91Èȱ¬

Raise Your Game: What's the key to being a good coach?

Tim Hall: A good coach needs to have technical knowledge of the sport they're coaching and also enthusiasm to inspire young athletes. You need to push them to want to achieve and to better themselves. You've got to keep on pushing them to want to be better all the time.

RYG: What's the difference between a good and a great sailor?

TH: I'd say the psychological and mental side of the sport. Coaches train people to repeat drills and techniques - to make those techniques absolutely bomb proof under pressure. That's when it counts. Top sailors and athletes need to be completely resilient. If they're a bit down, because they're not doing so well, they need to be able to pick themselves up and continue to perform. That's the key to being an elite sailor.

RYG: Which is more important attitude or talent?

TH: Both. When you get to a high level there has to be a natural ability. There are sailors and performers who can just work away and get to a pretty high level, just through hours and hours of hard work. Talent is important but you can have all the talent in the world and not apply yourself. The ability to apply yourself is also essential.

RYG: What has sailing given you?

TH: It's given me my whole life. I started working in sailing when I was 18-years-old. I went abroad for a little bit. I came back and set up my own company. Then I came into a full-time job and career in sailing. If I'm not working I'm down the sailing club or involved in the sport, so it's my whole life.

RYG: What skills have you learnt from coaching?

TH: Communication's essential. You need that to build up a rapport with the sailor you're working with. You need to be able to work on an individual basis, a small group basis and a large group basis. You need an attention to detail and to be able to identify what each of the athletes is doing. Then you can give them positive feedback and help them to increase their level of performance.

RYG: Do you rule with the stick or the carrot?

TH: The emphasis of all our squads is to have fun, but we don't tolerate any messing about. Fun is essential but so is application. When it comes to residential squad times bedtime is fixed. You need to sleep and you need to eat healthily. We need to be on time to make the most of things.

Sailing is different to a game of football. You can play football at night under flood lights, we can't. We have limited hours of daylight, especially in our winter training programme. To get the most out of our training we have to make the best use of our time on the water.

RYG: What advice would give to someone wanting to be the next Ben Ainslie or Hannah Mills?

TH: Get down to your sailing club. Most clubs will have a way of getting you involved in the sport. Start at club level and work your way into regional programmes and then national squads. Spend as much time as you can on the water and enjoy it. Watch the elite sailors and try to emulate them.