to view the 2010 Annual Report - Triathlon New Zealand

coach
development report
Highlights
In the past 12 months the number of accredited coaches
increased by 29 to 130, of which approximately 90 are
actively coaching triathletes. In addition, as of June, 15
people had registered on the Level 1 Coach Programme
via the distance learning option. A recent highlight has
been the launching of the Endorsed Coach Programme,
with three registrations within the first week.
Four coaches are currently registered on the Level 2
Coach Programme, two of whom are overseas (Taiwan
& Thailand).
An accredited coach survey was carried out in March using
the SurveyMonkey on-line service. While only 28 coaches
of the 99 sent a survey responded (28%), it provided an
insight into the types of triathletes receiving coaching, how
many triathletes are being coached, and how many hours a
week coaches spend on tri coaching.
With regards to high performance coaching, 11 triathlon
coaches were included in the NZ Academy of Sport Coach
Performance Programme (carded coach programme).
Two major highlights for this group were the workshops
delivered by world-renowned American running coach and
physiologist Jack Daniels, and power monitoring on the
bike guru Hunter Allen, respectively. The latter workshop
was delivered as part of a joint scholarship with Bike NZ. In
addition, another 15 accredited triathlon coaches attended
a lunchtime seminar by Jack Daniels in Auckland.
A coach forum was again held in Taupo before Ironman.
This attracted 20 coaches to hear Dr John Hellemans speak
about altitude training and his Beijing Olympic experience.
The coaches also got to hear Level 2 Coach and student
Tim Jardine and EIT’s Dr Carl Paton talk about their
research on cleat position and running off the bike. My
thanks go to John, Tim and Carl for giving their time and
expertise so willingly.
Lastly, I want to thank the Coach Advisory Group (Barry
Larsen, George Hilgeholt, John Hellemans, and Lynley
Brown) for their support and encouragement over the
past 12 months. I rely greatly on their experience and
expertise to guide me as we navigate the rapids of coach
development.
Challenges
A major challenge is attracting sufficient potential coaches
to the Level 1 Coach Courses to make them viable. One
course in Wellington and Auckland, respectively, had
to be cancelled due to insufficient registrations. This is
unfortunate as the courses are well delivered and provide
great opportunities for interaction and feedback. However,
as was anticipated, this outcome has been offset by the
interest and engagement in the distance learning options
now available.
The broader challenge ahead is to raise awareness
about the value of the coach development programmes,
while continuing to work hard on making Tri NZ coach
accreditation valuable to coaches.
Looking ahead
The Level 3 Coach Programme is almost ready to be
launched. This will be a significant step on the Tri NZ coach
development pathway. Considerable care has been taken
to ensure it provides the type of learning activities coaches
at this level will benefit from. However, it is also recognised
that only by having coaches registered on the programme
will we be able to make sure it meets the current needs of
tri coaches. Once the Level 3 programme is launched, Tri
NZ will continue to investigate the opportunity to have the
Tri NZ coach development pathway endorsed by the ITU.
Brett Reid
Director of Coaching
Year in Review