Less drills, more thrills. I sit down with my good friend and long-time colleague Stuart Armstrong. I’ve known and worked with Stuart for years, especially during his time leading workforce development at Sport England. I’ve always admired his thoughtful, progressive approach to improving coaching, learning and policy across the UK.

We explore the balance between technical knowledge and human connection, the realities of being a parent-coach, and how we design environments that help people grow. Stuart also shares some fascinating ideas around “remembering” rather than “memory” and what that means for the way people learn.

Some key headlines:

1. It’s not all about the tech-tac: Technical and tactical knowledge matters but maybe it gets more of the limelight than it deserves. The ability to connect, support, listen and care is often what truly makes the difference.

2. Coaching is deeply human work: From parent-coaches to young volunteers, Stuart shares real-world stories that show the emotional complexity and the privilege of supporting others on their sporting journey.

3. From “memory” to “remembering”: A fascinating reframe: instead of trying to store techniques like files in a folder, great coaching helps people become familiar with real environments, so they can recognise and respond when it matters.

If you are interested in the ideas and discussion, you can listen to Stuart’s podcast, The Talent Equation, and explore his work here: https://www.thetalentequation.co.uk

And follow us here:

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

Stuart: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuartarmstrong/

Thank you for listening to the show, and wishing you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.