While in the United Kingdom, Senior Coach Chris Fagan will be visiting a number of sporting teams and facilities to learn and develop as a Coach. Here he writes about his time so far and the people he has met in the UK:

For the next two weeks, I will be in and around London visiting sporting teams, chatting to coaches and attending the Leaders in Performance Conference at The Oval.

My intention is to report back my travels to all our members and supporters via our Club website.

So here goes ……

I will spend time with Brighton Hove Albion FC, Queens Park Rangers FC, Dave Alred and Fencesco Molinari, attend the Leaders Conference, peruse the English Rugby Union Training Camp with Eddie Jones and Neil Craig and spend time with Simon Wheatley, the Performance Coach Education Manager at Lawn Tennis Association of Great Britain.

It’s a reasonably full and diverse schedule and should lead to some useful learnings and ideas that we can use productively at the Lions.

The weather over here is starting to cool down a bit so the old shorts and t-shirts that I wear in Brisbane have been replaced with long trousers and big warm coats.

I arrived here on Saturday and am still feeling a bit jet-lagged – keep waking up at 3am and looking for a sleep by mid-afternoon. I will adjust soon hopefully. 

On Monday I spent most of the day with the Academy staff here at Brighton Hove Albion FC.

Watched the Under 23 and Under 18 teams train and had some great discussions with John Morling [Academy Manager] and Ian Buckman [Assistant Academy Manager].

I also had a tour of the training facility which is only 4 years old. It is a magnificently designed facility – practical, innovative and incredibly well looked after. Hopefully, we will have something similar to be proud of in the near future.

Interesting side note. I’m staying at the Brighton Harbour Hotel and the guy that works at reception there is an Australian and is a Brisbane Lions fan. His name is Tayden and he comes from the Gold Coast. There are Lions supporters everywhere!!!

Tayden the Lions fan from Brighton Harbour Hotel.

Also went to the movies last night and watched Bohemian Rhapsody – for anyone who is a fan of Queen music it is a must see.

Cheers from England,  
Fages