Who coaches the coach? Ask Andy Flower, Peter Moores and Paul Farbrace in cricket, and Stuart Lancaster, Rob Baxter and Nigel Redman in rugby. They are just a few of the sports coaches to whom Keith Lyons was a “critical friend”, supporting and constructively challenging their decisions to stimulate learning and development.
Keith, who has died aged 68 of complications after being treated for a brain tumour, was an educator and sport scientist who pioneered the analysis of performance in sport. He was the author of Using Video in Sport (1985), the first book on the subject, and in 1992 he established the Centre for Notational Analysis at Cardiff Metropolitan University, to work with sport organisations on analyses of performance in training and competition environments. This included supporting the British Lions rugby union tour of South Africa in 1997.
Keith moved to Australia in 2002 to take up a position as the founding coordinator of performance analysis at the Australian Institute of Sport. He was appointed professor of sport studies in 2009 at the University of Canberra where he remained until his retirement in 2013.
More recently the RFU and ECB combined to engage Keith on a “learning journey” project, mentoring professional coaches in rugby and cricket. His Letters from Australia and “critical friend” approach developed cross-sport connections and provided excellent personal development.
Born in Buckley, Flintshire, Keith was one of three children of Joan (nee Catherall), a postmistress, and Donald Lyons, a bricklayer. After leaving Mold grammar school, he studied philosophy, politics and economics at the University of York, then gained a teaching qualification at Loughborough College. He began his career as a PE teacher at Whitton school in Twickenham, west London.
He played rugby in the amateur days for Loughborough College, London Welsh and Rosslyn Park and represented North Wales, before becoming a coach for university teams. He started notating real-time performance in rugby union games in 1978 and used early domestic video cameras to record games for analysis. Keith was one of the first officially recognised performance analysts in world rugby union when he was appointed to a post by the Welsh Rugby Union in 1991. He also coached international women’s lacrosse (1997) and was Welsh national coach for white water canoe slalom (1998-2002).
A vegetarian, non-smoking, non-drinking, pacifist who was an anti-apartheid activist in his youth, he had the most wonderful, positive and supportive influence on so many coaches. Keith and I first met when I was a young rugby player but his real impact on me started when I began my coaching career in 1989. He was my “thinking partner”, mentor and adviser, and was particularly supportive when I was Welsh national coach in the mid 1990s.
His knowledge and intellect were impressive but his personality and character shone through. He was a kind, gentle, caring and positive person with a wonderful sense of humour.
He was a loving husband to Sue (nee Leese), whom he married in 1982, a great father to Beth and Sam, and the proudest Pa to two grandchildren, Ivy and Jolyon. They all survive him.