Rachel Hooper

One of my former athletes is currently in her final year studying Physiotherapy at University. As part of her studies, she has been researching the Female Athlete Triad. It's certainly an area of real interest to me as a coach of developing young women and I wanted to...

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 12 years, being pushed back out into the world of job hunting was something I saw as an opportunity for something new and exciting....

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 step. Something that makes you realise all of the ups and downs have been worth it just for that one moment.

I recently stumbled on a ...

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, but thankfully someone saw what happened and called the RNLI. The crew were rallied and launched their boat and they’re on their way...

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 they had to demonstrate each behaviour in one coaching session. The focus was entirely on implementing an academic theory and not foc...

This summer saw coaches at the athletics world championships being awarded medals alongside their athletes for the first time. It’s certainly a nice gesture to recognise their efforts but at elite level, but it also  takes a huge support team including physios, physiol...

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, you would never have to put up with that kind of thing

A simple off the cuff remark from a much respected male coach said so much. That m...

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 date comes around and it will be lodged in the minds of young people for eternity as they receive their A'level results. For some,...

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 ) of the Headington School Championship 8+ at Nat Schools' Regatta. For those of you not from the world of rowing, Nat Schools' is...

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 invariably upset to be leaving an organisation where I had grown over the previous 12 years. Leaving colleagues who you consider genuine frie...