School Sports Coordinator to Sports Policy maker and talent development coach. The very authentic and heart-warming story of the highs and lows of the journey Lucy has been on. Dealing with the labels attributed to her all the way through to how her previous life experiences really inform and educate her around the work and impact she is now having.  A brilliant discussion peeling back the onion layers and getting a deep insight into her process and how she has managed her dyslexia and autism. Listen deeply and take action – Lucy is truly a giver with a very genuine style and offers some fantastic guidance and advice!

This is how she would describe herself….

Approaching life with a slightly geeky earnest enthusiasm. Sports development and coaching specialist. Passionate about supporting people and helping them to be the best they can be. Love learning and currently working to complete my Doctorate. All round sporty person, with main interests including hockey (coaching and playing), visiting the gym (when not in a pandemic) and training for my first (and last) IronMan triathlon. Enjoy languages and like finding ways to improve my Spanish, French and German (none of which are any good, but that’s not the point). Blue Peter badge owner. Neurodivergent person: dyslexic and Autism Spectrum Disorder (which sounds too pathologised for me, used to be called Aspergers – but that doesn’t really exist as a diagnosis anymore, we all get labelled ASD). Big fan of a “ham-cheese-avocado-ready salted crisp” sandwich. 

Favourite quote: “Be brave and curious, not fearful and suspicious” – Eddie Izzard

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Success Quote or saying:

4 key principles:

• Allow people to be who they are
• Build on what you have in common
• Listen more than speak
• Find the person behind the role

(Cath Bishops words)

Independent play and being wild and free as a young person

As a young person – Realising that I was a girl and how the precluded me from certain activities

Early sporting memory seeing women playing Rugby next to Twickenham and why not in the stadium

I hated the word – Tomboy. Created a distinction between boys things and girls things

Started playing Hockey – an immediate feeling of I could do it – fell in love with it

Being capable enough at sports allowed me to have friends given I had lot of other things going on for me (autism and dyslexia)

Structured sport allowed me to be popular and have friends

Diagnosed autism and dyslexia only in my 20’s

Hockey really makes my mind go silent

Sports participation connected to the feeling and the mind (Hockey really does this for Lucy)

Recognised the positive and negative impact sport had on her mental well being

Don’t realise how important things are until they are gone.

Real great interest in neurodiversity and who I am, What I am and What I do?

Terrible County Hockey selection experiences have underpinned my philosophy and  approach to talent development

The personal diaries tell the story as it was then

The powerfulness of reading about my younger self – young people are really attuned to what is going on. They have a memory of their experiences.

The experiences that took her down the coaching route

There is an ego/voice that takes me off to want to right all the wrongs that happened to me.

I found success and felt good at helping people

The little things often make the big differences for me

I come from a place where I see people as resourceful and not deficient

I start from a place where I want them to flourish

Through significant ruminating and therapy I now care less about what people think.

We are flawed like everybody else

The real work is in your own mind….

Metaphor: Earthquakes v tectonic plates moving all the time

As a coach you only have one part of the story…..you have to therefore stay curious

I threw myself into work – collecting work – but ended up full up.  It became an Ego thing.

I made some significant changes…..and yet the world didn’t end.

I was harder and more disciplined with myself and gave permission to take breaks

Put your own oxygen mask on first

Just because you are good at something doesn’t mean you like it and just because somebody else wants you to do something doesn’t mean you should. Just because you say no to somebody and they don’t like it doesn’t mean it’s a bad decision.

I am and always will be an empath and pulled towards helping people.

My strategies are based on the situation and circumstances

It helps having other priorities in my life

Ask myself who is this for? Is it for me and my benefit? Is it aligned to my direction of not?

There isn’t a shortage of people who want to take a different approach to people/coaches within the sport system

I like to flit between different roles from strategic to practical/applied and operational

A lived reality of the different layers of sport

Do we really appreciate the individual impact policy makers have on the wider sporting world?

Small changes can and do have a big ripple effect

Don’t miss out – what you did for free, the hours out in the rain. Consider how are you going to get loads of different experiences.

What lateral experiences might you be able to get?

Relationships are the ‘whole system’

Policy is meaningless until somebody reads it and does something with it

The sport system is a huge web of human beings – humans are the secret key and we should start with them.

How do we define success and what does it mean…

We can all influence in our ‘own little garden’

These are my opinions and I speak on behalf of me – I check myself every day

The way that I speak is influenced by the way you listen and the way you listen is influenced by the way I speak – we cant separate ourselves!

Be prepared – How you get in and how you get out and the middle bit will sort itself out

Quick fire questions:

The books that you would recommend are?

The Long Win: The search for a better way to succeed by Cath Bishop

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain

When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing by Daniel H. Pink

Why We Sleep: The New Science of Sleep and Dreams by Matthew Walker

How do I prepare to be the best version of myself…

Keep active

Walk the dog.

Sleep well – consistently

Being well prepared – how start and how close!

In one sentence – What advice would you give to your teenage version of yourself?

 Go with your gut and be bold and be yourself

Who has made a big impact on you?

PE teacher – Mrs Green (saw potential in me and sign posted me!)

Danny Kerry, Bobby Crutchley, Jason Lee, Karen Brown (all great Hockey coaches yet different!)

Demi Dowey

Carol from Sport England

Kath Sweet at UK sport

Whos’ Sport Story would you be really interested in hearing?

Caz Walton at the BPA

Coaching questions I would like to pose:

1

What do you need to do to quieten your mind and get a really relaxed focus?

2

If looking to gain experience – what lateral opportunities could you look for and maximise?

3

What part of your life has been a challenge and how could you views this and use it to really help and motivate you?

Contact info:

Twitter – @LuckyMoore15

LinkedIn – lucymoore15