Rugby career cut short leads to coaching success

John's story was originally featured in the East & Bays Courier, Manukau Courier and Papakura Courier, and online on stuff.co.nz.

After an eye injury forced him to leave a promising representative rugby career, John Cocker is making big strides in his ambition to coach. The Mount Wellington local is graduating with a Diploma in Applied Sport and Recreation from MIT on 27 May 2016.

A former Tongan Sevens international and Northland loose forward, John is now working with the Counties Manukau Steelers and coaching the College Rifles Premier team. He was named Auckland Rugby Union's most promising club coach of the year in 2014.

As part of the coaching squad for the Steelers ITM Cup campaign, John worked under head coach and All Black's legend Tana Umaga, where he was responsible for ensuring that players meet their fitness objectives.

"I set up and monitor strength and conditioning programmes for specific positions," says John. "Players have to be at their ideal weight and meet strict standards, or they won't get selected."

After his eye was damaged in a painful tackle, John decided to stop playing. "I couldn't see out of my eye at all, and I decided that was enough. With a young family, I didn't want to risk my health anymore."

"But I had to stay involved in sports, I couldn't keep away. It's all I've known, especially through playing representative rugby. It's just passion that keeps me going," he says.

"I'd been a builder for five years, so I was quite limited with job opportunities because of my injury. Going back to school when I was thirty was tough. Adjusting was the hardest thing."

"The skills I've learned here have put me at the front of the pack, and I wouldn't have picked them up anywhere else," he says. "It's not just the technical knowledge, but also learning the importance of connecting with people and how crucial that is to get the best from them."

John's experience with the Steelers is helping to get him closer to his goal of higher coaching honours, as well as making him a better coach. "It's a fantastic opportunity. I'm working with international players during an ITM campaign; I'm seeing the game from different angles and getting insights into coaching which I can then apply to my team (College Rifles)."

With four children of his own – aged seven, six, four and seven months – John's advice for people who might have talented youngsters at home is: "Don't push them into the sports you want them to do, to try and live through them. Let them choose and keep them interested in what they enjoy."

He's now continuing on to achieve a Bachelor's degree in Sport and Exercise Science. "I want to get into schools, and be a PE teacher."

"I'm definitely excited to graduate, I've come a long way. The staff at MIT have been really supportive and flexible with the hours I was doing at Counties; I don't think would've managed without them."

John will graduate with a Diploma of Applied Sport and Recreation on Friday 27 May 2016, along with 1,072 other people as part of MIT's 2016 Graduation.

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