Coaching Culture with Ben Herring

• You Don’t Need More Time; You Need Simpler, Sharper Sessions That Fit Your Team’s Identity

  Ever feel like two practices a week can’t possibly cover skills, systems, set piece, and fitness? We unpack a practical blueprint that turns time pressure into sharper sessions, starting with the one choice that clarifies everything: define your team identity and let it set the plan. From there, we lean into a DIY fitness culture that takes conditioning off your training clock and puts ownership in your players’ hands, using simple prompts and social accountability to make extra work normal and even fun.We keep set piece clean and efficient. Instead of a binder full of lineout calls, we argue for one to three options executed with ruthless quality and a hooker who throws outside team time. The scrum gets the same treatment: clear sequence, tight timing, and micro-extras for front row craft after practice. Less variety means fewer meetings and more ball won when it counts. On the systems side, we show how a straightforward one-three-three-one structure can build confidence, spacing, and predictable support, whether you have two full sides to scrimmage or you’re repping on air. We talk video, minimal stoppages, and how to lock in one to three focus points so players leave with a clear picture.Skills are the heartbeat. We prioritize the big four—catch and pass, run and evade, breakdown, and tackle—and multiply reps through small-group rotations. With a stopwatch, tight constraints, and simple cues, you trade lines and lectures for density and intensity. Defense gets its own spotlight with two or three signature drills you can scale from no contact to live, creating a shared language and a built-in fitness hit. The throughline is simplicity: do fewer things, do them better, and connect them back to how you want to play.If you’re a coach juggling time, roster size, and ambition, this conversation offers a clear path to more impact with less clutter. Subscribe, share with a fellow coach, and tell us: which block are you streamlining first? Your feedback shapes future deep dives, so leave a review and drop your biggest coaching bottleneck.Send us a textIf you can SUBSCRIBE, RATE, and SHARE the show and series, you would be doing your bit to grow this show. Very appreciated. BenTo subscribe to the newsletter or to get a copy of the book, jump onto:www.coachingculture.com.au Support the showShare this show with your mates, rugby, coaches, leaders! Dont be shy.

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• Sean Graham: Youth Rugby Coaching Masterclass. A Playbook for School Rugby Success

  What does a team feel like when the culture works? Players show up early. Coaches look for solutions when it rains. Conversations flow before and after practice because care and connection aren’t slogans—they’re the system. We sit down with Sean Graham, long‑time Director of Rugby at St. Joseph’s Nudgee College and founder of the Youth Rugby Coaches Forum, to unpack how he builds environments where kids can’t wait to train and coaches keep raising the bar.Sean explains why the coach is the single biggest factor in a player’s experience and the two traits he hires for every time: ruthless work ethic and a growth mindset. He shares the early signs a program is healthy, from engaged warm‑ups to players repeating the week’s themes during a pre‑game knee huddle. We dive into practical tools you can use tomorrow—specific individual feedback that names what “good” looks like, feed forward questions that grow decision‑makers, and a rough five‑to‑one praise ratio that keeps the standard in sight without sugarcoating. You’ll also hear how he aligns parents with selection messages to avoid mixed signals in the car ride home.Beyond tactics, Sean opens up about accountability and presence: intervening early when coaching fit is off, pairing coaches for age and temperament, and prioritizing non‑negotiables that scale across 39 teams. He makes a compelling case that winning can hide flaws, while defeat reveals the next one‑percent improvement. That mindset fuels his forum’s mission—sharing the art of coaching so the game becomes safer, smarter, and more connected. If you want a team that trains with intent and leaders who model can‑do standards, this conversation gives you the playbook and the questions.If this resonates, follow the show, share it with a coaching friend, and leave a review with your top takeaway—we read every one.Send us a textIf you can SUBSCRIBE, RATE, and SHARE the show and series, you would be doing your bit to grow this show. Very appreciated. BenTo subscribe to the newsletter or to get a copy of the book, jump onto:www.coachingculture.com.au Support the showShare this show with your mates, rugby, coaches, leaders! Dont be shy.

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• Coaching Under Pressure: Owning Your Dark Traits

  Pressure doesn’t invent character—it reveals it. When the game tightens and the season bites back, many of us slide into sarcasm, shut people out, or bury ourselves in busywork that feels safe. I unpack those dark traits head-on and share how elite coaches identify them, speak them aloud, and build systems that keep emotion from hijacking the facts.Drawing on insights from Mick Byrne, John Mitchell, and Steve Hansen, I break down what happens when stress narrows perspective and why the first step is simple awareness without shame. Then we go further: refusing to justify the behavior, creating a cooling-off protocol for heated conversations, and returning to decisions when heads are clear. You’ll hear a relatable sideline-to-swimming-pool analogy that shows how public frustration seeds private resentment—and how small, steady changes in tone and timing rebuild trust.If you lead teams at any level, you’ll get practical tools you can use today: a quick reflection log to spot triggers, pre-agreed signals with assistants to pause spirals, and a “reset kit” for post-game recovery that protects relationships and improves decisions. We look at how to coach hard without leaving scars, how to make feedback land without resentment, and how to grow capacity the same way you grow muscle—stress, recover, adapt.Tune in, take what serves your context, and tell me what you’re noticing under pressure. If this resonated, tap follow, share it with a coach who needs it, and drop fan mail with your toughest leadership moment so we can tackle it together. Your voice helps shape future episodes—let’s build better coaches, and better people, one clear choice under pressure at a time.Send us a textIf you can SUBSCRIBE, RATE, and SHARE the show and series, you would be doing your bit to grow this show. Very appreciated. BenTo subscribe to the newsletter or to get a copy of the book, jump onto:www.coachingculture.com.au Support the showShare this show with your mates, rugby, coaches, leaders! Dont be shy.

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• Mick Byrne : From All Blacks to Fiji. How Self Awareness Creates Culture that Lasts.

  What if culture didn’t need a slogan? Mick Byrne, head coach of the Flying Fijians and former All Blacks coach, joins us to unpack a disarmingly simple idea: culture is values, standards, and beliefs lived every day. No fanfare. No buzzwords. Just behavior. From a Fijian security guard celebrating effort after a loss to rival teams singing together post‑match, Mick shows how joy and humility can power high performance without softening the competitive edge.We dig into the tools that make this real. Mick explains why “don’t” is a coaching trap and how doing words create the right pictures in a player’s mind. He shares how to prepare for tough selection talks by literally sitting in the player’s chair, listening first, and steering away from emotion—the greatest distraction in any conversation. You’ll hear the power of “critical friends,” the gentle prompt of “time for a coffee,” and the Crusaders-inspired “stab in the belly”: honest feedback to your face, not whispers behind your back.We also explore what separates elite environments like the All Blacks and Melbourne Storm. Meetings can be fierce, but the standard is truth, not personal shots. Disagree and commit is non‑negotiable. The focus stays on performance over outcome, even after a win, and the identity of the person remains steady—rugby is what you do, not who you are. As Mick puts it, mature coaching isn’t about weaker beliefs; it’s about more options to reach the standard, applied with consistency and respect.If you lead teams, coach, or parent, this conversation gives you practical language, repeatable habits, and a grounded model for culture you can see and feel. Subscribe, share with a fellow coach, and tell us: what’s one behavior you’ll change this week?Send us a textIf you can SUBSCRIBE, RATE, and SHARE the show and series, you would be doing your bit to grow this show. Very appreciated. BenTo subscribe to the newsletter or to get a copy of the book, jump onto:www.coachingculture.com.au Support the showShare this show with your mates, rugby, coaches, leaders! Dont be shy.

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• Why Treating Parenting Like Coaching Creates Stronger Families And Teams

  What if the best parenting lessons come from the locker room—and the sharpest coaching insights come from home? I share how a sudden end to a playing career and the birth of my first child collided, starting a sixteen-year stretch where coaching and parenting ran in parallel and taught me the same truths about growth, standards, and care.We unpack tough love the right way: not harshness, but honest care with clear expectations. I explain how to deliver hard feedback without breeding resentment—whether it’s a non-selection talk with an athlete or a boundary with a teenager—by building real rapport before you need it. You’ll hear simple rituals that make a big difference, like one-on-one walks, hot chocolate chats, and pre-practice conversations about life that signal, I see you and I’ve got your back. When people know you care, facts can be heard even when feelings run hot.Tone control becomes the secret weapon. If you yell all the time, no one hears you when it counts. If you vary your delivery and save your strongest voice for true urgency, your words land. I share practical ways to build that range—yes, even Toastmasters—so your voice works like an instrument, not a siren. From there, we focus on culture: creating environments that invite ownership, encourage experimentation, and make people proud to be part of the team. The target is simple and bold—be the coach or parent they’re proud of, not because you were easy, but because you were fair, consistent, and deeply invested in their growth.If you’re raising kids, leading athletes, or both, this conversation gives you a usable framework: build rapport, shape tone, and lead for long-term pride. If something here sparked a shift for you, subscribe, share this with a friend, and tell me what you’ll try this week. Your reflection might become the next topic—drop me a message on LinkedIn and let’s keep growing together.Send us a textIf you can SUBSCRIBE, RATE, and SHARE the show and series, you would be doing your bit to grow this show. Very appreciated. BenTo subscribe to the newsletter or to get a copy of the book, jump onto:www.coachingculture.com.au Support the showShare this show with your mates, rugby, coaches, leaders! Dont be shy.

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