Kate Howey wants to enjoy family first

Former World Champion and Olympic Silver Medalist Kate Howey recently stepped down as Head Coach of the British team. She spoke to our partner JudoCrazy about her experiences transitioning from top athlete to top coach as well as a variety of other timely topics including IJF rule changes and what she is doing now.

JIC: You went straight into coaching after you retired from competition in 2004. What was the transition like?

KH: The transition was not as easy as I thought it would be as I had to learn that it wasn't about me anymore. It was about the athletes whom I looked after. I had to go from being self-centered to selfless. It was also hard coaching my peers whom I had been on the team with for many years. I was now suddenly in charge and I had to tell my friends what they should and shouldn't be doing. This obviously got easier as time went by.

JIC: Some former champions never successfully transitioned into coaching but you did. What do you think is the most important things an ex-champion needs to bear in mind, in order to become a good coach?

KH: I think it is about knowing your athlete and their capabilities, and not instilling your own judo on them. Let them find their own way. As a coach, you can’t have an ego!

JIC: You were coached by the legendary Roy Inman. How much of his coaching influenced you and in what way?

KH: I learnt so much from Roy and I think my coaching has a lot of his influence in it. He was a very caring coach and that is the biggest influence that I take into my coaching. He thought about his players as people and not just as athletes, and I take this with me.

JIC: We’ve seen some dramatic rule changes since 2010, especially with the ban on leg grabs. And now with the most recent rule changes, the reverse seoi-nage has been banned. What do you think of the rule changes in general and about the leg grab and reverse seoi-nage bans, in particular?

KH: Obviously when the leg grab was banned, I was very upset as that was one of my best attacks, and the throws can look pretty spectacular, but looking back at it now, it probably is for the best as it encourages more upright judo. As for the reverse seoi-nage I think it's too early to say but I did like that throw.

JIC: What are your thoughts on centralized training? In some countries, it has worked remarkably well. In the UK, there are mixed views on this.

KH: I think every centralized program has its pros and cons. In Britain we have a centralized program that works and has produced medals at every level. The pros for having it is that the resources can be in one place: physio, coaches, S&C, performance lifestyle, psychology etc. Everything that an athlete wants and needs, including training partners, is there, every day. But it doesn't suit everyone and some want to stay with a coach whom they have been with since they were young.

JIC: British female judokas have always done well, and much better than the British men. This is still the case today. Why do you think that is so?

KH: I think this is because you are only as good as the people you train with. Women in Britain not only have other female athletes to train with, they can also be pushed by young boys. So they have a lot of people to train with in Britain. The men, in contrast, have to travel for global randori as they need to be pushed (by other strong men). It is hard to be on the road constantly. Of course, British female judoka also need global randori but they have the advantage of being able to do lots of randori domestically.

JIC: You recently stepped down as head coach of British judo. Why did you decide to retire?

KH: I have a 3 ½ year old son and I was missing him growing up as I was travelling the world and even when I was in Britain, I was in Walsall Monday to Friday at our National Training Centre, which is 120 miles from where I live in London. It wasn't fair to him or my partner to be away so much, so I decided the time was right to step away.

JIC: This is an obvious question but what are your plans next?

KH: I want to spend some time with my family. I have never experienced this before as I've been on the road since I was 15 years old, because of judo. I am also doing a few talks in Great Britain about my experiences as an athlete and a coach.

JIC: Would you consider taking up a coaching position in another country?

KH: I am enjoying my time at home and I don't think I would coach another country.

JIC: Do you see yourself putting on a judogi and doing some randori in the near future?

KH: I will definitely be putting on a gi and doing judo again soon!

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