Dr. Dave Alred MBE
I’m sure by now kickers, you have all heard of the great Dave Alred. In 2004 Dave was awarded with an MBE for his contribution to the success of England during the Rugby World Cup win in 2003. In addition, Dave has a Dr title which he earned due to his success in the field of education. His PhD specialised in the mental preparation of high performance under pressure.
Dave has helped individuals and teams to become the best in the world time and time again. He has been widely recognised and honoured for his many achievements. The Daily Telegraph described Dave as one of the world’s all-time top five sports coaches. It has been said that Dave is a maverick amongst mavericks. Part innovator, part agitator and entirely committed to improving athlete performance. Dave has also been referred to as the Thomas Edison of elite sport. A lot of Dave’s success has been down to his ability to think independently and constantly striving for new means of addressing recurring performance problems. He has managed to bring science and medicine into the modern game and training methods. With his incredible mindset the sport has been a forever evolving spectrum for the better.
In an interview with Dave, he was asked what his greatest highlights of his career were, he was quick to reference rugby and in particular the British Lions Tour of 1997 when everyone expected the squad to ‘get hammered’; but they won against all the odds. Obviously, another huge stand out moment for Dave was the unforgettable win of the World Cup in 2003, when Jonny Wilkinson’s goal-kicking record was owed much to Dave, who was by then known as the world’s leading kicking coach. One of Dave’s key beliefs is the concept of continual improvement. He believes every athlete he has worked with can get better; it comes down to the players mental approach in everything they do. Dave says it’s his job as a coach to help the athlete prepare themselves mentally and get a player to go where he's never been before. Dave creates a culture with everyone he has worked with, enabling the belief that they can all perform under pressure with the right mental preparation.
