Who are we?
Dr Rob Mason is the founder and Director at Box and Bench Development Co., an Australian-based consultancy focused on developing coaches, leaders, and the environments in which people learn and perform.
Background
Across more than 250 AFL games both in the coaches’ box and on the interchange bench, Rob has seen firsthand how coaches make decisions under pressure, communicate in real time and shape the environments in which athletes perform.
That practical experience is matched by academic depth. Rob’s approach has been shaped through a PhD focused on coach-athlete feedback, a Masters of Teaching and an undergraduate degree in Psychology. Rob has also published research in coaching and coach development. It means the work is grounded not only in what happens at the coal-face of high-performance sport, but also in what the evidence tells us about learning, behaviour and development.
Box & Bench brings these two perspectives together. The aim is to help coaches and organisations turn sound ideas into better practice: developing more skilful coaches, more impactful learning environments and better experiences for athletes.
The Box & Bench Approach
Coaching and leadership are both fields in which buzz-words and fads come and go faster than a summer’s day in Hobart. At Box & Bench, we avoid this temptation by leaning in to an evidence-based approach, pairing academic rigour with ideas that have stood the test of time at the coal-face of high performance sport.
Embedded
Development is most useful when it is connected to the realities of the context. Regular touch points allow support to responsively address current challenges rather than theoretical ones.
Collaborative
Development programs should be built with, and not built for, the people who stand to benefit from them.
Individualised
We operate on a one-size-fits-one approach. No two coaches, leaders or performers have the same experiences or developmental needs.
Relational
High quality observation and feedback experiences depend on trust. Time spent in an environment is therefore a vital part of the work. Coffee is a common tool of the trade for building relationships.