Show Notes
Stephen Maxwell is a man who wears a lot of hats, and wears them well. Coach and Match Official Education Manager at Cricket Ireland, director of coaching across four Gaelic Games codes, founder of No Other Game Around Performance Consultants, and a researcher whose MSc thesis at the University of Limerick was titled Do Coaches Fill Their Own Cups. He completed that degree with first-class honours, and his research on self-care in coaching is something he now shares with coaches and organisations across sport and business. He started coaching at 14, has worked across multiple sports and multiple countries, and brings a warmth and practicality to this topic that makes it feel useful rather than abstract.
Three Key Messages 1. You are the most important person: Not in a self-centred way, Stephen is clear on that. This is about being person-centred rather than coach-centred. Every coach arrives at training carrying something from the rest of their life. The commute, the difficult meeting, the argument that's still rattling around. Whether they're aware of it or not, that stuff comes with them onto the pitch. Stephen's challenge to coaches is simple - what's your process for parking that before you meet your players? Breath work, voice notes, a few minutes of silence in the car. Whatever works for you. Because if you arrive as your best self consistently, the people you coach feel that. And if you don't, they feel that too.
2. Mind full to mindful: Gold Dust! Stephen talks about the difference between a mind that is full - cluttered, stressed, running on empty - and being mindful, present, and genuinely engaged with what's in front of you. Self-care, he argues, is the process of moving from one to the other. And it looks different for everyone. Stephen walks his dog at seven every morning, no phone. Someone else might journal, meditate, or go for a run. The point isn't the activity, it's the intention behind it. Knowing your triggers, understanding what drains you and what restores you, and being deliberate about building that into your day.
3. JEF - Judge Effort First: A player beats three defenders, goes for a shot and misses. The coach focuses on the miss. Stephen's question is a simple one - what did you actually see? Because what you choose to recognise shapes what your players believe about themselves, and that matters far more than any single result. Focusing on process over outcome isn't soft, it is how you build confidence, sustain development, and create an environment where players want to keep trying. Judge the effort. The outcomes will follow.
Get in Touch Tom's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomhartleycoaching/Stephen's LinkedIn: https://ie.linkedin.com/in/stephenmax2404No Other Game Around: https://www.nogaspc.com
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