04 November 2012

Eight female coaches from across the UK have been chosen to be part of the very first UKA Female Coach Legacy Programme. The programme is a project lead by the UKA Women in Coaching Advisory Group (WCAG) who have identified a need to increase the number of female coaches working with elite athletes.

The FCLP is a coach development initiative designed to assist already committed, qualified and experienced female coaches in bridging the gap to the elite level by providing them with the extra knowledge, skills and confidence to work at the highest level.

The group hopes to raise the profile and standard of female coaching at all levels through the creation of female role models and aims to develop a group of female coaches with the confidence, knowledge and skills necessary to work at elite level. It is hoped that these females will be the legacy of the programme, becoming roles models to inspire future females to strive to reach the top level in their coaching career.

The programme features four two-day residential workshops where the coaches embark on a learning journey tailored to their individual needs. Along the way they will develop their own critical thinking, allowing them to constantly appraise their own coaching and others coaching practice. This process will add to the legacy of the programme, as these coaches will then have the skills to support other coaches on their learning journey.

The programme focuses on generic coaching knowledge such as sports injuries, conditioning and periodisation and expects each coach to produce evidence of their learning to ensure that they get the most out of the programme, whilst also ensuring a greater effect on their own coaching through individualised tasks along the way.

Chair of WCAG and FCLP Coordinator Elaine Grant said: “It is fantastic to finally get this programme up and running as it has been an ambition of the group from our inception.  We have brought together an exceptional group of female coaches who undoubtedly have already begun their journey to becoming high performance coaches.  We hope the FCLP will allow them to grow in confidence collectively to reach their own individual aim of coaching at elite level.”

The eight coaches selected for the Female Coach Legacy Programme are:

Alison Allee – Sprints & Hurdles, Northamptonshire
Marina Armstrong – Sprints & Hurdles, Surrey
Emily Brown – Endurance, Cardiff
Julie Crane – Jumps, Birmingham
Lynn Hay – Throws, Northamptonshire
Vicky Huyton – Sprints & Disability, Lancashire
Sharon Morris – Combined Events & Sprints, Birmingham
Jackie Newton – Endurance, Stockport

For more information on the Women in Coaching Advisory Group and the UKA Female Coach Legacy Programme please contact: krussell@uka.org.uk