An interview with Manish Agrawal, one of the dedicated volunteer coaches for our U11s group.
Which group do you coach?
U11s Boys and Girls
How did you get into coaching?
About 6 years back I used to coach my daughter Ira at Serpentine and signed up as a coaching assistant before moving to Highgate. Chris Bailey encouraged me and I fell in love with Highgate and started my journey of coaching.
What motivates you?
The satisfaction of seeing my efforts making a difference in the athletes' lives both physically and mentally. What also motivates me is the voluntary work and to help identify and hone the talent that our young harriers have. Last but not least the personal connect with the parents who keep up with the coaching and help build a positive mindset.
What advice would you give to anyone thinking of becoming a coach?
Always be humble - Coach with humility, kindness and concern for your athletes at all times. Know their names and also know the names of their parents on a first-name basis. Build a personal rapport and connect to be on a journey of long-term trust.
What do you like doing best when you're not coaching?
I am a banker in my day job and love numbers. In my spare time I teach maths on a voluntary basis at a primary school or help my daughter in secondary maths. I also like to support secondary school students in financial literacy on money matters through our life skills program at work. I also love travelling and look out for off-beat places to see and explore.
Tell us a secret... you get the idea.
At one of my work trips in Milan I decided to spontaneously sign up to running a half marathon at the F1 track at Monza which was an awesome spontaneous experience and another extreme was to run/walk continuously the 100km Thames Ultra Challenge which took a crazy toll with countless blisters!
