Glen Bewick, East Perth Football Club
Glen Bewick
East Perth Football Club
Five years as coach, first year as senior coach
WABN: What techniques do you use to motivate players?
GB: “I don’t believe you need extra motivation to play league football and be competitive. We focus on individual targets that we want our players to achieve during a game, which is what we measure performance on. It gives the players a goal to achieve and has them focus on their individual contribution to achieve the team goal of winning. We also have team targets, which, when we achieve, we know we play very well and win. On days we don’t meet those targets we’re beaten by our opponent.”
WABN: What is the best piece of advice you can give someone who wants to motivate a team?
GB: “Keep it all in perspective and relevant to the people you are coaching. What are their interests and what do they get out of it? Motivation exists in various forms, and what motivates some may not motivate another. I believe you have to be individual and set clear targets for the individual to reach and give plenty of positive praise and feedback to help them achieve that goal. Don’t think that one method fits all, we are all different and are motivated by different things.”
WABN: What has been the biggest mistake that you have made in your role as a coach and what did you learn from it?
GB: “I think you are always learning. You learn from interactions with your players, your supporters, your assistants and other coaches. The biggest mistake a coach can make is thinking they know everything. You will always make a mistake; the thing to do is to admit when you do and then look to learn from it.”
WABN: How do you manage player egos?
GB: “To think that among a group of young men no egos exist is setting yourself and team up for failure. We have a framework for discipline and expectations which we call our code of conduct. The players are expected to adhere to that code regardless of their personality or ego. Our leadership group, made up of senior players, controls much of the group dynamics and pulls players into meetings if they feel an individual is letting the team down. I think an ego is healthy as it provides a sense of character and personality to the group and can be used positively to obtain team results. What we don’t allow are egos that are bigger than the team and interfere with our team vision.”
WABN: How important is it for players to develop skills outside of their sport?
GB: “Our motto is family, career, football. The players are encouraged that at our level there are more important things in their life. If they have them in order then they can play to their best for the club. We provide time for players to take training off for work or study and ensure they have balance in their life. If they are happy in their life, they will play good football for us.”
WABN: What sporting identity do you most admire and why?
GB: “I admire Kevin Sheedy for being in the game so long and for continually reinventing himself. To last as long in coaching as he has is testament to his ability to change with the times. Justin Langer too is also great example of someone’s determination to succeed; if you want something bad enough you work and work and the rewards will come. He is truly a team player and wears his heart on his sleeve.”