Its aim is nothing short of becoming the premier, one-stop platform for coaches to complete their off-field work. Eventually CoachingMill will be in a prime, globally accepted position according to site’s owner, Robbie Vos.
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CoachingMill.com is a sports coaching platform where coaches can view, create and share coaching resources such as drills, articles and training sessions. Currently, field hockey, soccer, cricket and rugby are supported. Vos, an engineering graduate from Stellenbosch, South Africa describes his inspiration for CoachingMill:
“I started coaching field hockey two years ago and as a new coach I tried to find coaching resources online to help me. I was unable to find any sites with decent material that was not hidden behind a pay wall and so decided to start my own website.”
The project ran through Naspers’ MIH Incubator, funded with an unspecified sum of money. So what makes CoachingMill different from the competition, which Vos describes as “minor, low quality sites”? Vos bets that it has something to do with his “free” business model:
“CoachingMill was designed with the idea that information should be free and freely available, whereas traditional coaching mentality is that the experience the coach has gained must be kept secret or sold at a cost. CoachingMill also aims to incorporate different aspects of coaching onto a single platform including coaching resources, team management applications and game analysis solutions.”
All online coaching strategies have been designed by “top-level coaches” with international and provincial level coaches signing up to impart their wisdom. Down the line, Vos hopes to include game analysis solutions and team management software, all for free.
If there is a gap in the coaching market, Vos wants to fill it with his startup. “Currently coaches have two options,” says Vos. “Pay expensive rates or only have access to poor quality content. CoachingMill fits between the two by providing quality content for free.”
Will it turn the world of online coaching on its head? Vos believes in the strength of his creation. “By providing coaching information to everyone freely, rather than behind a pay-wall, it will allow many more people to gain access to the material. This is especially true in the developing world where people cannot afford US$15pm+ subscriptions.”
CoachingMill is a concept, with global flair as Vos describes it. “As a website that covers global sports it is inherently global (tips and techniques are universal) and getting an international audience is a high priority. To spread awareness about the site the idea is to contact regional and schools sports coordinators (mailing lists are relatively easy to obtain) and spend time marketing the site on international sports forums.”
