Homepage

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
  • About us
    • Our Directors team
    • Our Board and panels
    • Strategic plan 2021-31
    • Annual reports
    • Our funders
    • Who we work with
    • Tenders
    • Contact us
  • Our work
    • Investing in sport
    • Investing in events
    • Powering positive change and social impact
    • International relations
    • Learning and development
    • Protecting and Transforming Olympic and Paralympic sport
    • Leadership and governance
    • Coaching
  • Events
  • News
  • Sports
    Olympic sports
    • Archery
    • Aquatics
    • Artistic Swimming
    • Athletics
    • Badminton
    • Baseball
    • Basketball
    • Bobsleigh
    • Boxing (Amateur)
    • View all
    Paralympic sports
    • Boccia
    • Goalball
    • Para-Archery
    • Para-Athletics
    • Para-Badminton
    • Para-Canoe
    • Para-Climbing
    • Para-Cycling
    • Para-Equestrian Dressage
    • View all
  • Resources
    • A Code for Sports Governance
    • Organisational Health
    • Para performance strategic framework
    • Board minutes
    • Complaints and whistleblowing
    • Eligibility
    • Fraud, corruption and bribery
    • Transparency and open data
    • HR policy templates
    • Pregnancy guidance
    • Reports and research
    • The Whyte Review
  • Jobs in sport
    • Working at UK Sport
    • Explore career pathways
    • Find jobs in sport
    • Advertise sport jobs
  • About us
    • Our Directors team
    • Our Board and panels
    • Strategic plan 2021-31
    • Annual reports
    • Our funders
    • Who we work with
    • Tenders
    • Contact us
  • Our work
    • Investing in sport
    • Investing in events
    • Powering positive change and social impact
    • International relations
    • Learning and development
    • Protecting and Transforming Olympic and Paralympic sport
    • Leadership and governance
    • Coaching
  • Events
  • News
  • Sports
    Olympic sports
    • Archery
    • Aquatics
    • Artistic Swimming
    • Athletics
    • Badminton
    • Baseball
    • Basketball
    • Bobsleigh
    • Boxing (Amateur)
    • View all
    Paralympic sports
    • Boccia
    • Goalball
    • Para-Archery
    • Para-Athletics
    • Para-Badminton
    • Para-Canoe
    • Para-Climbing
    • Para-Cycling
    • Para-Equestrian Dressage
    • View all
  • Resources
    • A Code for Sports Governance
    • Organisational Health
    • Para performance strategic framework
    • Board minutes
    • Complaints and whistleblowing
    • Eligibility
    • Fraud, corruption and bribery
    • Transparency and open data
    • HR policy templates
    • Pregnancy guidance
    • Reports and research
    • The Whyte Review
  • Jobs in sport
    • Working at UK Sport
    • Explore career pathways
    • Find jobs in sport
    • Advertise sport jobs
Popular content on our site
Prepare to “Find Your Greatness” as search for UK's future athletes gets underway The National Lottery operator Allwyn launches ChangeMakers fund for athletes as they make a difference back home Breadth of success targeted as British Olympic and Paralympic performance aspirations confirmed for Paris Investing in sport Strategic plan 2021-31
News

Coaches start their Elite Programme journey from world class to world leading

Published 30 April 2013

 

 

"ecap

Last week saw the start of the journey of the first ten coaches selected to UK Sport’s ground breaking new ‘Elite Programme’.

The first residential of the three year programme took place over three days on an isolated fort in the middle of The Solent. The overarching theme for the first year on the Elite Programme is ‘self’, with the first residential focussing on the coaches’ philosophies, values and ethics, of both leadership and coaching. Throughout the programme, common themes will link each residential together through the supportive and challenging nature of a cohort of world class coaches. The coaches on the Elite Programme will be exposed to specialists from the worlds of business, medicine, aerospace, engineering and motorsport, to assist in their development and initiate thought.

The residential began with an interactive session with Nigel Risner. Nigel was one of the youngest CEO’s of a financial services company in the City of London and since then has gone on to become a respected author, television presenter and public speaker. Nigel talked of taking risks and doing something completely different, he involved the coaches in activities to uncover the point that positive results can come from negative experiences and that we often learn best from situations which are unfamiliar and uncomfortable. Anna Mayes, Head Coach from England Netball commented, that for her the session was about “getting comfortable with the uncomfortable and when you're in the room, be in the room.”

The focus of the evening session was a group task, under the watchful eye of star Chef Nik Boyle, where the group had to deliver a menu on time and to the standard that the Chef would be happy to serve, through completing individual and team tasks from preparation through to presentation and under time pressure. This was not only a team building exercise but more importantly a chance for the coaches to think about their responses and reactions to the situation under pressure and reflect afterwards on their performance as individuals and as a team.

Michel Assouline, Head Coach of Para-Equestrian Dressage at British Equestrian Federation commented that for him the residential was the “setting for the cognitive challenges and stimulation of the ‘self’ discovery which were nursed along by a melting pot of high profile experts. Needless to say we all got back to shore with great motives and momentum”.

UK Sport Coaching Coordinator Chris Stott said: “It was fantastic to have all ten of the coaches on the Elite Programme together for their first workshop. As well as the world class expertise brought in to support the coaches, the real power of the programme is the access the coaches have to each other; they are all world class in their field. Over the summer months, the coaches will see other support mechanisms of the Elite Programme rolled out, such as coach support specialists and individual technical curriculums. These are exciting next steps.

“Crucial to the programme is the support of the Performance Directors and line managers of the coaches, they are integral to the success of the programme and we look forward to taking them on this journey with us.”

The Elite Programme’s vision is for coaches in British high-performance sport to be among the best in the world. The coaches on the programme have proven success in the British high performance system, with the Elite Programme aiming to develop these coaches from world class to world leading. The Elite Programme is a collaborative approach between the NGBs and UK Sport, providing coaches with a three-year development opportunity to hone the skills, knowledge and experiences to deliver results consistently and creating a legacy within high performance sport.

A full list of coaches and their sports are detailed below. The 2013-16 Elite Programme coaches are from a range of Olympic and Paralympic sports, as well as coaches from netball and cricket.

Coach – Sport
Biz Price – Head Coach, Synchronised Swimming (British Swimming)
David McNulty – Head Coach Bath ITC, British Swimming
Peter Moores – Head Coach, Lancashire CC
Michel Assouline – Head Coach Para-Equestrian Dressage, British Equestrian Federation
Anna Mayes – Head Coach, England Netball
Robert McCracken – Head Coach, GB Boxing
Eddie Van Hoof – Head Coach Men’s Artistic Gymnastics, British Gymnastics
Mark Delaney – Technical Coach, GB Canoeing
Paul Thompson – Head Coach (Women), GB Rowing Team
Christian Felkel – High Performance Coach, GB Rowing Team
 

Share
  • X
  • LinkedIn
  • Email

News

Participants of the UK Sport Athlete To Coach programme taking part in a fireside conversation
UK Sport launches new programmes to support coaching across the high-performance community
21 May 2025
Headshot of Professor Nick Webborn CBE
Professor Nick Webborn CBE appointed new Chair of UK Sport
19 May 2025
Decoration image with the logos of UK Sport and Weirdo
Transforming fan experience: UK Sport introduces new engagement strategies for Olympic and Paralympic sports
15 May 2025
Looking to work in sport?
Find or advertise sports jobs in the UK
Search now
Our funders
  • Funded by UK Government
  • TNL partners
Who we work with
  • British Olympic Association
  • Paralympics GB
  • Logo of the UK Sports Institute
  • Sport England
  • Sport Northern Ireland
  • Sport Wales
  • Sport Scotland
  • Logo of the British Elite Athletes Association
  • Logo for UK Coaching
  • Logo of Sport Resolutions
Sitelogo
Sitemap
  • Homepage
  • About us
  • Our work
  • Events
  • News
  • Sports
  • Resources
  • Jobs in sport
  • Website terms and privacy policy
  • Editorial policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Accessibility
  • Freedom of Information
  • Welsh language scheme
  • 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 Youtube Instagram LinkedIn

© Copyright UK Sport 2025