From UK Sport
UK Sport’s annual world-class coaching conference takes place at the Belfry next week, 
with around 400 delegates expected to attend the event that will feature experts from varied fields from around the globe.
In all 33 workshops will take place across the four days, with additional seminars and networking taking place. In addition to these will be two keynote speakers, with esteemed tennis coach Brad Gilbert, pictured left, and former ballet dancer Li Cunxin addressing the conference.
The conference traditionally attracts not only the leading figures from the UK, but also from around the world, to look at a range of factors that will have a bearing on the UK’s ability to deliver medals at the world’s major events.
With just six years to go to London 2012, the need for outstanding British coaches has never been greater. The induction of another 10 coaches into UK Sport’s Elite Coach in September kicked off one of the most intense periods of support the nation’s high-performance coaches have ever known.
Whilst Elite Coach is responsible for developing a new breed of coach – accelerating the development of the nation’s most exciting coaching prospects – those already in the system will be able to benefit from new “Winning Coaches” workshops.
“In many ways we see the role of the coach as being on a par with that of the athlete in terms of generating podium performances in Beijing 2008, Vancouver 2010 and London 2012. With that in mind we are doing everything we can to increase the number of truly world class operators in the UK’s high-performance system,” said Liz Nicholl, UK Sport’s Director of Performance.
“In recent years, the investment in Olympic and Paralympic sports via the World Class Pathway programmes has enabled sports to employ the best coaching talent from around the world. In future, the support we’re putting in place should mean that when sports go shopping for the best coaching talent, they find it right here at home.”
The 2006 Elite Coach intake included England’s men and women’s hockey coaches, with athletics, canoeing, judo, netball, sailing and swimming also represented. The 10 coaches who were nominated by their governing bodies as highly-rated prospects, follow in the footsteps of the 2004 and 2005 groups on what is a three-year fast track to coaching excellence.