Dónal Scott is a PGA Professional and High Performance Coach based in Dublin. He is currently the Irish Women's Team national coach and a member of the Paddy Harrington Scholarship coaching team at Maynooth University.
In this blog Dónal gives us an insight into what it is like to be a high performance coach and what high performance means to him.
How would you define High Performance in sport?
In my opinion High Performance in Sport is a commitment to performing at the highest levels in your chosen sport.
What role has sport played in your life?
Sport has played a massive role in my life. It’s given me a career, afforded me the opportunity to travel to different countries, introduced me to amazing people and taught me incredible lessons. It’s instilled in me the value of hard work and belief.
Sport has also played a challenging role in my life, it made me overly focused on results at times, judging myself and others based on a score/outcome instead of the processes that went into that score. It has made me overly focused on the future (the next event, the next goal to reach) instead of enjoying the work in front of me here and now. However, like most things in life, sport isn’t the problem, it's what we bring to sport that determines what will challenge us.
How has your career to date, both playing and coaching, prepared you for the role of a high-performance coach?
I never achieved a high performance level as a player but I think my own shortcomings spurred me on to leaving no stone unturned in helping others perform at their best. Anyone who has tried and failed knows the pain of falling short so I think that has inspired and motivated me as a coach.
In terms of coaching I think being curious and genuinely interested in others has helped me develop relationships with the players I coach and at the same time be committed to learning and developing my own skill sets.
What does a high performing day for Donal Scott look like?
Being the best Partner, Dad, Son, Brother, Friend and Coach I’m capable of being that day. Look after my own physical and mental health. Finally, accept my limitations and commit to doing whatever I do that day to the best of my ability.
As a coach, do you feel you can create a culture, or simply fine tune the culture you have walked into?
I think it’s sport dependent. In golf you tend to work with multiple players and the majority of the performing and training is done by the player in the absence of their coaches so the coach’s influence on culture may be limited compared to other sports. That said, I believe it's important to establish a shared set of values and clarity around what the coaching relationship should look like.
What are the greatest strengths your athletes demonstrate to continually perform at an elite level?
I think every athlete is different and they display different strengths at different times. I’m not sure I can pinpoint any one strength that’s common among all of them.
What is your primary focus when working with an individual athlete?
Understanding where they are at this moment in time, by that I mean reflecting with them on their training/performance/life to date and connecting the work we do today with their longer-term vision for success.
How important is relentless commitment to reach a high level of sport / coaching?
I think commitment is important but I think relentless commitment could lead you down a path to burnout. I believe that there is a always a price to pay for success in any endeavour but you need to be clear what price you’re willing to pay. If you’re not clear on that you may end up burnt out and lacking enthusiasm for the work. Plus you have to think about the example you set for those you work with. I believe you can be great at what you do without sacrificing everything along the way. I want to be as successful as I can be while staying true to my values and the people I value most. Anything beyond that isn’t a price I’m willing to pay…… anymore.
What advice would you give a young person who wants to become a high-performance coach?
My only advise is to keep learning. Every year I feel like I’m starting all over again. Just because you work with high performers it doesn’t make you a high performer. I know I often doubt my ability and that doubt drives me to keep learning and progressing my coaching as best I can. Learning comes in all forms don’t just collect coaching badges, write stuff in notebooks even if you never look at it again, talk to other coaches in other sports, chat to your closest friends and family about what you’re struggling with (they probably can’t help but they will listen and that’s all you need) and be careful of where you get your information (if it’s on any of the socials, treat it with a large grain of salt).
What do you think the benefits of a former high-level athlete transitioning to coaching are? Do you think someone has to play at a high-level to be a good coach?
I hope not or I would have no chance of being a good coach!! I don’t think it’s an either or. I know good coaches who were great players and good coaches who were average players. It does help to understand the context you work in but if you’re willing to listen and seek to understand before being understood the players in front of you will be your greatest teacher. No two players ever have the same experience of playing at the highest level so what’s important is that you can relate to someone at their level relative to their individual experience. Your prior experience is probably less relevant in that way.
Where do you see High Performance Sport in five/ten years time?
I’m not sure. There seems to be a bit of an issue with mental health among athletes at the moment but I’m not sure how much of that is down to sport and how much of it is as a result of social media and the modern world we live in. Players are expected to build a brand, post and engage with the outside world constantly. I don’t think that’s healthy. I hope that we teach the next generation the skills they need to navigate the muddy waters of high performance sport without letting the perceptions of the online world taking such a toll on their psyche. That’s my hope anyway.
We would like to say a massive thank you to Dónal for answering some of our questions. Whoever you are, whether you're an elite athlete, recreational athlete, or just interested in physical activity, there are lots of golden nuggets in this interview which you can take and apply to your own life.
If you would like to get in touch with us, you can contact us through our email: info@healthandperformanceacademy.ie through our website: www.healthandperformanceacademy.ie or through our various social media platforms.