Carolyn Donaldson (Athlete Life Advisor)

As Athlete Life Advisor Carolyn Donaldson plays a key role with the Football Ferns, supporting them off the field so they can perform on the field. Aiming to help the athletes make the most of their opportunities and think about the ‘big picture’ is a daily goal as is empowering them to gather information so they can make informed decisions that will affect how they perform as Footballers.

The Football Ferns operate a ‘4 corner approach’ when looking after the needs of the team of which Athlete Life is a component of one corner. The 4 corners include Technical Tactical, Physical, Social Emotional and Mental. All Football Ferns players meet with Carolyn to complete an Athlete Life Plan which is like an ‘annual health check’ to identify where they might most benefit from professional development. Carolyn then works with them on a regular basis to provide support in the areas that will have the biggest impact on their performance.

Carolyn enjoys working closely with Coach John Herdman and his athletes and the other support team members. “The Management of the team are passionate about the girls maximizing their opportunities and are building a great support team. They have embraced the support NZASNI have given them and are motivated to incorporate it into their football model,” she says. “John and his Programme coordinator Tony Readings are very approachable and encourage open communication. They are very keen for their players to have their life sorted ‘off the field’ so that when they are playing football there are no other distractions”, Carolyn explains. This is where Carolyn’s expertise is vital. Having worked with carded athletes from a wide range of sports over a number of years Carolyn brings a high level of experience to her role.

It is not only Football that Carolyn is involved with. Netball, Surf Life Saving, Bike, and Taekwondo are some of the other sports Carolyn works with. “With the individual sports, athletes can focus on themselves and their own goals. In a team sport, athletes have not only their own performance targets and goals, they also have their team goals”, she says. “Not to mention having to fit their life in around a team environment has unique challenges.”
Like many athletes a big challenge for the players is how to juggle their sport with other areas in their life, including study. When a player is offered a scholarship to play and study overseas, tapping into the knowledge of their Athlete Life Advisor is something the Ferns do with Carolyn on a regular basis. “Thinking through all the pros and cons of moving overseas, accepting contracts and scholarships are big decisions to make,” says Carolyn. Players can utilise the skills of their Athlete Life Advisor to work through this process together to make sure the players make informed decisions.

As well as managing the administrative tasks for the Athlete Life Team, Carolyn is also a qualified Nutritionist, and juggles two children so advice on time management is an area within Athlete Life Carolyn is an expert in – with plenty of personal experience to call upon! “It is rewarding seeing athletes develop over time as a whole person and fulfilling their sporting goals”, she says.