Blogs | rachelhooper

Planting the seed for healthy discussion, debate and maybe even solutions!

Sharing Knowledge: The Female Athlete Triad

One of my former athletes is currently in her final year studying Physiotherapy at University. As part of her studies, she has been...

A New Venture - Making ideas reality

It's almost 12 months since I left my secure permanent job due to redundancy. It was a job I loved but having been with the company for...

Find Your Musical Moment

Have you ever had one of those moments when you find nothing but sheer joy in your work? It may be a feeling, a smile, a spring in your...

Being a volunteer is not an excuse...

Imagine if you will…you’re stranded in the cold Irish Sea having been swept out from the shore. You’re frightened and it’s getting dark,...

When Academia and Coaching Collide

I recently asked a coach what their session was about and they said ‘the 5 Cs’. They had learned about it on a coaching course and felt...

Medals for coaches? Are we recognising the right people?

This summer saw coaches at the athletics world championships being awarded medals alongside their athletes for the first time. It’s...

Feminism in sport - Men can do it too!

Coach: I get it now Me: Get what? Coach: Why you keep banging on about women in coaching Me: How come? Coach: Because if you were a man,...

#Nowrongpath

17th August. Much like birthdays, anniversaries and other memorable dates, it's one I don't think I'll ever forget. And tomorrow the same...

Miles and Smiles

My lasting image of the 16/17 season (and possibly all of my time as a coach) is the awesome photo taken by Hamish Roots (@lightoverwater...

The joy of redundancy....time to learn!

When I signed the dotted line in March to confirm I would be taking redundancy from my role as a Coach Education Advisor, I was...

{"items":["5fda9c20509fc00017a611a8","5fda9c20509fc00017a611ab","5fda9c20509fc00017a611a9","5fda9c20509fc00017a611b1","5fda9c20509fc00017a611ad","5fda9c20509fc00017a611b0","5fda9c20509fc00017a611af","5fda9c20509fc00017a611ae","5fda9c20509fc00017a611aa","5fda9c20509fc00017a611ac"],"styles":{"galleryType":"Columns","groupSize":1,"showArrows":true,"cubeImages":true,"cubeType":"max","cubeRatio":1.7777777777777777,"isVertical":true,"gallerySize":30,"collageAmount":0,"collageDensity":0,"groupTypes":"1","oneRow":false,"imageMargin":20,"galleryMargin":0,"scatter":0,"rotatingScatter":"","chooseBestGroup":true,"smartCrop":false,"hasThumbnails":false,"enableScroll":true,"isGrid":true,"isSlider":false,"isColumns":false,"isSlideshow":false,"cropOnlyFill":false,"fixedColumns":0,"enableInfiniteScroll":true,"isRTL":false,"minItemSize":50,"rotatingGroupTypes":"","rotatingCropRatios":"","columnWidths":"","gallerySliderImageRatio":1.7777777777777777,"numberOfImagesPerRow":3,"numberOfImagesPerCol":1,"groupsPerStrip":0,"borderRadius":0,"boxShadow":0,"gridStyle":0,"mobilePanorama":false,"placeGroupsLtr":true,"viewMode":"preview","thumbnailSpacings":4,"galleryThumbnailsAlignment":"bottom","isMasonry":false,"isAutoSlideshow":false,"slideshowLoop":false,"autoSlideshowInterval":4,"bottomInfoHeight":0,"titlePlacement":"SHOW_BELOW","galleryTextAlign":"center","scrollSnap":false,"itemClick":"nothing","fullscreen":true,"videoPlay":"hover","scrollAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","slideAnimation":"SCROLL","scrollDirection":0,"scrollDuration":400,"overlayAnimation":"FADE_IN","arrowsPosition":0,"arrowsSize":23,"watermarkOpacity":40,"watermarkSize":40,"useWatermark":true,"watermarkDock":{"top":"auto","left":"auto","right":0,"bottom":0,"transform":"translate3d(0,0,0)"},"loadMoreAmount":"all","defaultShowInfoExpand":1,"allowLinkExpand":true,"expandInfoPosition":0,"allowFullscreenExpand":true,"fullscreenLoop":false,"galleryAlignExpand":"left","addToCartBorderWidth":1,"addToCartButtonText":"","slideshowInfoSize":200,"playButtonForAutoSlideShow":false,"allowSlideshowCounter":false,"hoveringBehaviour":"NEVER_SHOW","thumbnailSize":120,"magicLayoutSeed":1,"imageHoverAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","imagePlacementAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","calculateTextBoxWidthMode":"PERCENT","textBoxHeight":218,"textBoxWidth":200,"textBoxWidthPercent":50,"textImageSpace":10,"textBoxBorderRadius":0,"textBoxBorderWidth":0,"loadMoreButtonText":"","loadMoreButtonBorderWidth":1,"loadMoreButtonBorderRadius":0,"imageInfoType":"ATTACHED_BACKGROUND","itemBorderWidth":1,"itemBorderRadius":0,"itemEnableShadow":false,"itemShadowBlur":20,"itemShadowDirection":135,"itemShadowSize":10,"imageLoadingMode":"BLUR","expandAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","imageQuality":90,"usmToggle":false,"usm_a":0,"usm_r":0,"usm_t":0,"videoSound":false,"videoSpeed":"1","videoLoop":true,"jsonStyleParams":"","gallerySizeType":"px","gallerySizePx":440,"allowTitle":true,"allowContextMenu":true,"textsHorizontalPadding":-30,"itemBorderColor":{"themeName":"color_11","value":"rgba(245,245,245,0)"},"showVideoPlayButton":true,"galleryLayout":2,"calculateTextBoxHeightMode":"MANUAL","textsVerticalPadding":-15,"targetItemSize":440,"selectedLayout":"2|bottom|1|max|true|0|true","layoutsVersion":2,"selectedLayoutV2":2,"isSlideshowFont":true,"externalInfoHeight":218,"externalInfoWidth":0},"container":{"width":880,"galleryWidth":900,"galleryHeight":0,"scrollBase":0,"height":null}}