5 Ways Develop Your PE Team: Lessons from My High Performance Support Team

Throughout my journey as an athlete, I learned the immense value of building a strong, cohesive support team. As an international decathlete, my performance wasn’t just a result of my hard work—behind me was a network of experts, each playing a critical role in my success

The same approach can be applied to a PE department. Just as an athlete’s success depends on the synergy of their support team, a PE program thrives when teachers work together, bringing their individual expertise to the table. When each teacher leads on a specific role—much like how a nutritionist or physiotherapist focuses on their area of expertise—students benefit from a more comprehensive and consistent learning experience. Here’s how my experience building a support team translates into building a high-performing PE department:

1. Build a Strong Team: Leverage Each Teacher’s Expertise

As an athlete, I knew I couldn’t achieve my best without expert support in multiple areas. My coach focused on technique and tactics, the physiotherapist helped me recover and avoid injury, while the strength and conditioning coach ensured I had the As an athlete, I knew I couldn’t achieve my best without expert support in multiple areas. My coach focused on technique and tactics, the physiotherapist helped me recover and avoid injury, while the strength and conditioning coach ensured I had the

Tip: Just as an athlete’s support team regularly checks in on their progress, have regular team meetings to share strategies, observe each other’s lessons, and ensure everyone’s strengths are being utilized.

2. Create a Unified Plan: Collaborate on Curriculum Design

In elite sports, success doesn’t come by chance—it’s the result of a meticulously planned program that takes into account all aspects of an athlete’s development. From training schedules to recovery plans, every detail is accounted for. The same principle should apply to your PE curriculum.

Collaborating as a team to design a shared curriculum ensures that all students, no matter which teacher they work with, are receiving the same high-quality instruction and progression.
Tip: Just like an athlete’s training plan is created with input from their entire support team, collaborate on your curriculum to ensure its cohesive and offers a balanced, progressive experience for students

3. Set Shared Goals: Align Your Efforts Towards a Common Vision

An athlete’s success isn’t just about competing in one event—it’s about achieving long-term goals that require consistent effort from their entire support team. Whether it's improving strength, agility, or mental resilience, the athlete’s goals guide everyone’s actions. In a PE department, setting shared goals and aligning your efforts ensures that your students are working toward balanced development, not just excelling in one area.

Tip: Just as athletes have measurable performance targets, set clear goals for your department—whether it’s improving performance or enhancing teamwork. Regularly track these goals together, just as an athlete’s performance is assessed at different stages of their journey.

4. Develop Consistent Assessment and Feedback: Measure Progress Across All Areas

As an athlete, I relied on regular feedback from my coaches to track my performance and make adjustments. The same should happen in your PE department. Consistent, fair assessments help ensure that all students are progressing equally, no matter which teacher they’re working with. Just like a strength and conditioning coach tracks an athlete’s physical progress, you should track both the physical and mental growth of your students.

Tip: Standardize assessment rubrics across your department to ensure consistency in how students are evaluated. Like an athlete’s performance metrics, assessments should be aligned with department goals and provide clear feedback on areas for improvement.

5. Support Each Other’s Development: Continuous Improvement for All

In elite sports, the athlete’s journey is never complete—there’s always room to improve. The same is true for teachers. Just as athletes benefit from continuous development through new techniques, tools, and feedback from their support team, teachers should have opportunities for growth as well. Building a culture of support, where team members share resources, ideas, and strategies, will ensure that everyone is continually improving and offering the best experience for students.

Tip: Just as athletes spend time with sports psychologists, coaches, and nutritionists, set aside time for professional development within your team. Encourage ongoing learning, share successful strategies, and support each other in implementing new ideas to improve your PE program.

In high-performance sports, success is built on the collaboration of specialists working together for the athlete’s benefit. The same applies to a PE department: by building a strong team, creating a unified plan, setting shared goals, standardizing assessments, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement, you can create a program that gives every student the best possible learning experience.

The more we collaborate, the better the experience for our students, and the more we grow as educators.

How do you build your support team within your PE department? Share your experiences in the comments!