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Jessica Whitehorn 21 January 2010

UK Sport is delighted to announce the 12 emerging high performance coaches who will form the first intake of their new Elite Coaching Apprenticeship Programme, commencing later this month. 

Following the success of UK Sport’s Fast-track Practitioner Programme and Elite Coach, the two year accelerated Apprenticeship Programme will build on the knowledge and experience gained to create a bespoke development pathway towards coaching excellence for each participant, based on the needs of each coach and their sport.

While Elite Coach* has accelerated the development of over 30 established high performance coaches since it began in 2004, the new Elite Coaching Apprenticeship Programme is geared towards coaches emerging on the world-class landscape, with the longer-term future of the British elite system, and specifically coach development, in mind.

The 12 Apprentices will benefit from ‘on the job’ training by working alongside a ‘Master Coach’ from within their sport while also having access to a Mentor.  This will be complimented by a workshop programme, delivered by experts in coaching, non-technical coaching skills, sport science and sports medicine.

UK Sport’s Director of Performance, Peter Keen, said: “It would be difficult to overstate the pivotal role that coaching plays in determining success in elite sport. From instructing simple movement technique through to sharing complex insights from the Olympic and Paralympic Games, coaches hold the key to the transfer and development of knowledge and practice in sport.

“Given UK Sport’s aspiration to invest in and support the development of a truly world-class elite sport system, we recognise the need to have the best coaches and coach development process in the world. We wish these inaugural Apprentices every success and look forward to seeing them develop both while on the Programme and into the future.”

David Faulkner, Performance Director of GB Hockey, who has seen several of his coaches benefit from Elite Coach, and will now see Craig Parnham from GB Hockey take part in the Elite Coaching Apprenticeship Programme, said: “The Elite Coach Apprenticeship Programme provides Olympic sports with the opportunity to support and develop those coaches identified within their sports who have the potential to lead there Olympic programmes. Exposure to and working with coaches from other sports will ensure sharing of best practice and ultimately push up the performance bar.”

A full list of Apprentices, along with their respective Master Coach and Mentor, is detailed below.

Apprentice (sport) - Master Coach, Mentor

Craig Parnham (hockey) - Danny Kerry, Alan Olive

Steve Jennings (taekwondo) - Nelson Miller, Matt Parker

Luke Preston (judo) - Patrick Roux, Tony Lycholat

James Hillier (athletics) - Malcolm Arnold, Tom Crick

Jonas Tawiah Dodoo (athletics) - Dan Pfaff, Tom Crick

Paul Manning (cycling) - Dan Hunt, Shane Sutton

Nick Smith (canoe slalom) - Jurg Gotz, Alan Olive

Rob Greenwood (swimming) - Doug Frost, Chris Martin, Jonty Skinner and Dennis Pursley

Mark Rose (swimming) - Sean Kelly, Chris Martin, Jonty Skinner and Dennis Pursley

Mark Earnshaw (rowing) - Jurgen Grobler, to be confirmed

Ian Wynne (canoe flat water) - Eric Farrell, Alan Olive

Greg Baker (disability table tennis) - Gorazd Vecko, Chris Marshall

*The current group of Elite Coach participants will graduate in November this year. They are Audrey Cooper (Volleyball), Bobby Crutchley (Hockey), Paul Green (taekwondo), Rhona Martin (curling), Jason Lee (Hockey), Rick Velati (triathlon), Mark Wood (bob skeleton).

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