Make Today Count: I’m joined by Jean Côté, one of the world’s most influential voices in coaching and talent development.

We explore relationships, environments, reflection, and the everyday experiences that shape how children and young people engage with sport. Jean challenges some of the assumptions we make about long-term development and reminds us that great coaching is often found in the smallest, most human moments.

During the conversation we explore:

1. The daily experience matters just as much as the long-term plan: We talk a lot about long-term athlete development, and rightly so, but Jean offers a powerful reminder: children live in the now. If today’s session isn’t engaging, enjoyable, or meaningful, there is no long-term journey. Coaches need to zoom in on the week, the session, even the moment, because that’s where motivation is built (or lost).

2. Relationships are decisive: Jean makes it clear that technical knowledge alone doesn’t define great coaching. What separates good coaches from excellent ones is their ability to build trust, show care, involve athletes, and see the person beyond the sport. Transformational coaching gives us a practical, observable way to talk about relationships.

3. Coaching is as much about developing people as it is developing players: Less than 1% of young people will earn a living from sport, but all of them are becoming future adults, citizens, teammates, and leaders. Sport offers one of the most powerful environments for building confidence, character, compassion, and integrity. Every interaction, every behaviour, every session contributes to that wider impact. Whether we intend it to or not.

If you enjoyed the episode, please share the show with a friend. You can follow us here:

Tom: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomhartleycoaching/

Jean: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jean-cote-b048b129/