As part of the Management & Leadership in Sports Coaching module on the MSc Applied Sports Coaching programme at the University of Limerick, students recently welcomed Jay Carter, professional golf coach with Golf New Zealand and host of the Talking Performance podcast, for a guest session. Drawing on his experiences in high-performance coaching and conversations with leading figures in sport, Jay shared insights into organisational culture, leadership and the everyday behaviours that shape successful sporting environments.
This session provided students with an opportunity to explore how these principles translate into their own coaching practice.
Management and Leadership in Modern Coaching
Management and leadership are integral components of the coaching process and skills of modern coaches. These components frequently take place outside of the on-field/track/pool athlete interactions and relate to the broader environment within which the coach operates. The environment is guided by the culture of the organisation, a topic we address on the MSc Applied Sports Coaching programme with the year 2 students. This semester we delved into a great podcast Talking Performance and we were delighted to welcome the host Jay Carter to discuss his experience and what he has learned from his guests around culture and leadership. Jay is a professional golf coach with Golf New Zealand and is based at Tauranga GC in New Zealand.
Creating a Shared Team Culture: Lessons from the Waikato Chiefs and Golf New Zealand
We were particularly drawn to a short episode where Jay presents the essence of team culture and leadership, featuring insights from a variety of guests and their invaluable contributions to the Waikato Chiefs rugby team in New Zealand. Jay described how the Chiefs, and his coaching context at Golf NZ, use shared history, rituals, visible behaviours and everyday interactions to create belonging and define culture beyond written values or sporting results. The Chiefs build identity through a shared explanation of what it means to be a Chief, including their Māori-inspired symbolism, regional history, language and welcoming rituals. The Chiefs have agreed standards where players hold one another to those standards through ordinary actions and calling out behaviour that does not fit the agreed identity. Jay observed everyday accountability was expressed as a caring reminder about how things are done rather than solely as a traditional punitive approach.
Golf New Zealand uses the Koru and silver fern symbols, representative numbers and an honours wall to connect current athletes with those who represented New Zealand before them. Players are also expected to engage respectfully with scorers and volunteers, ask about their connection to the course and show gratitude even after frustrating shots or poor results.
The Importance of Listening in Coaching
Jay also encouraged our students to create a culture where Listening plays an important role. Coaches should use observation and patience to Listen Without Rescuing, to stop immediately offering solutions when someone described a problem. Instead, coaches could sit with the person, listen and allow solutions to emerge. Coaches must go beyond the coach-athlete space and listen to the human context in performance where Jay illustrated how attention to personal circumstances can unlock performance more effectively than immediately correcting technical faults.
Reflecting on Culture Within Our Own Coaching Environments
The students reflected on the session by examining the rituals that exist within their own coaching context and how they contribute to the successful operation of their environment. We would like to extend our thanks to Jay for his time and look forward to welcoming him back to contribute to the MSc ASC in the future.
Listen to More from Jay Carter here: https://tunein.com/podcasts/Sports–Recreation-Podcasts/Talking-Performance-p2069257/?topicId=584538513
Interested in the MSc Applied Sports Coaching?
Find out more here: https://pess.blog/2026/02/12/msc-applied-sports-coaching-online-application-open-for-september-2026-intake/
Read testimonials from previous students here:https://pess.blog/2026/04/01/student-testimonials-on-the-msc-applied-sports-coaching/
Watch more here: https://youtu.be/1icbaaWRgt4?si=H6y5T_IKQSqK4vPm
For more information Email: ASC@ul.ie
Dr Ian Sherwin is an Associate Professor in Sport & Exercise Sciences, in the Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, UL. Ian is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Sport Leadership, Stellenbosch University, South Africa. A Sport Ireland Coach Tutor and Coach Education Programme Reviewer, Ian is a Member of International Council for Coaching Excellence. Ian’s current research projects focus on communication strategies in team sports in training and competitive situations from both coach and athlete perspectives, as well as elite referees’ communications in rugby union based on behavior observation during matches.
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