold so dear today, they both showed me the importance of community, of helping your family and friends out, of helping lift your fellow community members up. They have taught me the importance of understanding and compassion, and they have shown me how important it is to stand by each other in good times and bad.

So yes these two truely have inspired me to be the Hockey Coach I am today, they have given me the grounding from which I have now launched my Hockey Coaching Career, and I know this that there is never enough words here that can say how much I thank them for everything they have done and how they have stuck by me through good times and bad, when it would have been so much easier to just give me the flick. Again thank-you Mum and Dad.