Chris Waterman in the coaching corner

Chris Waterman

Peel Thunder    Football Club

Two years as coach

WABN: Describe the outdoor-based training session you do by yourself or with your team.

CW: “The main criteria for our training is to have variety. If the players find it boring they may not work as hard, but varying training drills and having different forms of fitness keeps them stimulated. The old days of long distance running is over; it’s generally within three kilometres or less, with circuit training. Boxing, swimming, plyometrics, yoga, cycling, weights and running are just some of what we do, but we try to tailor it to the individual needs and not just train everyone the same anymore.”

WABN: What techniques do you use to motivate players?

CW: ”I usually put forward one or two focus points for the game so we can all stick to that. Sometimes a short video or a guess speaker may be the answer, but you need to understand the group and what will work for them.”

WABN: What is the best piece of advice you can give someone who wants to motivate a team?

CW: “I always thought that if you go for too long you can lose the players and the moment. So my advice is to be short and sincere.”

WABN: What has been the biggest mistake that you have made in your role as a coach and what did you learn from it?

CW: “I haven’t been a senior coach for too long and I’m coaching a very young club, so it’s all about development at the moment. We aren’t in the mix for finals, so at this stage I have no regrets.”

WABN: How do you manage player egos?

CW: “Players need to be made aware and reminded that the team wins and not the individual. The stats and vision don’t lie and you can always find something that reminds them of that.”

WABN: How do you manage off-field player conflicts?

CW: “You must tackle each case on its merits and deal with it with the whole team and club in mind. When players understand that the club is always bigger and someone else can take their position in the team, then it’s usually resolved pretty quickly.”

WABN: What currently frustrates you about your sport and what would you do to change it?

CW: “We have a very small salary cap compared to the other state leagues and consequently lose players to other states, which probably had a reflection in the recent state match.”

WABN: What sporting identity do you most admire and why?

CW: “Shane Warne. When ever Australia needed wickets they would give him the ball and he would deliver. I admire sports people who say ‘give the ball to me’.”

WABN: Who has influenced you personally?

CW: “Lots of people do. You look at everyday life and see the struggles people face every moment of their life…and we worry about running laps around the oval or getting dropped or not playing well.”

WABN: Who has influenced you professionally?

CW: “Certainly my time under Chris Connolly had a major impact on me. I also had a year at Fremantle with Ric Charlesworth and learnt a lot from him.”

WABN: How do you stay up-to-date with current leadership and/or coaching trends?

CW: “I am lucky to be in touch with the Fremantle and West Coast guys on a regular basis, so we talk a lot about the game and managing people.”

WABN: Have you read a good book on management/leadership that you can recommend? What was so good about it?

CW: “I read a lot of books on sport but the two I refer back to are What makes teams work by David Parkin and Paul Bourke, and The Coach, managing for success by Ric Charlesworth. They are very thorough and cover a lot of different areas with regard to team sport. And knowing both Ric and David gives me a better insight.”