Sport Otago has been hosting coaching development workshops to support the next crop of coaches across the region. Kayla Hodge catches up with community sports adviser William Hola to hear why he believes coaching can change lives.
William Hola has never viewed sport as just sport.
It is a vehicle that can change people’s lives and teach them a raft of skills that can spill over into everyday activities.
Coaching plays a big role in that and it was one of the first areas the community sports adviser was keen to hook in to when he joined Sport Otago earlier this year.
Speaking to his colleagues, Hola recognised the need for more support in developing coaches and pitched bringing all the sporting codes together across the region.
It has blossomed into a three-phase coaching workshop series, focusing on a holistic model to help their growth.
They have proved successful with more than 100 coaches flocking to the workshops in Dunedin, Clutha, Cromwell, Wanaka, Queenstown, and Waitaki — and the demand led to Alexandra being added for phase two.
And they have been popular from young to veteran coaches and various codes too, from figure skating, netball, hockey, squash, rugby, mountainbiking, athletics, rugby league and snow sports.
"That was the beauty of that connection," Hola said.
"You can imagine that all together was such a cool experience for others that deal with a different scope of athletes as well."
Phase one was held in April, tailored for coaches as they headed into their seasons and focused on topics such as team culture and effective communication.
Some of Otago’s best coaches offered words of wisdom as key speakers across the workshops, including Highlanders assistant Kane Jury, New Zealand Netball secondary schools coach Jo Morrison, Basketball Otago general manager Jodi Brown, and former Tongan and Otago rugby player Uili Kolo’ofai.
Online check-ins were held throughout the past month ahead of the second phase, which starts in Alexandra on June 16.
The second phase will focus on the needs of coaches in the midst of their season including coping with pressure, decision-making, feedback and "all the things that come with what coaches ask themselves".
More speakers will be involved, including Steve Richens, of Te Mahi Ako, and former All Blacks physiotherapist Pete Gallagher, and Hola hoped to connect with Special Olympics as well.
Having high calibre speakers passing on their knowledge had been the key, Hola said.
"It’s been an awesome experience to hear them because they’re coaches that have coached at grassroots, and community level, and now they’re at their peak.
"It’s not just coaching, but life really.
"That’s why we’ve got guys like Uili, Pete — they deal with people as well. You have coaches, but also great people too that can connect."
Coaching provided a different pathway in sport and Hola was proud to see the workshops — which people can still register for — playing a hand in that pathway.
"It excites me because my passion and heart is to see all coaches develop.
"What excites me is that I’m learning too.
"It’s just nice to see the coaches being developed because it’s such a thankless job.
"Everyone seems to be praising them when they’re winning, but no-one seems to praise them when they’re losing."
Sport has always been a core part of Hola’s life.
Growing up in Auckland, Hola attended Kelston Boys’ where he played rugby and volleyball, representing New Zealand secondary schools and New Zealand under-19s in the latter.
He later moved to Wellington and then seven years ago, Hola and his wife, Amandah, and their children Josiah, 21, Praise, 20 — who is part of the Southern Blast — Joseph, 17, David, 13, Tim, 10, and Noah, 4, landed in Dunedin.
Hola coached rugby in Auckland, and Wellington, and linked up with Zingari Richmond as head coach last year when they made the quarterfinals, but they "just haven’t got the results this year at the moment".
He also has been the assistant coach for the Highlanders schools forwards the past two seasons and relished the chance to connect with coaches from North Otago, and Southland, and learn from Highlanders coaches Jamie Joseph and Dave Dillon.
Coaching has always played a big part in Hola’s life— and there was always something new to learn.
"I’ve always been passionate about using that platform of sports to transform lives and how I can influence someone to be a better person.
"Seeing young men become good men — that’s been my drive — but also seeing other coaches thrive as well."
That has made seeing the success of the coaching workshops even more worth it.
"Where I am at the moment I have a passion and desire to go further in my coaching . . . but I always look back at the journey of where I started coaching under-8s to where I am now to have an opportunity with Highlanders schools.
"It’s a vast difference, but in between that I’ve had connections and people that have helped me along the way.
"That’s the key. If I can help a different coach, whether that’s sending them a template of different trainings plans, or developing, or giving them feedback, it fulfils me in terms of what I can do in that space."
