Boosting confidence in coaching: A look into Coach Development Opportunities at British Rowing

Satellite Coach for the East Midlands Hannah Ferris looks back on the opportunities and learnings she took from last year’s Coach Development Opportunities

Hannah learned to row in Loughborough before going to Newcastle University and rowing at Tyne Amateur RC. When she came back to Loughborough, she began coaching at her home club to give back to the sport and pass on knowledge she’d picked up. From there, she began coaching masters and juniors, before taking up her role as Satellite Coach for the East Midlands.

“As someone who is still comparatively new to coaching, the Opportunities have been a really valuable experience for me,” said Hannah. “It gave me the space to talk openly, ask questions, and learn more about what coaching actually looks like in practice:”

I’ve learned that it’s okay to coach in a way that feels right for me, even if it looks different from how others do it.

Hannah’s day-to-day involves supporting clubs in her region and working as a coach at the East Midlands GB Performance Development Academy, training up the next generation of Olympic rowers.

Designed to be flexible, the Opportunities provide coaches with one-to-one support from an experienced Coach Developer, encouraging them to experiment and push boundaries in their coaching practices.

“Having a coach mentor was another huge part of what made the programme so impactful. The one-to-one conversations gave me the chance to really dig into specific topics and reflect on my own coaching.”

Coach Developers aren’t rowing coaches – they’re trained professionals whose job it is to help coaches get the best out of themselves. For Hannah, her Coach Developer didn’t come from a rowing background, but that turned out to be a positive in her development.

“At first, I was a bit unsure about having a mentor who didn’t come from a rowing background, but that actually turned out to be one of the best things. Their different perspectives challenged the way I think and helped me realise there’s not just one way to do things. It pushed me to be more open-minded, and that’s helped me grow a lot, both personally and professionally.”

As well as individualised support, coaches within each cohort come together for Coaching Cafés, building networks amongst themselves for additional support and to share experiences of coaching from around the country.

“I especially enjoyed the Coaching Café sessions. Even though we all came from different backgrounds, those differences actually helped me see things in new ways and really supported my development. They felt like a safe and relaxed space where we could talk honestly, challenge each other’s ideas, and also celebrate the wins – big or small. It was great to be surrounded by people who genuinely wanted to help each other grow.”

“The biggest takeaway for me has been a real boost in confidence. I’ve learned that it’s okay to coach in a way that feels right for me, even if it looks different from how others do it.

“Being able to talk through that with other coaches and my mentor made a huge difference. And off the back of that, I’ve had some amazing opportunities come up, including landing my first full-time paid coaching role, which is really exciting.”

Find out more about the Coach Development Opportunities and apply for the 2026 cohort here!