Running from February to December 2021, the programme has paired eight female coaches from across England with mentors to help them develop their coaching and encourage them along their coaching journey.
Through the programme, Triathlon England are seeking to encourage more women to progress in their coaching journey and to narrow the gender gap in performance coaching by developing individuals to help shape the future of our sport.
All eight coaches are at or are working towards the British Triathlon Level 2 coaching qualification and have committed to their ongoing personal development through the programme.
The eleven-month long programme will see the eight successful applicants allocated a 1-2-1 mentor to help them learn, grow and develop, as well as provided with a personal coach development budget to support them in their education and training.
Mentors on the programme include Bex Milnes (Lead Paratriathlon Coach at the Loughborough Performance Centre), Rick Velati (Vice-Chair of World Triathlon’s National Coaches Committee) and Becky Hewitt (Paralympic Talent Coach).
Following the strength of applications, alongside the eight coaches to have been allocated a mentor, all 31 female coaches who applied have been added to a newly created community of practice to create a network of female coaches to bring them together to support one another.
Kicking off on Wednesday 24 February, the 31 coaches will hear presentations from female performance coaches including Bex Milnes (Lead Paratriathlon Coach at the Loughborough Performance Centre), Paula Dunn (British Athletics Paralympic Head Coach), Louise Meadows (England Counties U20 Head Coach at England Rugby) and Amanda Coulson (England Boxing Development Coach) before the eight mentees and mentors will meet for the first time virtually.
Michelle Hayden, Head of Coaching at British Triathlon, said: “We were overwhelmed by the quality and passion that all the applicants showed in wanting to develop their coaching.
“We created the programme to offer direct mentorship for female coaches as a way to help them grow and be part of shaping the future of the sport and we look forward to seeing that grow into a community of practice of 31 coaches from across England.
“I’m really excited that the programme is now underway and can’t wait to see how all the coaches involved develop throughout this year and what they are able to take beyond it and into their coaching environments.”
To find out more about coaching and how to get involved, please click here – https://www.britishtriathlon.org/coaching
