We’re excited to announce the launch of two new programmes, Athlete to Coach and Supporting Coaching in High-Performance Sport (SCiHPS), as part of the UK Sport’s commitment to supporting coaching across the high-performance community.
Athlete to Coach, aims to support and prepare ex-athletes for the shift in identity when moving from competing into coaching; harnessing their prior background and experiences and supporting them at the start of their coaching career.
This 18-month coach development programme will engage the coaches in immersive workshops, in-situ coach developer and peer support, and exposure to different coaching environments and perspectives. Fifteen former athletes, will be taking part with backgrounds across a diverse range of Olympic and Paralympic sports.
The cohort took part in their first workshop earlier this month, in Pembrokeshire, which focussed on ‘transitions’ and ‘beginnings’, exploring how their athlete experiences shape what they bring to their role, and allowing the coaches to build their connections and relationships.
Also starting this month, the SCiHPS programme, is focussed on enabling coach development practitioners with the knowledge, skills, and experience to support world class coaching beyond the 2026 Milan-Cortina and LA 2028 Games.
Through a rich blend of practical fieldwork, interactive seminars, group supervision and collaborative learning experiences, the programme offers a unique opportunity to build on and refine the skills essential for nurturing and sustaining effective and ethical programmes of support for coaches and coaching across the British Olympic and Paralympic community.
This week, twenty-two people from a range of experiences, roles and sports, gathered in Manchester to embark on the fourth iteration of the programme.
One of the participants Jamie Matthew, GB Snowsport Head Free Ski Coach, said of being part of this experience: “I couldn’t be more thrilled to begin this journey with fellow practitioners as we embark on the SCiHPS programme of support. I strongly believe it’s the people involved who make sport what we all love and know, so to have an opportunity from UK Sport to expand our knowledge on nurturing and developing the people involved is both exciting and inspiring. I cannot wait to embark on this journey”.
On commenting on these programmes Danny Kerry MBE, Coaching Lead at UK Sport said: “We recognise that exceptional coaching is at the core of enriching athlete experiences and achieving competitive success. Athlete to Coach is specifically crafted for athletes who aspire to build a career in coaching, harnessing the unique skills and experience they bring from their sporting journey. Supporting Coaching in High Performance Sport is a pioneering programme which addresses a critical need within British high-performance sport: a network that supports and helps to develop our coaches with the strategic, technical, and emotional resources to excel in the face of extraordinary demands”.
2025 Athlete to Coach cohort
- Sam Glover, Paddle UK
- Yona Knight-Wisdom, Diving/AquaticsGB
- Dale Flockhart, Rowing
- Amy Ellis, British Sailing
- Naomi Folkard, Archery GB
- Ali Young, British Sailing
- Perri McCluskey, Scottish Rowing
- Stuart McWatt, Judo
- Shona McCallin, England Hockey
- Chantelle Handy, GB Basketball
- Joe Bestwick, British Wheelchair Basketball
- Joe Hart, GB Basketball
- Calum Jarvis, Swimming/AquaticsGB
- Sean McGoldrick, Welsh Boxing & GB Boxing
2025-2027 Supporting Coaching in High-Performance Sport (SCiHPS) cohort
- Graham Alderson, GB Boxing
- Tash Angel, UK Sport
- Paul Bell, Scottish Squash
- Martin Dighton, UK Coaching
- Neil Donald, sportscotland Institute of Sport
- Kate Eddy, British Sailing
- Diccon Edwards, England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB)
- Gary Hale, GB Boxing
- Paul Hall, British Gymnastics
- Niko Hanakam, British Weightlifting
- Harriet Heys, British Gymnastics
- Fran Houghton, UK Sport
- Naomi Johnston, British Cycling
- Alan Keane, British Basketball Federation
- Mick Maguire, England Boxing
- Jamie Matthew, GB Snowsport
- Julian North, British Gymnastics and Leeds Beckett University
- Derek O’Riordan, sportscotland Institute of Sport
- Darren Pearcy, Skateboard GB
- Graeme Rowe, British Sailing
- Scott Simon, sportscotland Institute of Sport
- Rick Velati, British Triathlon
Athlete To Coach workshop images © Top of the Woods & Green Office Retreats topofthewoods.co.uk