UK Sport

We use cookies to track and analyse visitors to our website

These cookies help make the website usable by enabling basic functions like page navigation. They are necessary for our website to function and cannot be switched off.
These cookies gather information to understand how visitors interact with the website, such as how many people are using our website of which pages are popular to help us improve user experience. Switching off these cookies will mean that we cannot gather information to improve the user experience.
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by a third party provider whose services we have added to our website. Switching off these cookies mean that areas of our website cannot work properly.

Cookies are small text files that can be used by websites to make a user's experience more efficient.

The law states that we can store cookies on your device if they are strictly necessary for the operation of this site.

For all other types of cookies we need your permission.

This site uses different types of cookies. Some cookies are placed by third party services that appear on our pages.

You can at any time change or withdraw your consent from the Cookie Declaration on our website.

Learn more about who we are, how you can contact us and how we process personal data in our Privacy Policy.

Skip navigation
the national lottery
Twitter Facebook Youtube Instagram LinkedIn
  • About us
    • Our Directors Team
    • Our Board
    • Panels
    • Strategic Plan 2021-31
    • Our partners
    • English Institute of Sport
    • Accessibility
    • Contact us
    • Media centre
    • FAQs
    • Working at UK Sport
  • Our work
    • Investing in sport
    • Investing in events
    • Talent identification
    • Coaching
    • Powering positive change and social impact
    • International relations
    • Leadership, development & governance
  • Events
  • News
  • Sports
    Olympic sports
    • Archery
    • Artistic Swimming
    • Athletics
    • Badminton
    • Basketball
    • Bobsleigh
    • Boxing (Amateur)
    • Canoeing
    • Curling
    • View all
    Paralympic sports
    • Boccia
    • Goalball
    • Para-Archery
    • Para-Athletics
    • Para-Badminton
    • Para-Canoe
    • Para-Cycling
    • Para-Equestrian Dressage
    • Para-Rowing
    • View all
  • Resources
    • A Code for Sports Governance
    • Organisational Health
    • Annual reports
    • Board minutes
    • British Cycling independent review
    • Complaints and whistleblowing
    • Eligibility
    • Fraud, corruption and bribery
    • High Performance System Advisory Group
    • HR policy templates
    • Pregnancy guidance
    • Reports
    • Privacy policies
    • Publication Scheme
    • Recruitment framework
    • The Whyte Review
    • Tenders
    • Transparency and open data
    • Welsh language scheme
  • Jobs in sport
    • Explore career pathways
    • Jobs in sport
    • Submit a job
  • About us
    • Our Directors Team
    • Our Board
    • Panels
    • Strategic Plan 2021-31
    • Our partners
    • English Institute of Sport
    • Accessibility
    • Contact us
    • Media centre
    • FAQs
    • Working at UK Sport
  • Our work
    • Investing in sport
    • Investing in events
    • Talent identification
    • Coaching
    • Powering positive change and social impact
    • International relations
    • Leadership, development & governance
  • Events
  • News
  • Sports
    Olympic sports
    • Archery
    • Artistic Swimming
    • Athletics
    • Badminton
    • Basketball
    • Bobsleigh
    • Boxing (Amateur)
    • Canoeing
    • Curling
    • View all
    Paralympic sports
    • Boccia
    • Goalball
    • Para-Archery
    • Para-Athletics
    • Para-Badminton
    • Para-Canoe
    • Para-Cycling
    • Para-Equestrian Dressage
    • Para-Rowing
    • View all
  • Resources
    • A Code for Sports Governance
    • Organisational Health
    • Annual reports
    • Board minutes
    • British Cycling independent review
    • Complaints and whistleblowing
    • Eligibility
    • Fraud, corruption and bribery
    • High Performance System Advisory Group
    • HR policy templates
    • Pregnancy guidance
    • Reports
    • Privacy policies
    • Publication Scheme
    • Recruitment framework
    • The Whyte Review
    • Tenders
    • Transparency and open data
    • Welsh language scheme
  • Jobs in sport
    • Explore career pathways
    • Jobs in sport
    • Submit a job
Press Enter to Search
News

Christmas graduation for first ECAP coaches

Published 21 December 2011

Following their final workshop this week (20-22 December), the 12 coaches who make up the 2010-11 Elite Coaching Apprenticeship Programme (ECAP) will become the first graduates of the coach development scheme.

The two-year programme offers an accelerated development opportunity for emerging high performance coaches who are already working within the High Performance System, to enable them to become the elite coaches of the future.

One of the graduating cohort, canoe slalom coach, Nick Smith, said: “As a retired athlete transitioning into a coaching role, ECAP has been an exciting opportunity for me to develop my coaching skills.

“The delivery team has led us through a variety of topics relevant to high performance coaching. The course has inspired me to continually progress, face challenges and have a better understanding of others.”

Coming together for the seventh and final workshop at Ashridge Business School, the coaches will this week reflect and consolidate what they have learnt throughout the programme, whilst also providing the opportunity to think about how they will continue their development going forward.

UK Sport Director of Performance, Peter Keen, who will present the coaches with their graduation certificates, said: “I congratulate the 12 coaches who are graduating from ECAP this week for the hard work and dedication they have shown over the past two years. I have no doubt that the journey they have been on and lessons they have learnt will aid them enormously as they continue to progress with their coaching careers.

“Ensuring we have a system in place that means we can nurture and develop our best coaches is crucial to the continued success of British Olympic and Paralympic sport and programmes like ECAP enable this to happen.”

The course offers a combination of individualised ‘on the job’ training, with the coaches working alongside designated Master Coaches and Mentors, complemented by a structured workshop programme, focussing on the non-technical coaches skills. Guest speakers, including England U21 and Team GB football coach, Stuart Pearce, have spoken to the group, offering guidance and advice.

Speaking about the progress made by ECAP graduate and Taekwondo coach, Steve Jennings, GB Taekwondo Performance Director, Gary Hall, said: “Steve has been able to utilise all the benefits of ECAP within his daily role as High Performance Coach to the GB Taekwondo team. Steve has been able to learn and develop in an environment with other coaches who deal with similar performance issues as he does on a daily basis.

“ECAP is a valued elite coach development opportunity delivered by people at UK Sport who understand the needs of elite coaches and thus it is a programme which GB Taekwondo holds in high regard.”

Steve Jennings said: “ECAP workshops have been interactive and enjoyable but also very challenging, we have been taken out of our comfort zone but this was a major part of my learning and something I am really appreciative of.

“The opportunity to work alongside some of Britain’s most successful coaches has been priceless, as have the relationships that we’ve built between us and the honesty we have all come to speak with.

“ECAP has taught me how to effectively manage myself and others; it has been the springboard that has taken my coaching skills and overall approach to a new level.”

Commenting on the progress of another of the coaches, hockey’s Craig Parnham, GB Hockey Performance Director, David Faulkner said: “We are delighted with Craig’s graduation and the value of ECAP on his development. ECAP has helped Craig reflect widely on his approach to coaching, benefiting from experiences with coaches from other sports and understanding himself in leadership and management of staff and athletes.”

Two further groups of emerging high performance coaches are currently midway through their own ECAP journeys, with the latest intake announced by UK Sport in October.

2010-11 Elite Coaching Apprenticeship Graduates

Ian Wynne (Canoeing – Flat Water)
Rob Greenwood (Swimming)
Paul Manning (Cycling)
Mark Earnshaw (Rowing)
Nick Smith (Canoe – Slalom)
James Hillier (Athletics)
Jonas Tawiah Dodoo (Athletics)
Mark Rose (Swimming)
Greg Baker (Disability Table Tennis)
Steve Jennings (Taekwondo)
Craig Parnham (Hockey)
Luke Preston (Judo)

Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
News
five athletes sat on stage in mid disussion
International Relations Seminar 2023
21 March 2023
Eilish crossing the line celebrating with her arms in the air
New research shows British public support athletes speaking out and driving social change
8 March 2023
Female wheelchair basketball player lines up a shot at the hoop.
UK Sport makes first awards from NGB Development Fund to support organisational health
22 February 2023
Sport jobs in the UK
Find & advertise UK based sports jobs here
Read more
Funding Partners
  • DCMS
  • TNL partners
Strategic Partners
  • British Olympic Association
  • Paralympics GB
  • english institute of sport logo
  • Sport England
  • Sport Northern Ireland
  • Sport Wales
  • Sport Scotland
Sitelogo
Sitemap
  • Homepage
  • About us
  • Our work
  • Events
  • News
  • Sports
  • Resources
  • Jobs in sport
  • UK Sport editorial policy
  • Freedom of Information Act 2000
  • Website terms
  • Accessibility
  • Cookies policy
  • FAQs
Contact
UK Sport
6th Floor
10 South Colonnade
London
E14 4PU
E: info@uksport.gov.uk
T: +44 (0) 20 7211 5100
Follow us
Twitter Facebook Youtube Instagram LinkedIn

© Copyright UK Sport 2023