Coaching Excellence Through School-Based Traineeship
Gabrielle Collman, Head of Sport at Prince of Peace Lutheran College, based in the northern Brisbane suburbs. Has had the unique opportunity to mentor Ned Dyer, the school’s first School-Based Trainee through the AFL SportsReady Schools Program. This coaching experience has not only helped Gabrielle balance her responsibilities but has also significantly lightened her workload. Ned’s contributions have made a lasting impact on both the sports department and the wider school community.
Gabrielle recalls a standout moment when Ned was coaching a netball team last year. After practising a drill during training, one of the players executed the move perfectly in the game.
Ned had the biggest smile on his face. The team had listened to him and applied exactly what they practiced. It was such a rewarding moment for him as a coach.
Ned’s role has become a vital part of Gabrielle’s day-to-day work.
You have no idea how many hours having a Trainee has saved me!
The school had been considering a Trainee for some time, but when she learned it would be Ned, Gabrielle was all for it.
His ability to communicate with people is remarkable. He’s great at talking to anyone, even staff from other schools.
Initially, Gabrielle gave Ned the task of coaching younger Year 7 and 8 students, but it soon became clear that he was ready for more responsibility.
He far exceeded my expectations.
She has since entrusted him with coaching older students, including those in Years 11 and 12. Despite the potential challenge of coaching students close to his age, Ned has managed to gain their respect.
He’s a natural at coaching. You would never guess that he’s younger than some of the students he’s coaching—his teams always treat him with respect.
Ned’s role extends beyond coaching. He spends two lessons each week assisting Gabrielle with administrative tasks and his progress has been noticeable.
Ned has definitely gotten better at juggling the responsibilities of his traineeship.
His ability to balance coaching, working, and being a student has improved significantly over time. Gabrielle is confident that these skills will serve him well in the future.
Having Ned in the sports department has been more than just a convenience for Gabrielle. It’s been an opportunity to see a young person flourish in a professional setting.
We had some concerns at first about how other students, especially those close in age, would react to Ned being in a staff position. But we were pleasantly surprised by the respect he’s earned.
I think it’s because the students can relate to him and they understand that he’s there to help them improve.
For Gabrielle, the decision to bring Ned on as a School-Based Trainee has been a resounding success. She believes that he has set a high standard for the role and his contributions have been invaluable.
Ned is paving the way for future Trainees.
This program has been such a positive experience for everyone involved.
School-Based Trainee at School
Ned Dyer, a School-Based Trainee with AFL SportsReady, is helping to bridge the gap between students and teachers at Prince of Peace Lutheran College in Queensland.
