In 2017 Gareth Southgate asked Jon Coomber as the Chief of Staff at Commando Training Centre Royal Marines to deliver a developmental package for the England Football Team. The aim of the package was to help transform the underachieving team into a high performance team through instilling self and group awareness, generating trust and understanding, building a strong shared identity, and improving resilience. The programme was produced collaboratively by a small team from the FA and Royal Marines with no knowledge of the players or their clubs. The 3 day programme was physically and mentally demanding with coaching support provided throughout. The event was transformational in the mindset of the team (players and staff), the team pledged to change many of their behaviours at the event and these changes have become part their new high performance culture reflected in their performance on the pitch.
“We’ve had so many areas that have helped us improve as a team, but also provided opportunities to improve as we move forward.” Gareth Southgate – Manager England Football Team