Coaches enjoy ‘eye-opening’ Coach 2028 Performance Programme workshop

Coaches on the Coach 2028 Performance Programme recently took part in the first of the initiatives six workshops.

As part of the scheme, 21 successful applicants were chosen to take part in a key learning opportunity that aims to support coaches in transitioning their athletes onto World Class Programmes.

The first workshop, titled ‘knowing me, knowing you’, took place at Drayton Manor from the 24-25 April.

It focussed on allowing coaches to develop a greater understanding of themselves, their methods and their minds as they discussed the behaviours required to move from a Performance Pathway Coach to an International medal winning coach.

The two-day event featured a number of key speakers including Elliot Newell from the Thrive Academy who is a Performance Coach and Psychologist.

A presentation was also made by Swim England’s Head of Coaching Lindsay Trimmings and British Swimming’s Pathway and Coaching Lead Kevin Renshaw on how to make that next step to coach elite level athletes.

Loughborough National Performance Centre coach Dave Hemmings also spoke from his own experiences about how his coaching changed when he moved to the Performance Centre and his experiences of coaching on the biggest stage.

‘Focussing on their personal development’

Swim England’s Coach Development Manager, Jo John, hopes the experience allows the coaches to reflect on their practice and use it for their own development.

She said: “We’re delighted to see coaches from each of our disciplines take part in the Coach 2028 Performance Programme.

“Coaches are always focused on helping others perform to the very highest level, but we want this experience to allow them to prioritise their own personal development.

“We hope this workshop was an eye-opening experience for our coaches and that it has helped them to understand themselves more. The workshop showed the importance of self-reflection and how to use that to become a better coach.

“Thank you to all our key speakers for sharing their knowledge and experiences to support the programme.”

The next workshop will take place from June 14-15 where the coaches will be discussing leadership skills and the technical areas of their sports.

You can find out more about the Coach 2028 Performance Programme here.