England and Great Britain hockey manager Andy Halliday visited KTS for a Sixth Form Engaging minds talk
Andy Halliday is the Team Manager for England and Great Britain’s Men's Hockey. He is also the Head Coach for England Indoor team and is also a consultant speaker for schoolspeakers.co.uk.
In his talk, Mr Halliday was keen to pass on experiences of working with teams and individuals throughout his life. Before becoming an elite coach and manager, Halliday used to work as a Public Order Training Instructor and Firearms Officer for the Metropolitan Police. On his Linkedin page, Halliday writes that: “The recipe for success has correlation across both careers.”
Throughout his talk, Halliday informed students about his reading of Steve Petes, the writer of The Chimp Paradox. This book teaches students that we as humans possess an “inner chimp,” which is an independent thinking brain that is not under our control. It works with feelings and impressions and then puts the ‘information’ together using emotional thinking.
“The best sportsmen and women were those who could deal with the chimp," says Halliday. “It is not about being a fantastic athlete, it is about being a fantastic person that stays focused. Life may not be fair, but we have to deal with this, move on and focus.”
Mr Halliday also discussed his ban from the Rio 2016, after it was revealed that he was part of police team who shot dead Brazilian Jean Charles de Menezes at London Tube station.
“It was fantastic to be part of London 2012, but I was very disappointed not to be there in Brazil this year,” he said. “In life, you have to deal with ambiguity, failure and vulnerability. If you do that, then you can succeed in the future.” The manager has “high hopes,” of being in Tokyo in 2020.
The talk was appealing and interesting for all students. Year 13 George Acquaah said the talk was: “Insightful and inspiration. No matter who you are.”