Old Colstonian Dave Alred MBE PhD returns to Colston’s

It’s the last minute of the game, there’s a full stadium, it’s down to you – only you- could you handle the pressure? On the evening of Thursday the 5th March Dave Alred, who was a pupil at Colston's in the '60s, returned to Colston’s School to talk to pupils about performing under pressure.

Dave has famously coached the likes of Jonny Wilkinson, has been placed in the UK Coaching Hall of Fame for his contribution to the England Rugby World Cup winning squad. He was awarded the Mussabini Medal in 2003 for outstanding success on the world stage and was honoured with an MBE in the 2004 New Year's Honours List.

In an inspirational and entertaining speech Dave looked into how to have the mental edge on your opponents. He applied the techniques used to train fighter pilots to show how best to be mentally prepared for performing under pressure. He told pupils how take control of their training themselves by setting out an objective and then taking it that step further. This will ensure that when put under pressure performance can remain high and the decisions made will be the right ones. He also explained the importance of posture in sport and how the right day to day attitude is essential when it comes to performing on the big stage.

	Dave Alred being thanked by Colston's cricket professional Syd Lawrence

With upcoming tours for the school cricket and hockey teams, this provided an excellent opportunity to learn about how to prepare properly for the challenges that will be faced abroad.

Dave Alred's website

Will Mardle