Cameron Knowles has been part of the Portland Timbers organisation for well over a decade.
Following a 7 year professional playing career at Real Salt Lake, the Timbers and Montreal Impact, Cameron made the move into coaching where he worked as an Assistant Coach with the first team for five years.
The holder of a Masters in Psychology & now into his second season as Head Coach of Portland Timbers T2, Cameron joins PDP Editor, Dave Wright for a conversation on his journey through the USA as a player and coach. Cameron discusses a holistic perspective of player development, the importance of understanding the individual, performance versus development and insights into the 2015 MLS Championship which saw Portland win their first MLS title.
Show Notes
0:00 – 3:20: Introduction, Cameron’s background and journey to America
3:20 – 6:12 Highlights throughout playing career
6:12 – 9:44: Attributes of coaches Cameron played under and lessons took from each coach
9:44 – 13:28: What attracted Cameron to coaching following career ending injury
13:28 – 15:45: Feelings when retired from Football and how to cope after being identified as a player for so long
15:45 – 16:32: Life skills within Football – Preparing players for life without Football
16:32 – 19:16: Portland Timbers: current coaching and playing philosophy
19:16 – 22:55: Personal development coaching within championship winning team
22:55 – 24:56: Cameron’s advice for coaches at what makes an effective assistant coach and experiences in this role
24:56 – 27:52: Current role as head coach for T2 team and the changes from assistant to head coach
27:52 – 29:58: Challenges with managing social dynamic between senior and T2 players
29:58 – 32:02: Cameron’s views on development v performance environments
32:02 – 34:20: Common characteristics of the best players Cameron has worked with or seen
34:20 – 36:52: Players coming through system in America and how their journey can look
36:52 – 39:58: Self reflection – Cameron opens up about mistakes that he’s made and also learnt from in his coaching journey
39:58 – 42:36: Psychology masters – Cameron’s reason for taking this path
42:36 – 43:40: Optimum learning environment – What this looks like
43:40 – 45:35: Session design – What makes a good session
45:35 – 48:18: Key characteristics of an effective coach
Key Takeaways
6:12 – 9:44: Attributes of coaches Cameron played under and lessons took from each coach
13:28 – 15:45: Feelings when retired from Football and how to cope after being identified as a player for so long
32:02 – 34:20: Common characteristics of the best players Cameron has worked with or seen
36:52 – 39:58: Self reflection – Cameron opens up about mistakes that he’s made and also learnt from in his coaching journey
39:58 – 42:36: Psychology masters – Cameron’s reason for taking this path
Image Source: depositphotos.com
