Diversity in Performance Sport

What is Diversity really.....? A bit of a cliché term, a tick box exercise by many organisations...? It's something I think I've always embraced and tried to incorporate into my work and life, but the book by Matthew Syed - Rebel Ideas (link below 👇 ), really has reinforced some of my thoughts with key insights and evidence! 

Rebel Ideas: The Power of Thinking Differently: Amazon.co.uk: Syed, Matthew, Ltd, Matthew Syed Consulting: 9781529348408: Books

Rebel Ideas: The Power of Thinking Differently: Matthew Syed

Hope you find my experiences working in diverse performance contexts, thought provoking and maybe challenging to an extent with regards to the current 'status quo' and entry into working in elite sport! Enjoy 🙂 !

Main Article

As the cricket season draws closer and we reach the start of a new year, I thought I'd reflect on what's been a turbulent, stressful at times and inspiring 12 months. 

My time at the Adil Rashid Cricket Academy has absolutely flown by, the last 5 months have been actioned packed, with group and individuals S&C sessions tailored towards some of the best junior and senior county/national cricketers in country and abroad. Every day's been eventful, with it's surprises and challenges as is the case in any high performance environment.

Adil Rashid Cricket Centre U19's elite (county) Group

And it's those two word's that have been on the back of my mind 'High Performance'. If I'm being perfectly honest from October to about last week, due to a bit of low self-esteem and listening to outside noise, I thought this was maybe just another coaching role, a filler on my CV.

Over the last 2 years since resigning from my Lecturing position in Manchester, I was invited to attend four interviews, two at professional soccer teams in the UK and two at UK universities. All unfortunately, followed a similar theme, an uneasiness, questioning of my credentials and legitimacy of my experiences, which I'm sure from those that have follow me on Linkedin and know me, is quite frankly absurd and laughable....... One thing that really stood out for me in particular is when I mentioned the Adil Rashid Cricket Centre as part of my applied coaching for a lecturing position (Sport Coaching) at a university earlier this year, it was met with complete disrespect from a panel member, and shock at that disrespect thankfully from another member of the panel from my perspective. If sport organisations don't want to employ British Pakistani Muslim's (or other ethnic minorities for that matter) than maybe just make it apparent on the job advert's so we can all see......

So the thoughts circling in my head for the last few months have inevitably been is this where the journey ends, after 10 years of navigating my way around the UK and Spain in various academic and performance/sport coaching roles. It end's in Bradford, at a cricket centre named after a British born Pakistani Muslim, because that's where society (or the power's that be) deems me to be! The mind play's funny tricks as they say, no the Adil Rashid Cricket Centre is a hotbed for talent and diversity (perspective & background) with ethnicities ranging from White, Chilean, Bangledeshi, Indian, Dutch... the list goes on. And yes from my perspective and experience I consider it to be a high-performance environment with it's own unique culture and philosophy. So if it isn't obvious, I think my low-self esteem had probably stemmed from the worry of who I am, my identity and the organisation I am now working at. But after a few day's of reflection I've realised none of that noise really matters, it's about me building 'Synergies | Diverse Performance Solutions' - my consultancy with people who have the same values and approach.

So as Jake Humphrey's or Damian Hughes would say: What is high-performance to you? High performance to me is about harnessing diversity, really understanding what that is, coaching accordingly and watching it blossom! I challenge high performance coaches to go into these diverse environments, learn, experience and watch themselves grow and evolve as coaches.

If this article really resonated and you want to learn more or connect, please reach out. All my details are on my About | Synergies performance consultancy page. 

All the very best, Synergies, Idrees