MAGIC ACADEMY - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Head of Learning at the FA )
Fletch knows his stuff inside out and always gives you the details you need for the ‘how to' part of coaching, but his skill is that he knows how to communicate it. He has knowledge and incredible people skills.
I met John when he came to coach the academy up at Newcastle Falcons. I instantly recognised the respect that the young players had for him. All the players did, not just the ones playing in the team but also the ones who never made it. When he became head coach I experienced it myself. Fletch created a great team environment and guided his players brilliantly, but he also spent time with everyone. He listened, made the effort to understand each individual and made us all feel important.
With very few people have I ever felt such a good balance between being coached and being given the freedom to express myself and my ideas. As a team, I don't think we ever performed so consistently well as we did under Fletch's reign.
Still studying at the University of Life, hoping for full honours. I have been fortunate to have worked in and around sport for most of my adult life. After playing rugby for my home club Tynedale, I joined Northampton Saints and then Newcastle Gosforth and represented the North of England and England A. I was Head of Newcastle Falcons Academy and was then appointed as the youngest Director of Rugby in the Rugby Premiership. Following which I spent over 10 years heading up the performance pathway for England Rugby and I am really proud to have been involved at a time where the pathway won numerous Six Nations and Junior World Cups. I am co-founder and a director of The Magic Academy and work across a number of other sports including the England Cricket, England Hockey and England Handball. I'm involved with UK Sport in their culture health check programme where we support the Olympic Sports in appraising their culture and environments. I also work as a team coach for Leading Edge where I work with business teams and leaders including Mars, Levi and Jaguar Landover. Locally I work with Swayed Greyhound supporting businesses here in the North of England.
Fletch has always encouraged me to be the best I can be, to support the growth of young people. I can genuinely say that this has pushed me into roles with the England Senior Team that I had never imagined I would. John has always challenged my thinking, my practice and how this is improving the learning and outcome of those I work with. The challenge has not always been comfortable but for good reasons. As such I have become more confident to understand what I am saying/doing, challenge others and to believe in myself.
Job Titles:
- Global Head of Creative Development at Google )
Since graduating from Cambridge in 1997 with a Masters in Economics and Mathematics, I've been involved in sport winning the European Cup as a player with Bath, competing and coaching in the Commonwealth Games, winning numerous World Series events and a Silver medal at the 2013 World Cup as coach with England 7's and a World Championship gold medal as a coach with GB Students. I worked in the England Rugby Pathway (England U18's and U20's) as part of an inter-disciplinary team developing world-class English rugby players, many of whom played in the 2019 WC Final. I now work cross-sport (with organisations including GB Hockey, British Swimming, the FA, British Triathlon, the RFL) and in business (Google Abbott and the NHS among others) with a focus on developing people, leadership, coaching, working as effective teams and creative thinking.