New Programme to boost success of Waikato Performance Athlete Coaches

18 coaches representing 15 different sports codes have been recruited into the new New Zealand-wide Performance Coach Advance (PCA) programme.

The national programme will see 102 coaches of performance (pre-carded, pre-elite) athletes, selected by their National Sport Organisation (NSO) through six regional centres in Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Wellington, Canterbury and Otago.

The regional programme led by Sport Waikato will run alongside the ‘Pathway to Podium’ programme launched last week for athletes.

The Waikato PCA programme will be managed by Sport Waikato’s coach development advisor Mark McLaughlin, who has coached a number of sports from grass roots to an international level since he was of school age.

McLaughlin explained “the focus of the programme is around education and active learning.

“Coaches need to understand where they sit in the athlete’s career paths. PCA is not about developing the coach to become a high performance coach, but about supporting the coach to become the best coach of a performance athlete they can be.”

Speaking at last week’s programme launch, Triathlon New Zealand High Performance Director Graeme Maw spoke of the importance the performance coach plays in getting more high performance athletes on the podium and winning medals.

Maw stated “this is the most critical area in achieving high performance success. Coaches who are on the programme have the opportunity to engage in an active learning process, and obtain excellence in coaching performance athletes.”

The 2014/15 Inductees are:

Barrie Jennings - Athletics
Blair Taylor - Cycling
Cameron Durno - Triathlon
Carl Gordon - Swimming
Clarke Johnstone - Equestrian
Colleen McIlroy - Volleyball
Gary Peacham - Rugby League
Gavin Downes - Touch
Joanne Williams - Squash
Ken Creswell - Football
Matt Scorringe - Surfing
Mike Gilbert- Rowing
Reon Sayer - Golf
Roger Randle - Rugby
Simon Brill - Hockey
Simon Thomas - Golf
Vanessa Way - Equestrian
Vaughan Priddey - Athletics

Click here for more information on the PCA programme.

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