Q&A: Tim Rogers, the S&C who sought adventure

While some people follow the surf and sun, Tim Rogers, the Senior Strength & Conditioning coach for NSWIS’S Para Unit, has crisscrossed the globe to work with elite athletes.

Since leaving university in 1992 armed with his Bachelor of Sports Science, Exercise Science & Coaching, Rogers has forged a peerless reputation as someone who cares for the athletes he trains and helps achieve results.

Rogers, who’s aim is to ensure the young S&C coaches he’s helping to mentor at the Institute to one day become better than him, enjoys imparting his wisdom. And, as NSWIS Media discovered, this highly respected practitioner has plenty to offer.

NSWIS: Tim, can you summarise your career in a nutshell? 

Tim Rogers [TR]: It’s been too long [a career] to be able to do that! It has always been an adventure, and that’s what I wanted – an adventure. As much as I genuinely admire people who can put down their roots when they find ‘home’ . . . I was always a wanderer. There’s a great line from J.R.R.R. Tolkien’s poem in The Fellowship of the Ring which says: Not all those who wander are lost. I think I was like that, and I was lucky enough to work in pro-sport, in Olympic sport and to have worked overseas. 

NSWIS: List the places you’ve worked at.

[TR]: I’ve worked at NSWIS three times, Australian Institute of Sport, Northern Territory Institute of Sport, Malaysian National Sports Institute, Chinese Olympic Committee – though, both of those were short terms –and for a state organisation in Sarawak, Malaysia, . I worked with the Samoan Rugby Union team and with Stade Francais– the rugby union team that wears pink – when former Wallaby coach Michael Cheika was there. I also worked with Narbonne Rugby Club in the south of France. In Australian professional sport I’ve worked for the Australian Women’s Football team, five NRL clubs – South Sydney, Balmain Tigers, Newcastle Knights, Melbourne Storm and New Zealand Warriors – as well as the Mackay Cutters rugby league team which plays in the Queensland Cup. 

NSWIS: How do you get the best out of your athletes?

TR:  Athletes don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. I know that’s a cliché, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t accurate. It’s something I really lean into . . . wanting athletes to know ‘Tim’s got my back because he cares’; ‘Tim wants me to do well for me.’ That’s better than them thinking ‘Tim wants me to do well because it looks good on his CV.’  I also like a variety of sports, and I keep learning from each of those, which has been helpful. I’ve learned a lot from working in different cultures. In Samoa, for instance, I learned about the church and the importance of family to a great extent. 

NSWIS: You’re the Senior Strength & Conditioning Coach for NSWIS’s Para Unit, and the unit has a clear focus to help develop talented athletes who could feature on the world stage at either the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games or Brisbane 2032.  What does this job mean to you, and what are the rewards? 

Ultimately it means helping Para athletes get on the team. Hopefully Australia has a team where there are athletes in every event. I’m not sure about the numbers, but I believe it’s something like 50 percent of events at the Paralympics has an Australian competing in them. If that’s the goal, that’s what I want to work towards. That means learning about sports I would never have thought about before.  It means a more unique journey, and I love that. 

NSWIS: There’s a lot of talented people working in the NSWIS Para Unit. Describe your colleagues.

TR: I’m very fortunate to work with them. My colleagues come from a diverse range of backgrounds that really strengthens the group. We say kids need to play multiple sports when they’re young, and I feel like the Para Unit’s staff coming from multiple sports really adds something. Plus, they are good people to be around. I enjoy their company and hope I’m contributing to the overall goals of the program.

NSWIS: You’re also a nature-lover and ardent photographer.  Can you explain why they’re your passions and how important is to have an outlet to escape work?  

I never wanted my entire life to revolve around my job, which was the case for too long. So I started getting into other activities to activate different parts of my brain. Travel came first, then I found cooking, and 12 years ago I threw myself into photography.  I fell in love with the whole process: travelling to places, the wait for the right light, learning techniques, editing – everything. I’ve kept it a passion so I’d never be bored of it. It has kept me grounded, and I think I’ve enjoyed being an S&C coach more since I’ve had myoutside passions. I’d happily travel the world photographing Aurora’s if I could.

NSWIS: What’s been your greatest success? 

TR: That I’m pretty sure no athlete I’ve worked with hates my guts – and I mean that sincerely. When athletes feel like you’re not doing it for yourself but giving everything you can to them, they’ll run through brick walls for you, and they’ll do the toughest training. I’ve made mistakes, but I don’t think I’ve made any enemies along the way. I believe people skills are the most important. The technical and scientific skills come second. The technical/scientific skills always change, but if you don’t have an ability to care for the people who you work with, well, you won’t fix that with superior technical and scientific skills. In my opinion, amazing people skills can overcome any technical shortages a S&C conditioner might have. 

NSWIS: What was your biggest learning from a situation that could’ve had a better outcome? 

TR: There was one club where I just couldn’t find my feet, and the truth is I didn’t work hard enough to find them. I should’ve said to the  coach – or perhaps the football manager at this particular club – ‘I’m struggling, what do I need to do?’ instead of having them say to me at the end, ‘you’re struggling, what do you need to do?’ It would’ve been wiser for me to be more proactive. I learned the importance of being aware and to act if you’re struggling. And there have been times throughout my career when I moved on when, maybe, I should’ve stayed. I had this attitude, and, funnily enough, I still have it, where I think: ‘If it doesn’t work out it’s only going to affect me, so that’s okay.’ The idea of ‘if it goes bad it’ll only affect me,’ is not what you’d describe as ‘good self-care.’ It isn’t a good way to live your life. 

NSWIS: Where did you start out? 

TR: At the University of NSW back in the very, very early 1990s, and what a successful program that’s been. Back then  it involved practical application, [getting your] master’s degree, attending the Australian Catholic University. I’m currently doing my PhD through the University of Waikato (New Zealand). 

What do you expect from your athletes? 

TR: I want them to care; to be passionate. I want them to have the desire to get to whatever their best is. Not everyone’s best is going to be the best, but I’m happy if they have that passion to do what they need to do in order to reach the highest level they can. I always summarise there’s two traits you need [to succeed], and truth is even if you have them you might not succeed. But if you don’t have them, you can’t . . .you won’t. 

The first trait is you need to show up and work hard. You need to have passion as well, but if an athlete doesn’t show up and work hard then you [as a S&C or team coach] can’t fix that. No-one can. The rest of it is there’s magic and logic for someone the top. However, if they don’t show up, the odds are against them. 

NSWIS: You’re a fierce advocate for young up and coming S&C coaches coming through the ranks. 

TR: I think that’s the ultimate. We obviously have fantastic S&C coaches at NSWIS, and if I can have a positive effect on any of them, well, that’s a significant achievement. I remember once reading someone say: ‘I can only work with elite athletes and in the elite space’ and I thought that was such a cop out. Working with people that are coming through is harder, but when you apply that effort to the next generation of S&C coaches it makes you a better coach.  I’m really excited about the breed of S&C coaches coming through. They have more access to coaching, more access to technology, and if they develop those coaching and people skills I spoke about earlier, it’s going to be an amazing generation. 

NSWIS: In saying that, your ethos is you want any S&C you’re mentoring to be better than you. 

TR: One hundred percent, I do! That has to be the ultimate aim; to have the generation coming through be better. If they’re not, something has gone wrong. 

NSWIS: You’ve named for NSWIS Media the 10 top athletes you’ve coached, what was the criteria to make the list? 

TR: Obviously they were great athletes, obviously they were successful. But they’re also people I looked up to as people. And all of them were more than just one thing: incredibly intelligent, incredibly passionate. In some cases, they didn’t test as well as others, but each of them had what I call ‘the mix’ – meaning they weren’t short on anything. Most significantly, they left their mark on me . . . I learned more from this group than they probably learned from me. Writing the list made me appreciate (again) how fortunate I was to have worked with them.  Each of them made me look better at strength & conditioning than I was.

TIM’S TOP 10

Rebecca ‘Bec’ Rippon: NSWIS scholarship holder (pictured above in yellow) who represented Australia in water polo in 256 matches and at two Olympics, winning the bronze medal in 2008. Coached the women’s team to silver at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. 

Bec is probably the person I most enjoy talking to about coaching. When we catch up for a coffee we have a goal of not talking shop but, guess what? We end up talking shop! She’s been a great friend for 25 years. 

 Heather Garriock:  NSWIS scholarship holder.  Represented the Matildas in 130 matches and is a two-time Olympian. Played in Denmark, Sweden and the USA. Currently the deputy-CEO of Football Federation of Australia. 

‘H’ was ahead of her time. In an era where you were either a footballer or an athlete she was both. Incredible passion for the sport, I’m glad she’s involved in such a high position 

Matthew Mitcham OAM:  NSWIS scholarship holder (pictured above) who, in 2008, became the first Australian male to win a gold medal since Dick Eve in 1924. At the time Mitcham’s score was the highest-ever in Olympic history. 

Probably the best pure power athlete I ever got to work with, and funny as hell. I’m not surprised he’s now an actor. 

Patty Mills AM: Played for seven NBA teams including the Miami Heat, Utah Jazz and LA Clippers. Won a NBA Champion’s ring in 2014, a Tokyo Olympic bronze medal and is currently playing in Spain for La Laguna, Tenerife. 

An amazing athlete with an incredible work ethic. If he couldn’t do something he’d sneak into the gym to get better at it.  We all love Patty!

Joe Ingles: Has won basketball championships in the NBL, Spain, Israel and an Olympic bronze medallist. Ingles was the 2007 NBA rookie, two times Andrew Gaze medallist and is currently playing for the Minnesota Timberwolves. 

Best stirrer ever, which made working him fun! Not the best athlete, but combined what he had with epic skills and maximised everything to the highest degree.  An amazing career.

James Holland: Former Socceroo who is now an assistant coach at Crystal Palace, future head coach in Europe who played professionally in Holland, Austria, Germany and China.  

Great athlete and great person. Always felt like I was talking to someone my age even though there was a big age gap between us. Jimmy had a maturity about him.  

Tim  Brasher: Played rugby league for Balmain, North Queensland and South Sydney, and starred for the NSW Origin and Australian teams of his era (1980s-2000s). Payed rugby union in England for Bath (photographed above).

Ahead of his time. Tim was one of the first athletes I worked with to really ‘get’ the physical preparation side of sport. He’s still in great shape.

Kurt Gidley: Played 251 rugby league matches for Newcastle Knights and represented the NSW Origin and Australian teams. Finished his career with Warrington Wolves in England’s Super League. 

Queensland great, Billy Slater once called ‘Gids’ the ‘best bloke in the world’ – which is accurate! Could play every position in the backline, as well as a few in the middle.  

Sergio Parisse: Italy’s most-capped rugby union player who also became the first Italian nominated for the IRB International Player of the Year. Played in five world cups and is recognised as one of the code’s greatest No.8s. 

Freak. If he was an All Black he’d be spoken of as one of the best of all time. Would’ve made a great Aussie Rules ruckman. Best rugby athlete I worked with.

Gonzalo Longo: Represented Argentina in 51 rugby union matches. Played in three world cups and was a member of the Pumas team that achieved their nation’s best world cup result by finishing in third place in 2007.  

Just the best. Had a great career. As tough as they come, I still message him occasionally. I believe he breeds cattle in Argentina.

Daniel Lane, NSWIS