Time: 13:45 – 14:10
Session: Coach Talk

Be Yourself With Skill

Speaker Profile

Russell Earnshaw is a coach developer, educator, and former England rugby player and coach with extensive experience across elite and grassroots sport. He has worked with organisations including the Premier League, New Zealand Rugby, GB Hockey, Google, and multiple national governing bodies.

He is known for his innovative approach to coach education, including the development of the C.A.R.D.S coaching philosophy and the Magic Academy concept, both of which focus on creativity, learning design, and player-centred development.

His work focuses on improving coach behaviour and practice design to develop more skilful, adaptable performers. He continues to support coaches across all levels, from international sport to grassroots environments.

Overview

This session explores coaching as a dynamic process shaped by adaptability, creativity, and learning design rather than rigid systems or prescriptive methods. It focuses on how coaches can create environments that support exploration, decision making, and long-term athlete development.

The talk highlights the importance of practice design in shaping how athletes learn, respond, and solve problems in complex environments. It encourages coaches to move beyond surface-level delivery and consider how their behaviours influence the quality of learning experiences.

Drawing on extensive applied experience across multiple sports and performance contexts, the session offers insight into how coaches can balance structure with freedom, and intention with adaptability, to better support athlete growth and performance.