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Former Murray State head coach Dean Hood is returning to Kentucky as Director of Player Development.

Hood previously worked on Mark Stoops staff as special teams coordinator, outside linebackers coach and defensive backs coach.

For the last four seasons, Hood worked as head coach at Murray State.

Here are more details from UK Athletics:

University of Kentucky head football coach Mark Stoops has announced the hiring of Dean Hood to serve as the Wildcats director of player development. Hood returns to UK after serving the last four seasons as the head football coach at Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky.

Hood, who spent three seasons on Stoops staff as the special teams coordinator while also coaching outside linebackers (2017) and defensive backs (2018-19), announced his retirement from coaching on Jan. 1, completing a coaching career that spanned 37 years.

Im extremely pleased to have Dean Hood rejoin our staff, Stoops said. When he was here previously, I grew a deep respect for him not only as a coach on the field, but also for the way he guided and grew his players as young men. He will be a great asset to our overall program and to the personal development of our players.

In his new role, Hood will help prepare student-athletes for personal, academic and athletic development success through UKs 40 for 40 program and he will work alongside special assistant to the head coach Eddie Gran with NIL (Name, Image and Likeness) and player branding as well as community service opportunities.

My family and I are excited to return to Big Blue Nation, Hood said. Being in the coaching profession we have lived in a lot of places, but when our kids are asked where are you from they say Lexington it definitely feels like home to our family.

We are so honored, once again, to be part of Coach Stoops program which is comprised of many wonderful people. Player development has been my passion and lifes work and I am ready to build relationships with our players and help them in multiple areas of their life. Coaching for 37 years has given me a unique perspective into the needs of student-athletes and coaches, who have an incredible demand on their time. Im looking forward to the journey.

During his previous stint at UK, Hood was an integral part of Max Duffy winning the Ray Guy Award for the nations best punter in 2019. He also coached in three bowl games, including two bowl wins with the Wildcats.

At Murray State, Hood led the Racers to back-to-back winning seasons in 2020 and 2021, marking just the third time the program had accomplished that feat since 1999-2000. When the 2020 season was pushed to early 2021, Hoods Racers produced one of the best turnarounds in the nation with a 5-2 record, MSUs first winning season since 2011 and the programs best Ohio Valley Conference record since 2005. Coach Hood was named the 2020 OVC Coach of the Year, becoming the fourth in Murray State history to be honored.

In 2023, Hood and the Racers began play in the Missouri Valley Football Conference, the most competitive league at the FCS level. MSU defeated Presbyterian 41-10 (Sept. 2) for their 1,000th win and won their inaugural MVFC game over Indiana State, 30-28, on Sept. 30.

Hood spent the 2016 season as the assistant head coach, special teams coordinator and tight ends coach at Charlotte. Prior to that, he was the head coach at EKU (2008-15), leading the Colonels to two Ohio Valley Conference Championships, three FCS Playoff appearances and an overall record of 55-38 (.591). In 2008 he was named the OVC Coach of the Year and in 2011 he was the American Football Coaches Association Regional Coach of the Year. He also was a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Award, which goes to the best coach in FCS football, in both the 2008 and 2014 seasons.

With Hood at the helm, EKU produced nine All-Americans, one OVC Offensive Player of the Year, one OVC Defensive Player of the Year, one OVC Freshman of the Year and 26 first-team all-conference performers.

Before EKU, Hood spent seven years (2001-07) as the defensive coordinator and secondary coach at Wake Forest and his defensive units were known for creating turnovers and scoring touchdowns. The Demon Deacons forced 186 turnovers during his tenure, more than two per game. Hoods defenders earned All-ACC mention 14 times. That list included four NFL draft picks Calvin Pace, Montique Sharpe, Eric King and Josh Gattis.

In 2006, Hood helped the Demon Deacons win the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship for the first time since 1970 with an impressive 11-3 record (the most wins in school history). His defense ranked second in the conference, allowing just 15.4 points per game, while leading the league in interceptions with 22, second most in the nation. Against the run, Wake yielded just 105.8 yards per game, 21st nationally and the third lowest total in Wake Forest history. Wake Forest earned its first and only BCS Bowl bid, facing Louisville in the FedEx Orange Bowl.

Hoods first coaching stop was at Fairmont (W.Va.) State working with the defensive backs (1987-88). The 1988 team won the WVIAC championship and led the nation with 31 interceptions. He then spent time at Colgate (1989), Glenville (W.Va.) State (1990-93) and Ohio University (1999-2000).

He also had a previous five-year stint at EKU as the Colonels secondary coach (1994-96) and defensive coordinator/secondary coach (1997-98) under College Football Hall of Fame head coach Roy Kidd.

Hood, a native of Ashtabula, Ohio, earned his bachelors degree in biology from Ohio Wesleyan in 1986 and a masters degree in physical education from West Virginia in 1989.

At Ohio Wesleyan, he was a three-time All-North Coast Athletic Conference selection as a defensive back. He was elected captain two seasons and was a first-team All-American as a senior. In 2001, he was inducted into the OWU Athletic Hall of Fame.

He and his wife, Crystal, originally from Richmond, Kentucky, have four children two sons, Trey and Daven, and two daughters, Jada and Cordia.

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Former Murray State head coach Dean Hood returns to Kentucky as Director of Player Development - - Nation of Blue

Francis Ngannou has been sharing his newfound wealth.

At the beginning of 2023, the former UFC heavyweight champion made the bold decision to leave MMAs premier promotion in search of bigger paydays.

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Ngannou signed a lucrative deal with the Professional Fighters League [PFL] before booking a mega-money clash with boxing superstar Tyson Fury in October.

The 37-year-old shocked the world as he dropped Fury in his boxing debut and came away as an unlucky loser after the judges controversially gave the WBC heavyweight champion a split decision victory.

Regardless of the result, Ngannou was the events big winner as he earned tons of credits, a new career in boxing, and a purse worth more than all 14 of his UFC fights combined.

The trickle-down effect of that purse was felt by those around him, including Eric Nicksick, who claims to have received a life-altering payday.

It was the most money Ive ever been paid by a fighter it was unbelievable, the revered MMA coach told MMA Junkie Radio.

It was more than I expected. Obviously, Francis has always taken great care of me, but it floored me. When I saw my Wells Fargo account that morning, it literally brought me to tears.

"Thats a true story. Literally brought me to tears because he changed my life not only from a professional standpoint but a monetary standpoint.

It allowed me a lot of financial freedom to allow me to be able to enjoy my coaching, enjoy being a dad and a husband and I get to take my kids to Park City this weekend, my daughters 16th birthday. Helped us buy a new car.

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Theres a lot of things with Francis moving over to boxing, and the way he takes care of his team. He loves every single one of us and he shows it. He takes care of us, and I couldnt thank him enough.

Nicksick, who operated as Ngannous chief cornerman in the UFC, noted that he played a secondary role in Ngannous fight with Fury as Dewey Cooper led the coaching team in Saudi Arabia.

He added: Remember, as his head coach, the two title fights with Stipe (Miocic) and (Ciryl) Gane, he paid me more for the Tyson Fury fight as basically his assistant behind Dewey.

I was behind Dewey, and I got paid way more than I did in the Gane and Stipe fights and he was taking care of me on that, as well, percentage-wise.

If he wants to box, man, Im all for it. All day long, brother.

Originally posted here:
It changed my life Francis Ngannou coach reveals former UFC champion gave him unbelievable amount of mo... - talkSPORT

FRANCIS NGANNOU shared the wealth after his lucrative fight with Tyson Fury.

The UFC legend shocked the boxing world after he pushed Fury all the way when the pair came to blows in October.

Ngannou was reportedly very well paid for his professional boxing debut with the 37-year-old said to have earned around 8.7MILLION.

And the incredible sum didn't just change his life, but also the life of his coach for the fight, Eric Nicksick.

The Cameroon-born fighter has been coached by Nicksick since 2018 and certainly thanked the American for his help after the fight.

Nicksick revealed that Ngannou's generosity following his split-decision loss to Fury has flipped his life upside down.

Speaking to MMA Junkie, he said: "It was the most money Ive ever been paid by a fighter it was unbelievable,

"It was more than I expected. Obviously, Francis has always taken great care of me, but it floored me.

Boxers are generally understood to pay coaches anywhere between five and 20 per cent of their earnings following a fight.

And whatever figure it was that Ngannou gave Nicksick it certainly left him grateful for the changes it allowed him to make.

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He went on to say: "When I saw my Wells Fargo account that morning, it literally brought me to tears.

"Thats a true story. Literally brought me to tears because he changed my life not only from a professional standpoint, but a monetary standpoint.

It allowed me a lot of financial freedom. To allow me to be able to enjoy my coaching, enjoy being a dad and a husband,

"And I get to take my kids to Park City this weekend, for my daughters 16th birthday. It helped us buy a new car.

Theres a lot of things with Francis moving over to boxing, and the way he takes care of his team.

"He loves every single one of us and he shows it. He takes care of us, and I couldnt thank him enough.

Go here to see the original:
Francis Ngannou changed my life with unbelievable payout after Tyson Fury fight, reveals UFC legends coa... - The US Sun

Francis Ngannou arguably made the biggest impact in combat sports in 2023.

To kick off his yearly campaign, the 37-year-old Ngannou made the bold decision to bet on himself and leave behind the UFC, where he made his name and ultimately became the heavyweight champion. Unable to negotiate a new deal that allowed him the freedom to pursue other ventures like boxing The Predator parted ways with the promotion and signed with the PFL as not only a fighter but an owner and chairman, overseeing PFLs new Africa league.

Ngannou has yet to make his return to MMA since his January 2022 unanimous decision win over Ciryl Gane at UFC 270. He has, however, made his dream of competing as a professional boxer a reality when he took on the worldwide best Tyson Fury in October. Despite coming up short via split decision, Ngannou was the clear winner in the grand scheme as he performed much better than anyone expected him to. Additionally, the amount of money he made is more than his entire UFC career combined, according to Ngannou. The Cameroon native didnt get to this point by himself though, and his longtime head coach at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas Eric Nicksick is also enjoying the fruits of their collaborative labor.

It was the most money Ive ever been paid by a fighter it was unbelievable, Nicksick told MMA Junkie of his coach payment from Ngannou. It was more than I expected. Obviously, Francis has always taken great care of me, but it floored me. When I saw my Wells Fargo account that morning, it literally brought me to tears. Thats a true story. Literally brought me to tears because he changed my life not only from a professional standpoint but a monetary standpoint.

It allowed me a lot of financial freedom to allow me to be able to enjoy my coaching, enjoy being a dad and a husband and I get to take my kids to Park City this weekend, my daughters 16th birthday. Helped us buy a new car. Theres a lot of things with Francis moving over to boxing, and the way he takes care of his team. He loves every single one of us and he shows it. He takes care of us, and I couldnt thank him enough.

Nicksicks 2023 outside of Ngannou was a big success overall as he continued building champions. The most notable of the bunch undeniably being the surprise UFC titleholder of the year Sean Strickland, who won middleweight gold with a clean unanimous decision over Israel Adesanya at UFC 293 in September.

Ngannous rise to the UFC title saw Nicksick by his side throughout his biggest title efforts, which came with the title win in his rematch against Stipe Miocic in March 2021 before the aforementioned Gane defense. What caught Nicksick the most off-guard about his training for the Fury match was that he wasnt nearly as involved as the previous two MMA tilts.

Remember, as his head coach, the two title fights with Stipe and Gane, he paid me more for the Tyson Fury fight as basically his assistant behind Dewey, Nicksick said. I was behind Dewey and I got paid way more than I did in the Gane and Stipe fights and he was taking care of me on that, as well, percentage-wise. If he wants to box, man, Im all for it. All day long, brother.

I think it does show that youre able to go outside the UFC and still be successful. Its hard to put an evaluation when you talk about Francis and his star power and what hes capable of doing. Can Jeremy Kennedy do that same thing? I dont know. Theres just guys I dont know if thats going to work out in their favor the same way it did for Francis. But it also gives guys more options, and I think more options are important to have.

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Slod em.

Impressive.

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Embracing the hate.

Banter.

RIZIN 45 madness.

There we have it?

Champs.

An understanding.

Yoshinori Horie (13-4) vs. Luiz Gustavo (13-2); RIZIN Landmark 8, Feb. 24

Vugar Karamov (19-5) vs. Kazumasa Majima (16-4); RIZIN Landmark 8, Feb. 24

Rena Kubota (13-5) vs. Yu Ri Shim (6-3); RIZIN 46, March 23

Koji Takeda (15-6) vs. Kyohei Hagiwara (7-8); RIZIN 46, March 23

Naoki Inoue (16-4) vs. Shoko Sato (35-15-2); RIZIN 46, March 23

Chihiro Suzuki (12-3) vs. Masanori Kanehara (31-14-5); RIZIN 47, May 6

You always love to hear these types of stories. Especially for a guy like Nicksick, who certainly deserves his riches as well.

Happy 2024, peeps. I hope you all put a nice and neat little bow on the 2023 behind us. It was quite a year, to say the least. Onward! Thanks for reading!

Last Weeks Results:

Friday: 78% of 600 total votes answered Yes when asked, Is Colby Covington vs. Ian Machado Garry the fight to make if Garry gets past Geoff Neal at UFC 298?

Thursday: 87% of 911 total votes answered No when asked, Do you have any interest in Tyron Woodley vs. either Georges St-Pierre or Nick Diaz?

Wednesday: 67% of 454 total votes answered Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler when asked, Which fight would you rather see at this point?

Tuesday: 61% of 413 total votes answered Yes when asked, Will Belal Muhammad get the next UFC welterweight title shot?

Monday: 57% of 437 total votes answered Yes when asked, Will Tony Ferguson ever fight in the UFC again?

Todays exit poll:

If you find something youd like to see in the Morning Report, hit up @DrakeRiggs_ on Twitter and let him know about it. Also, follow MMAFighting on Instagram and like us on Facebook.

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Morning Report: Eric Nicksick says Francis Ngannou changed my life with coach payment from Tyson Fury match - MMA Fighting

Tiffany Barnard was born in the UK but at the age of just six months the family moved to Tanzania where she spent the best part of forty years.

She studied in England and then at Buckingham University before returning to Tanzania and eventually founded the highly successful business Mansons Mines Logistics (Tanzania) Limited. This is still growing strong today in the hands of her business partner, which enabled her to return to Europe for family reasons and then move to Soller where she now lives.

As an Associate Certified Coach, she is officially based in Barcelona, where she has just been rated one of the top 15 coaches. But by conducting her sessions via Zoom, she is able to care for and help her clients from all over the world remotely.

Clarity and confidence Tiffany is a Certified Leadership Growth and Communication Coach, committed to guiding people to the clarity and confidence to make powerful decisions. With multicultural experience, she integrates diversity and equity. Her business focus and leadership skills combine to provide ethical and professional service. She uses a persuasive and motivational coaching style, challenging people to step out of their comfort zone.

Life throws you a curve ball from time to time and, as a result of that, 12 years ago my family moved to France. And then ten years ago, weirdly my brother, who was going through his own curve ball, suddenly had a message from somebody who he had met literally in another time and another world, offering him a job if he was interested in Soller. He had no idea where it was but decided to give it a go about ten years and came out to Mallorca. So he came out, said it was lovely and amazing and decided to stay. Then he got me to come out with the kids for a holiday and I agreed. It is gorgeous and thought why not be here with my brother.

Moving to Mallorca In the meanwhile my parents were living in Oman and they had had enough after some ten years and suddenly announced they were going to come and live with us in France to be with the kids. I said that was cool but that the following year I might be moving to Mallorca.

So, my mother decided one morning to come and join us for the summer and then asked - why dont we just move now? But I had two kids, two dogs, a full apartment. Nevertheless, three weeks later we all moved to Soller - the whole family, and we all moved here nine years ago.

I guess that was the beginning of my new personal journey. Mallorca has been amazing for my children, its enabled them to put down some strong roots and I too realised there was a lot going on. It healed me too and then I came into the coaching world around five years ago now.

Human behaviour What sparked that? Well Ive always been working since I finished university aged 20. But I never really enjoyed it, it was something that paid the bills and thats what you had to do; you never really questioned it. I got very frustrated, there was something definitely missing. The business was ticking over, Ive got an amazing business partner who didnt really need me on the ground and I was bored, looking for something. So I started studying for the sake of studying. Ive always loved human behaviour, psychology, how humans think and how people are and I kind of fell upon these coaching courses and that was where my new journey started.

When you start to train as a coach you go through that process yourself. You go though the whole thing and so I did several courses and ended up taking and completing some of the most prestigious and highly valued courses in the world and eventually set up my own business. I had finally found something that fulfilled me and spoke to my soul. I get up every morning and I have something to look forward to do, something I like, being able to spend the day working with people and helping them on their journey. For me there really isnt anything better and that frustrated feeling I had before has definitely gone, Tiffany explained. What is interesting is that everybody talks about your coaching niche - business coaches, leadership coaches etc., but it comes down to the same things.

Self awareness Ive coached people who have come to me for things from looking for a promotion or a career change to having problems with their wife or partner and what you end up coaching them on is themselves, because anything we want to change or achieve in our life has to come from us. Its not going to fall into our laps. It always comes down to self awareness, personal development and communication, she said.

If you want to know what my specialty is it would be that. It would be personal development and communication. Now when you look at the different places that you can find on the internet, it can be personal development, leadership development or business communication development, but it really is just semantics. Its talking to the people who would be needing particular things, but it really does come down to getting clarity, understanding that you have choice and affecting the change. For me, those are the three Cs as the main factors in coaching.

Expat coaching For example, here in Mallorca, what are peoples pain points? I look about and see that a lot of people come to Mallorca. The summer is fabulous, its amazing, they buy a holiday home, perhaps eventually move the family out, but the winter is a different story. Being an expat anywhere has its problems and challenges and so I could speak to them as a sort of expat coach. But the coaching I would do would be exactly the same as if I was coaching you how to handle all your pain, whatever; those three Cs apply to everything and everyone whatever the situation. It is about getting clarity, understanding what the problem is because a lot of people know there is something wrong, but they dont know what. And that problem is always with you.

People like to think that somebody made me feel like this but nobody makes you feel like anything. Were always blaming the outside, especially in the world we live in today. The problem is that people know whats wrong with them but they expect other people to navigate around them.

There is a lot of I want to win the lottery but Im not going to buy a ticket kind of thing, So people come in and theyre like I want to get this promotion, but its never going to happen for somebody like me because I dont have the right qualifications. I dont have this or that. Thats not true, she stressed.

It doesnt matter if you have not been to university or have no A levels, it does not matter and I have experience with this. Lets look at what youve got. You may, will have amazing attributes and you would have gone past the stage where they are going to be looking at qualifications. People get to a certain age when businesses dont care any more about those documents.

Once you get rid of the blocks of what you think are the things that are going to stop you, it sets you free to take a chance. What are you going to lose? she explained. Ive helped people get rid of those blocks, get to know what they want, obtain that clarity. Thats when you can actually start moving forward, taking the steps, putting the plan into action. Strip away the social stigmas so many of us are worried or obsessed about.

There are four things which stop us from achieving anything or what we really want. One is interpretation - were sure we know what everyone is thinking, theres no point me even trying because its not going to happen. Assumptions, I tried once, so its never going to happen again, so theres no point.

Stereotypes Then youve got limiting beliefs which is that societal stereotype system we grow up with which dont bear any truth; theres no reason behind them. We just believe them because weve been told them without questioning. And the last one is the real kicker, that gremlin, that little voice which tells you youre not good enough; thats your internal voice. Its something that everybody has and it takes some work to quieten down. We need to retrain the brain to actually believe that we are good enough.

It sounds very woo woo, if you put your mind to it, you can do it. But you really can. If you want to do something, you want to achieve something and you visualise it, you know what you are doing and youre going to take the steps to get there, you will do it, Tiffany underlined. Its all down to you at the end of the day.

Tiffany Barnard, an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) which was awarded by the International Coaching Federation (ICF), the leading global organisation dedicated to advancing the coaching profession by setting high standards. Tiffany trained at the Institute of Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC). Tiffany lives in Soller and is also an Energy Leadership Index Master Practitioner (ELI-MP) and a COR.E Transitions Dynamics Specialist (CTDS).

For more information: tiffanybarnard.com

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The Mallorca-based British life coach rated one of the best in spain - Majorca Daily Bulletin

For me, Jan.1 is like a sip of ice-cold stream water during a grueling hike it brings a surge of renewal, energy, and inspiration for whats next. Ive celebrated the New Year in various ways from champagne and clubs to tea and 4 a.m. world peace meditations. In the end, these are three of my favorite ways to start the New Year.

The first tradition is Write It All Down. Start by writing headings for each area of life (finance, career, relationships, adventure/fun, etc.). Under each heading, write down everything that you want to achieve, from tiny tasks (like buy a brown belt) to super-stretch goals (like travel to 10 countries). The key is to write it all down because we are 42% more likely to accomplish things when we do. To be honest, I usually dont even look at this list until the following year, yet a lot of things get checked off, even when Im not consciously focusing on it.

I love this practice because its a structure that is simple and easy to do. I have over 10 years of some version of this tradition in a Big Red Journal that I only pull out at the New Year. Its an easy way to track my desires and accomplishments over time that doesnt create pressure, overwhelm, or fear of failure.

The next New Year tradition is Theme Your Year. Think about the essence of what you want to experience or create in the next year. Roll it around in your head for a few weeks until you land on a word or phrase that captures it. Then, bring your theme to life. Create a playlist or piece of art that captures your word or phrase. Put reminders of it on sticky notes. Write about why its important to you. Share with your inner circle. Experience what its like to bring that essence into your year. Some examples from my clients are: Root & Rise; Cultivate Connection; and Let Go.

This tradition helps us clarify what really matters. And creatively bringing the concepts to life through music, art, journaling and sharing helps engage the right and left sides of the brain. I love this tradition because its a simple and playful way to set the course for the year ahead.

The final tradition I practice is Permission to Hibernate. The older I get, the more I lean into the cycles of nature. Even though society tells us that we should grind from coffee to wine, and that you can sleep when youre dead, I disagree. Theres a reason all living things go through cycles. Theres intelligence in periods of high activity followed by periods of rest.

Winter offers an invitation to slow down. To get under a blanket and watch snow fall. To read a book or write in a journal. To lay down in bed and sleep more. Especially after the flurry of the holidays, I lean into slowness and ease whenever I can in January. It is a time to restore, refuel, and reflect. So, while others may find joy and meaning in re-upping gym memberships and doubling down on fewer desserts, my best way to start the New Year is by carving out pockets of slowness, of quiet, of comfort and ease.

I love this unconventional tradition to opt out of the hustle for a while. After getting past the unfamiliarity and the persistent urge of I should be doing something productive, resting and slowing down have been the best ways for me to fuel an impactful and growth-filled year.

What do you hope for in 2024? If it feels like a stretch to create it, Id love to hear from you. Submit your question below, and Ill offer practical and evidence-based ways to get started.

Tiffany Skidmore is a mental health and life coach who specializes in anxiety. Email your questions and feedback to tiffany@tiffanyskidmore.com or submit them anonymously at tinyurl.com/thelifecoach. Visit tiffskidmore.com to learn more about Tiffany and her work.

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The Life Coach: Start 2024 right with these New Years traditions - Longmont Times-Call

Unemployment

Jobcentres, doctors, employers and social workers will be encouraged to suggest therapy and life coaching

Sat 30 Dec 2023 05.04 EST

Life coaches and running clubs will be recommended to those on long-term sickness leave under government plans to get people back to work.

Ministers are to launch a scheme to help reduce the numbers signed off sick in England. There are 2.2 million people claiming universal credit with no work requirements. The number of workers taking sick leave has hit a 10-year high.

Jobcentres will be encouraged to refer people for advice and therapeutic recreation, including gardening clubs.

Doctors, employers, jobcentres, social workers and charities will be encouraged to suggest therapy and life coaching under plans to create a national occupational health service and reduce the number of people GPs sign off from work.

Community activities such as singing, cooking or gardening clubs will also be offered through NHS social prescribing initiatives.

Mel Stride, the work and pensions secretary, and Victoria Atkins, the health secretary, said the scheme was not a one size fits all but they hoped it would work with other services to help people stay in employment.

They told the Times: We know the longer someone spends out of work, the harder it becomes for them to find a job. We also know that one in five of those claiming the highest level of health benefits want to work and feel they could do so with the right support.

The prime minister, Rishi Sunak, has previously committed to tackling the growing numbers of those too ill to work.

The pilots will involve 15 areas testing a service known as WorkWell, which involves work coaches, physiotherapy and mental health treatment. After the trials, the government hopes to expand the scheme nationally but key elements of it will not take effect until 2025.

Atkins and Stride said: Where someone could fall out of work and on to long-term sickness benefits, WorkWell is designed to swoop in and provide the support that people need to stay in work, or return as soon as possible.

The shadow employment minister, Alison McGovern, told the Times the scheme was all too little and its far too late.

More than half a million young people in the UK say they are out of work due to long-term illness, a 44% increase in just four years. Data from the Office for National Statistics shows that more than 560,000 people aged between 16 and 34 were economically inactive meaning they were not in work or seeking work in the first three months of 2023 due to long-term sickness.

The findings, which experts connect to a growing mental health crisis and an underinvestment in health services, are also reflected in other studies.

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People on long-term sick leave in England to be offered therapeutic recreation - The Guardian

Jodi Hildebrandt, the business partner of former family vlogger Ruby Franke, pleaded guilty Wednesday to four felony counts of second-degree aggravated child abuse.

She was charged in Utah alongside Franke in September with six counts of felony child abuse, after the pair was arrested in August. Police had found one of Frankes children with open wounds after escaping from Hildebrandts home, as well as another one of her children in similar malnourished condition inside her home.

Judge John Walton accepted Hildebrandts plea deal which described the infliction of physical torture and severe emotional harm to the children found by police in a Utah court and dismissed the remaining two counts. Her sentencing, like Frankes, is scheduled for Feb. 20.

Hildebrandt and Franke often collaborated on parenting and relationship advice videos for Hildebrandts life coaching service ConneXions, which has been criticized for its extreme teachings.

Franke, who also pleaded guilty to four counts of child abuse earlier this month, had agreed in her own plea deal to testify against Hildebrandt. The mom of six was known for her now-removed YouTube channel 8 Passengers, in which she showcased family life and shared parenting advice to nearly 2.3 million subscribers.

In a statement released before her hearing, Frankes legal representatives said Hildebrandt had systematically isolated Franke from her family and made her vulnerable to a distorted sense of morality under Hildebrandts influence.

Franke initially thought Hildebrandt "had the insight to offer a path to continual improvement," according to the statement. Hildebrandt "took advantage of this quest and twisted it into something heinous," the statement continued.

Lawyers for Hildebrandt and Franke did not respond to requests for comment.

Established in 2007, according to Hildebrandts LinkedIn page, ConneXions offered courses on relationships and parenting. Some former clients said its teachings are rooted in the principles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as LDS or the Mormon church.

These former clients told NBC News that the program separated spouses, pathologized patients behaviors as evidence of various addictions and encouraged people to cut off those who didnt live in accordance with its teachings.

Franke, who was listed as a certified mental fitness trainer on the ConneXions website, often appeared with Hildebrandt in ConneXions videos. In now-deleted YouTube videos viewed by NBC News, the two preached that those who were not living in truth, including children, should be cut off from the rest of their families.

Prior to her arrest this year, Franke had also been under fire for some of her now-deleted parenting vlogs. Viewers had accused Franke and her husband of being abusive for years.

Local child protective services were reportedly called in June 2020 after a Change.org petition called for the family to be investigated, citing an example from now-deleted video footage of her teenage son sharing that hed slept on a beanbag for seven months as a punishment for behavioral issues.

Angela Yang is a culture and trends reporter for NBC News.

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Jodi Hildebrandt pleads guilty to 4 counts of child abuse - NBC News

During a recent Polk County girls basketball game, head coach Brandy Alm was frustrated. She was clutching the markers she uses to draw on a dry-erase clipboard, and she tossed them up in the air, catching them on the way down.

She promptly received a technical foul.

By her own admission, shes done much worse to deserve a tech without receiving one, and that one surprised her. It also made her frustration worse.

So one of her assistants, who usually sits on the far end of the Wolverines bench, moved down a few seats to talk with her and try to calm her down.

The assistant knew just what to say to the head coach. Billy Alm often knows just what to say to his wife.

He moved up (the bench), and he was just telling me to calm down, to stop talking to the referee, that I didnt want to get thrown out, Brandy Alm said. He definitely calms me down better than anyone. Im passionate about basketball, especially when I feel like my girls are getting pushed around or if things arent being called. He can talk some sense into me.

The relationship thats such a big part of Polk County athletics (Billy is the Wolverines baseball coach) was born at Newberry College. There, Brandy was a senior basketball player working on a fundraiser. She noticed a particular baseball player.

We were all sitting at a table, I was the only senior, and I was trying to recruit everybody for the fundraiser, she said. The baseball team walked up, and hes the first one I saw. It was like oh my goodness, who is that guy? They started talking to me, and I knew some of them, but I was speechless, almost. I was just staring at him. That was the first time we met.

It was pretty much instant, Billy agreed. I saw her in the hallway, she was doing recruiting for some two-on-two basketball game. It just took off from there.

As the couple dated, married and started working, coaching basketball wasnt on Brandys mind. Billy was a football assistant, as was the girls basketball coach at the time, Chris Mintz.

I was a broker with Wyndham, Brandy said. Once I got done playing, I kind of thought Id take a break from basketball. Id come and watch some games. Billy told them Id played in college, and they asked him if Id be interested in helping. I said Id go to the gym and help out, and as soon as I did, I realized this is what I needed to be doing. I loved it.

The Alms son Gunnar, now a sophomore, was still in a carrier, about six months old. Brandy was the second assistant.

I drove on my own to most of the games, because I couldnt get away from work, she said. I fell in love with this atmosphere, and with all the kids. That was my first experience on the other side of the court. It was fun.

Soon, Brandy was offered the opportunity to coach the middle school girls team, where Billy was coaching the middle school boys.

I loved it, but I was a little intense to begin with, she said with a laugh.

Also intense was the Alms rivalry with each other.

We were flip-flopping with our kids, with practice times, and then of course we had a little bit of a competitive side there, Billy said. I was talking about winning more games and having more conference championships which I do.

There was also the type of communication that Billy credits with his teams success.

I always looked to her, he said. Shes the basketball guru. Id ask her what she saw a team doing at halftime, what I needed to do, what adjustments I needed to make. She made some huge adjustments for me, and thats a reason that we won so often. But Im definitely still going to talk trash.

Now, though, its Billy giving his advice and opinions, whether theyre solicited or not. Brandy is in her 10th season as Polk Countys head coach Billy has been an assistant throughout that time.

He never stops giving his opinion, Brandy said. He knows. He knows exactly what buttons to push. He knows what he shouldnt say, and he knows what I need to hear. He just knows me inside and out.

Im just going to give my opinion, Billy said. I say what I want to say and ask for forgiveness later. I kind of look at what shes doing and try to give advice. I know how to push her buttons. After 20 years, I know exactly what to say and when to say it. I know what shes doing. I know what shes thinking by now. It really works well. And I know her that well because were together all the time.

That, at the heart of it, is what makes the Alms situation work.

I really enjoy it, Billy said. Were a close-knit family anyway. Were at all the kids stuff. When were NOT together, its different. I was out of town recently and she drove six hours from the beach to stay a night in Atlanta so we could be together as a family. Its just really important to us, and were going to have a lot of memories from it.

Those memories are already being made.

A lot of times, when we get home, we dont even talk about school or about our teams, Brandy said. Our son is here, hes a sophomore, and his friends are always at the house. Were kind of always surrounded by Polk County High School. Its a great place to be, obviously.

Weve been here for so long, anyway. We think of the kids as family, because most of them, weve known them since they were four or five. Its been nice to watch them grow up. This is all just a really cool experience. I wouldnt have it any other way.

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From love at first sight to coaching partners, Alms tackle basketball, life side by side - PolkSports

PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD)- Most people have heard the slogan New Year, New Me, but how many people stick with their New Years resolutions?

According to the blog 6 New Years Resolutions Gym Statistics You Need To Know, 80% of new members at gyms cancel their membership within five months. Kisha Woods, Life Coach and Owner of Upgraded MindSetz in Peoria, said its all about being accountable.

Big thing is accountability. We sometimes feel like we can tackle these things on our own, and thats kind of where we fall short sometimes. We have to have someone or something thats going to hold us accountable, said Woods.

Life Coach and Owner of Momentum LRC, Aimee Royer said that meditation, journaling, and spending time in nature can be beneficial for those trying to implement goals. If you dont get in touch with that stuff, how do you expect to make significant changes in your life and your behaviors?

Whether your goal is fitness, finance, or becoming more independent, one thing remains the same, theyre all changes from your everyday life. Actually, understanding that it doesnt have to be New Years for you to want to make changes. Change should be every day. There should be strategies in place for you to make improvements every day. said Woods.

Regardless of changes youre wanting to make or goals you want to implement, being true to yourself reigns the most important. Having words, actions, and feelings all in alignment, because theres so much richness living from that space and not worrying about what everyone else thinks about you. said Royer.

To reach out Kisha Woods at Upgraded MindSetz, visit https://upgradedmindsetz.life/. To reach out to Aimee Royer at Momentum LRC, visit https://momentumlrc.com/

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Life coachs advice for sticking to New Years resolutions - CIProud.com