Small Victories is a podcast with an accompanying blog.

Aimed at developing the skills of grassroots coaches by learning from the experiences of others.

There are lots of podcasts that deal with elite performance or academic research but Small Victories focuses on amateur coaches and shares their personal stories. Celebrating triumphs and disasters with equal balance, and as much about people as theory.

Supportive and celebratory, listeners are encouraged by tales of others having similar experiences to them and facing familiar setbacks. A knowing nod to people who pull on a tracksuit once a week.

The project began with the Valhalla in-depth brand exploration process. Having identified the premise and audience, we spent time discovering the values and personality of the brand. Anyone who has ever coached sport will know that it’s not always plain sailing and focusing on the result will often end badly.

 With a philosophy derived from developing individuals, having fun learning together and enjoying the journey, the name Small Victories was decided upon. 

The visual approach needed to be universal enough to appeal to coaches from a wide variety of sports and all levels of experience. The ubiquitous plastic marker cone, present in every coach’s kitbag, became the colourful but unassuming star of the brand.

The hand-drawn typographic treatment references the way that coaches label their equipment. The uneven, semi-opake way the marker pen sits on the plastic surface was faithfully reproduced for maximum authenticity. 

Continuing the brightly coloured theme, abstract patterns based on the multi-sport court markings found in sports halls provide a flexible set of backgrounds for the brand.

“Working with Valhalla has been invaluable. They really helped me to focus on what the brand represents, which has helped me to shape, not just my promotional messaging, but the podcast itself.”

Luke Sellers