http://www.tinamanker.co.nz/blog/ The latest Blog feeds from www.tinamanker.co.nz en-us Sun, 19 Jul 2026 02:11:40 +1200 Rocketspark http://www.tinamanker.co.nz/blog/post/166553/hocus-focus/ I got distracted every time I tried to write this post. The irony is not lost on me. The coffee looks better than it tastes - a common occurrence these days - though admittedly I get extra excited when it tastes better than it looks. But I'm getting distracted again… This blog is meant to be about focus, or better, on figuring out what you need to focus. And about building a system that makes it more likely to occur. I, for one, can not concentrate for long periods of time in co... Sun, 21 Jun 2026 02:41:24 +1200 http://www.tinamanker.co.nz/blog/#post166553 http://www.tinamanker.co.nz/blog/post/165962/to-compete-is-to-strive-together/ Or at least it should be.Let’s take a quick weekend trip into etymology together: the word compete comes from the Latin competere, combining com (together) and petere (to seek, strive for, or aim at).If we were true to the word's roots, to compete would mean to strive together.Over time, the meaning shifted toward rivalry. Today, we usually think of competition as trying to beat someone else.The interesting thing is that striving together is exactly what high-performance teams do.And too much ... Sun, 07 Jun 2026 01:41:25 +1200 http://www.tinamanker.co.nz/blog/#post165962 http://www.tinamanker.co.nz/blog/post/164433/habits-staying-consistent-on-days-youd-rather-not/ The other day, my brother told me about his grand intentions to ‘lock himself in the library’ to study. Just to be clear, we do not have a personal library - at least last time I checked, there wasn’t one in the family. So he must have been speaking of a public library, which is, by definition, open to the public, including (but not limited to) my little brother - so I doubt that he can actually lock himself in it. What he means, of course, is that he will study so much and for so long tha... Mon, 11 May 2026 00:58:52 +1200 http://www.tinamanker.co.nz/blog/#post164433 http://www.tinamanker.co.nz/blog/post/163132/how-many-body-bags-will-we-need/ And what does any of this have to do with teams and with coaching? Some conversations and some questions stay with you long after the moment has passed. This one stayed with me. That Friday morning, a week before the first Covid Lockdown was announced in New Zealand, I met my friends at a cafe. Then, we did this every Friday. A run followed by a coffee and a catch-up at 7.30 am before work. A ritual that, like so many, was about to be moved online… This Friday was different. Glo... Sat, 04 Apr 2026 06:22:31 +1300 http://www.tinamanker.co.nz/blog/#post163132 http://www.tinamanker.co.nz/blog/post/161995/connection--care/ A few months ago, I got all excited at the prospect of spending a night in my favourite bookstore…On closer inspection, I learned that the way to apply for this experience was to post a video of myself explaining why I wanted to be considered. That put me off immediately and probably also said a lot about how much I really wanted this: evidently not enough…I still like being in bookstores, though - and the other week, I sat in the café of one and overheard a conversation at the table next t... Sun, 15 Mar 2026 02:02:12 +1300 http://www.tinamanker.co.nz/blog/#post161995 http://www.tinamanker.co.nz/blog/post/160440/give-yourself-a-chance/ Welcome back to a 3C Saturday: Coffee, Coke* & Cake. I am trying to combat my post-run fatigue with sugar and caffeine… with limited traction so far. But that shall not stop us from attempting to write this week’s blog. It’s inspired by a conversation I had with an athlete years ago. I was supporting them on their journey back to full fitness and health after a significant break from sport. As we were talking, the athletes found themselves going in circles of ‘I really want to d... Sun, 15 Feb 2026 03:30:54 +1300 http://www.tinamanker.co.nz/blog/#post160440 http://www.tinamanker.co.nz/blog/post/158956/send-the-message/ Greetings from me and my morning coffee. I’m in a cosy little café. The warm light created by the candles is in stark contrast to the cold tiles and metal hooks on the walls of the main room. This used to be a butcher. Its name is German and a nice little play on words. The coffee is good…well, it’s at about 70% of Wellington-coffee-quality, which is pretty close to as good as it gets in Europe (honestly, living in Wellington turns you into a proper coffee snob… Dear Welly Friends, plea... Sat, 17 Jan 2026 23:01:38 +1300 http://www.tinamanker.co.nz/blog/#post158956 http://www.tinamanker.co.nz/blog/post/158041/the-art-of-appreciation/ … or how to say Thank You well. The end of the year is often a time for reflection. Especially the time between Christmas and New Year’s is often a time when people look back at the past year, contemplate what happened, maybe even evaluate, and set goals or make resolutions for the next year. If you have been following this blog for a while, you already know that I am not a massive fan of New Year’s resolutions, but that should not stop you from making them :) And that is also sort of... Sun, 14 Dec 2025 06:14:24 +1300 http://www.tinamanker.co.nz/blog/#post158041 http://www.tinamanker.co.nz/blog/post/157023/one-more-try/ Kermit is still alive and well in my voice; I’m looking for ideas, and I am a day late posting this blog. I have been looking for ideas for this week’s blog for a few days. But as with many things, when we try too hard, nothing seems to work. That was certainly true this week, as I was trying to find a good topic and a few other things. Good times. Instead of making something up, I decided today to write about what I do when I find myself in this situation. In sport, you try all th... Mon, 01 Dec 2025 05:20:13 +1300 http://www.tinamanker.co.nz/blog/#post157023 http://www.tinamanker.co.nz/blog/post/156197/legacy/ What do you want yours to be? I find this an interesting question. Athletes are often asked this question and many say something along the lines of, ‘I want to leave the sport in a better place,’ (some teams want to leave the jersey in a better place) or ‘I want to inspire the next generation of athletes,’ or ‘I want to show people what is possible if you really put your mind to it,’ etc. All of those are great. Away from sport, you might find people wanting to do similar t... Sun, 16 Nov 2025 05:27:17 +1300 http://www.tinamanker.co.nz/blog/#post156197