Coaches Corner - Caroline Bailey
Where passion meets performance. In this series, we shine a spotlight on the incredible work of coaches across our athletics community. Celebrating the stories, successes, and impact they have on and off the track. From grassroots to greatness, these are the people shaping the future of our sport.
Our Coach today is Caroline Bailey.
Tell us about yourself?
My name's Caroline. I am a head coach with Byron Bay Runners and I've been coaching for 16 years now. I'm a level three, in the process of achieving my level four middle, long distance, sprint, hurdles, and relays coach accreditation. I work with athletes from the ages of eight, up to my oldest at the moment is 18. I have a particular love for steeple chase and have a number of steeper chasers competing in nationals this year, which is great.
How did you get into coaching?
I was an athlete myself, not an elite athlete, but just what I'd call a good club athlete
and always had a passion for running and long-distance running. As a kid I was 400m, 800m runner and then didn't compete in my twenties and in my thirties I developed more interest in longer distances. I suppose it was just the experiences that I had as a child
and teenager being coached. Also, I'm really interested in that idea of potential and how to help someone actually achieve their potential because of what I do professionally as a psychologist specialising in performance psychology. So coaching is the perfect blend between the two.
What's the best part of coaching?
It's just watching people's progression and seeing how everybody can become better. The sense of fulfillment and personal satisfaction that you can see when you are helping someone else achieve what they want to achieve whatever level that might be. Some of the athletes that I coach just want to make a school team, or we've got others who have higher goals of making nationals.
What advice would you give to anyone who is thinking about coaching as a profession?
I think the biggest thing is just having confidence in yourself. Obviously reading a lot, talking to other coaches and having an open mind around different ways to approach different disciplines and training sessions. Don't be afraid to ask questions. I think particularly with women, we are very good at developing relationships and building supportive relationships with the athlete which is a really good skill set we have.
What's been your favourite moment in coaching?
There are honestly so many, but the highlight for me was two of my athletes winning the National Championships which is huge. I’ve also had an athlete who qualified for the Junior World Championship, which was unfortunately cancelled due to Covid, but seeing him
after a lot of training, putting it together and on the day getting the result that he really deserved, it was a very joyous moment. So, I think any moment that an athletes' hard work pays off and they get the result that they want.