Te Korowai aims for stronger support in New Zealand coaching community

Former Black Caps coach Mike Hesson has opened up on the challenges of top-level coaching. Image / Andrew Louis

In a significant move to bolster the support and development of performance sport coaches in New Zealand, Te Korowai - Sport Performance Coaches New Zealand has been officially launched.

This new professional body aims to represent, connect, celebrate and support coaches throughout the country, addressing a critical need identified by the coaching community itself.

Te Korowai emerged from discussions during a coaching accelerator course run by High Performance Sport New Zealand (HPSNZ), where a group of coaches highlighted the absence of a dedicated representative body. This gap left coaches without a robust support network, a situation that former Black Caps coach and Te Korowai board member Mike Hesson knows all too well.

In 2012, just after taking the reins of the national side, Hesson dumped Ross Taylor as test skipper after the Sri Lanka tour. It was handled so poorly that New Zealand Cricket issued a public apology.

“When I first started, the only people I could lean to during my initial stage with the Ross Taylor situation was my coach accelerator group. Coaches that I was able to talk to and share some concerns and get some support and feedback. You certainly felt like you were on your own and there’s no doubt about that because you are. That once again showed a need to have an independent group that can support high performance coaches. It’s really as simple as that,” he said.

“That was one extreme but to be fair, there are so many examples where coaches have been wrung out to dry publicly because they’ve not had someone to go and bat for them and understand what they’re going through.

“National Sporting Organisation [NSOs] are in a really difficult position where they are employing both the players and the coaches. Players often have associations behind them; they’re certainly a lot more established than anything else. As a coach, you’re kind of stuck nowhere really.”

Te Korowai’s mission is clear: to create a community-based approach to support the wellbeing and skill development of coaches.

Governed by a board of current and past performance coaches – including Hesson, Raylene Bates, Mel Bosman, Angie Dougal, Kirsten Hellier, Yvette McCausland-Durie and Craig Philpott – the organisation seeks to provide coaches with an independent voice and a robust support system.

At the heart of Te Korowai’s mission is the recognition of the unique pressures faced by high-performance coaches, who often find themselves without adequate support. Hesson spoke candidly about the isolating nature of the coaching profession and the critical need for a dedicated support system for coaches.

“Through coaching at the highest level, you work out most potential conflicts with a high-performance coach are either with a NSO or the players, and as a coach, you’re genuinely the only one left without a support network,” Hesson told the Herald.

“You’ve got the same pressures as any high-performance athlete has in terms of performing for your team but don’t have the support network behind you. That became apparent pretty early on in my career.”

The isolation and pressure on coaches can have severe consequences, not only on their professional performance but also on their personal lives.

“As a high-performance coach, you try to get life insurance – good luck to you. It’s one of the most high-pressure jobs in the world, and people don’t want to cover you. That’s a worldwide trend. It’s a high-pressure job and it puts lots of pressure on you and your family and so forth. The more support that we can put around high-performance coaches, the better.”

Te Korowai aims to fill this gap, providing coaches with the resources and community they need to thrive.

The organisation has received seed funding from HPSNZ for its initial set-up and plans to become self-sustainable through a membership model and corporate partnerships in the future.

The benefits of a well-supported coaching community extend beyond the coaches themselves.

“It’s also to help the athletes too,” Hesson said. “If the coach is in a better mind space and feels like they’ve got support, they’ll become better coaches. Ultimately, the team and the programme are going to benefit.”

Te Korowai has received seed funding from HPSNZ to cover initial set-up costs and it is aiming to be self-sustainable in the future through a membership model and corporate partners.

Luke Kirkness is an Online Sports Editor for the NZ Herald. He previously covered consumer affairs for the Herald and was an assistant news director in the Bay of Plenty. He won Student Journalist of the Year in 2019.