Coaches
Meet the Active Attitude Coaching Team…
Ashleigh McCaw (Director)
About Ashleigh:
Ashleigh has always enjoyed sport and being physically active. From an early age she was swinging on bars in the playground and doing handstands. As a youngster, Ashleigh played netball and did competitive gymnastics. She started coaching gymnastics at the age of 14 and has been involved with instructing children’s physical activity ever since. She enjoys teaching gymnastics, swimming and athletics, as these sports develop fundamental movement skills which provide the foundations for other sports.
Ashleigh has previously worked in gymnastics and swimming organisations and for Gymnastics New Zealand. Ashleigh is looking forward to getting more Northlanders involved in gymnastics and helping to develop youth sports coaching as a recognised profession in New Zealand.
Qualifications/Training:
- Bachelor of Sport and Leisure (Hons).
- Fitness Business Diploma
- Certificate in Personal Training
- Certificate in Sports Administration
- Gymnastics New Zealand Coaching Qualifications (Gymnastics/Gymsports): Basic Skills, Recreation Coach, Play Gym Leader, Junior Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Coach, Junior Tumbling Coach & Junior Aerobics Coach.
- Swimming NZ Swim Teaching Certificates: School Age, Adult, Early Childhood, and Teaching Swimmers with Disabilities.
- Trained Level 3 Run Jump Throw (Athletics) Coach
- Trained Get Set Go (Athletics) Coach
- Gymnastics New Zealand Elementary Aerobics Judge
- Coaching New Zealand (Level 2)
Favourite Sport: Gymnastics
Favourite Healthy Food: Strawberries
Favourite Quote: “It’s is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly.” – Theodore Roosevelt
Natalie (Nat) Cossey
About Nat:
Nat always wanted to become a teacher, and from coaching at Active Attitude while studying towards her Sport and Recreation qualifications she has found that coaching is her passion. She comes from a family who love sports and being outdoors.
Qualifications/Training:
- Bachelor of Sport and Recreation
- Gymnastics New Zealand Qualifications: Foundation Coach
Favourite Sport: Netball
Favourite Healthy Food: Ambrosia
Favourite Quote: “Don’t worry about failures, worry about the chances you miss when you don’t even try.” – Jack Canfield
Donna Allen (Administrator)
About Donna:
A mother of a daughter who grew up in the cheer-leading world. She has a background in administration, cooking and as a pre-school educator.
Qualifications/Training:
Favourite Sport: Cheerleading
Favourite Healthy Food: Watermelon
Favourite Quote: “The best therapist has fur and four legs.”
Bridget Lambert
About Bridget:
Bridget was the driving force behind getting our Competitive Trampoline classes off the ground here at Active Attitude. Having been involved in competitive trampolining throughout her childhood, she is keen to pass on her passion for the sport. Bridget has three children who are also Active Attitude members.
Favourite Sport: Trampoline
Favourite Healthy Food: Watermelon
Favourite Quote: “A Champion is defined not by their wins, but by how they can recover when they fall” Serena Williams
Ashleigh Ellis
About Ashleigh:
Ashleigh is currently studying towards a Bachelor of Sport and Recreation in Whangarei and loves getting involved in all sports and different outdoor Rec activities.
Qualifications/Training: Diploma in Sport and Recreation
Favourite Sport: Sailing
Favourite Food: Raspberries
Favourite Quote: We can’t direct the wind but we can adjust the sails.
Lucy Bland
About Lucy: Lucy is one of our Active Attitude Coaches and is a student at Whangarei Girls High School.
Qualifications/Training: XTND Youth Leadership and Coaching Qualification.
Favourite Sport: Cheerleading and Netball
Favourite Food: Thai Food
Favourite Quote: “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard”.
Jessica Woollam
About Jessica : Jessica is one of our Active Attitude Coaches and is also a student at Dargaville High School. She has been involved with Active Attitude since we first started our club in Dargaville in 2012.
Qualifications/Training: XTND Youth Leadership and Coaching Qualification.
Favourite Sport: Netball
Favourite Food:
Favourite Quote:
Thomas Davidson
About Thomas : Thomas is one of our Active Attitude “Coaches in Training” and is a student at Pompallier Catholic College. Thomas has been a member of Active Attitude since we first started our club in Dargaville in 2012.
Qualifications/Training: XTND Youth Leadership and Coaching Programme.
Favourite Sport: Gymnastics
Favourite Food: Bacon
Favourite Quote: “Study your opponents and train against them and you will have gold.” -Sun Tzu.
Piper West
About Piper : Piper is one of our Active Attitude “Coaches in Training” and is a student at Whangarei Girls High School. She has represented Northland in Aerobic Gymnastics since 2016 and was one of our original Active Attitude members who started with us back in 2012.
Qualifications/Training: Currently in her first year of Active Attitude’s Coach in Training Programme.
Favourite Sport: Aerobics
Favourite Food: Nectarines
Favourite Quote: “Everyday may not be good, but there is something good in everyday.”
Leah McRae
About Leah: Leah is one of our Active Attitude “Coaches in Training” and is a student at Whangarei Girls High School. She has represented Northland in Aerobic Gymnastics since 2015.
Qualifications/Training: Currently in her first year of Active Attitude’s Coach in Training Programme.
Favourite Sport: Aerobics
Favourite Food: Berry Smoothie
Favourite Quote: “Beauty begins the moment you decide to be yourself”
Briar Horan
About Briar: Briar is one of our Active Attitude “Coaches in Training” and is a student at Christian Renewal School.
Qualifications/Training: Currently in her first year of Active Attitude’s Coach in Training Programme.
Favourite Sport: Horse Riding
Favourite Food: Asian Salad
Favourite Quote: “Let your smile change the world, but don’t let the world change your smile”
Caitlin Thompson
About Caitlin: Caitlin is one of our Active Attitude “Coaches in Training” and is a student at Whangrei Girl’s High School. She also represents the club at competitions for trampolining.
Qualifications/Training:
Favourite Sport: Trampoline and Team Sailing
Favourite Food: Watermelon
Favourite Quote: “Push yourself because no one else can do it for you”
Annabel McIlhinney
About Annabel: Annabel is one of our Active Attitude “Coaches in Training” and is a student at Huanui College. She has also represented Northland in Aerobic Gymnastics.
Qualifications/Training:
Favourite Sport: Aerobics
Favourite Food: Strawberries
Favourite Quote: “The difference between your dreams and reality is called action”
Caitlin Leathem
About Caitlin: Caitlin is one of our Active Attitude “Coaches in Training” and is a student at Whangrei Girl’s High School. She represented Northland in Aerobic Gymnastics in 2018 and then Tumble in 2019.
Qualifications/Training:
Favourite Sport: Tumble
Favourite Food: Fresh apricots
Favourite Quote: “Life is like a camera, focus on what’s important, capture that good times,
Develop the negatives and if things don’t work out , take another shot”
