Yes, he did, and he found them useful for two reasons. A course will never teach you everything, Shane argues; the point is to take the two or three ideas that fit how you believe hockey should be played and develop them further. The other gain is the network, since the coaches you meet on courses keep reappearing beside pitches for the rest of your career. Watch the full masterclass: Ask Me Anything with Shane McLeod.
Told he is a figure in the sport, he refuses it with a story about his father. He once called someone a star, and his father took him by the shoulder and said the stars are in the sky, and he had never seen one walking down the street. His conclusion is that there are no stars and no figures, everyone is equal, and what counts is bringing out your best. Read the full write-up of this conversation.
The advice he values most did not come from a coach. His father, who coached rowing, taught him to give his best version every second of the day, so that when his head hits the pillow at midnight he is at peace. He asks the same of players, and the list he wants from a squad is commitment, discipline, wanting to play, and treating every ball as if it were the last. Read the full write-up of this conversation.
A national coach’s job, as he describes it, is twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, all year, with the head never stopping. A tournament needs every sense open to make good decisions, which is why the staff around you matters. He also explains why he attends the European Championship as a spectator: with no stake in who wins, his head is neutral and he can absorb everything. Read the full write-up of this conversation.