UK Centre for Coaching Excellence to open at Leeds Metropolitan University

sports coach UK - 26/06/2008

The Centre will be the first of its kind in the United Kingdom and will benefit up-and-coming coaches in a wide range of sports to help them reach the top and help drive a legacy of sporting success for British athletes.

sports coach UK and Leeds Met -  known in sporting circles as Carnegie - will work in partnership to establish the Centre that has received start-up funding of £600,000 from UK Sport and Sport England. It is also being backed by sportscotland, Sports Council for Wales and Sport Northern Ireland.

sports coach UK is to recruit a world-class Coaching Faculty that will pass on their expertise to coaches and ensure that the UK Centre for Coaching Excellence is on par with international best practice.  A UK-wide network of coaching experts, sports science and medical experts will also be established to support training and coach education throughout the country.

As well as benefiting elite-sport coaches the Centre will also offer training to community coaches to improve the quality of the sport experience for all, and help identify potential British sport stars of the future. 

The UK Coaching Centre for Excellence will focus on four areas of development:

• High Performance: for coaches of athletes capable of achieving success at international level
• Performer Development: for coaches that will focus on talent identification and development of young athletes
• Participation: for coaches working in community sport, helping to increase sport participation
• Children’s coaches: for coaches that will work specifically with young people at each stage of their early development in sport.

Minister for Sport Gerry Sutcliffe said: “Behind every great athlete is a great coach and we want to ensure that we have the best sports coaches and coaching system in the world both at the elite end and grass roots.  The UK Centre for Coaching Excellence will be vital in helping us realise that ambition.  We want to develop a more professional approach to coaching in the UK with it becoming a real career option for people like it is in the United States.”

sports coach UK Chairman and coach to London Wasps and the British Lions Ian McGeechan said: “Today’s announcement is another clear marker that the coaching landscape in the UK is changing to ensure that we will be developing active, skilled and qualified coaches to the highest level right across the spectrum of coaching. In the future, it will be possible for Children’s Coaches to achieve Level 4 or Master Coach status, as well as those working in High Performance; Performance Development and Participation.”

sports coach UK CEO Pat Duffy said: “sports coach UK is looking forward to working with Leeds Met Carnegie, the Governing Bodies, and each of the Home Countries, to commence the start-up of the UK Centre for Coaching Excellence. The work of the Centre will play a key role in developing a world-leading coaching system in the UK by 2016.”

Leeds Met Chancellor Brendan Foster said: “We are delighted that Leeds Met has been selected to host the UK Centre for Coaching Excellence and that, finally, an organisation is being set up that proudly and firmly places coaching in its rightful place at the centre of British sport.  We've had great sportsmen and sportswomen in Britain over the years who have achieved success with the guidance of great coaches. It is a demonstration of real foresight to now formalise the organisation whose mission is to produce great coaches and, in turn, increase the chances of Britain’s success in the increasingly competitive arena of world sport.”

Leeds Met Vice-Chancellor Professor Simon Lee said: “Carnegie has a 75 year history of commitment to coaching, typified by one of our very first students, Walter Winterbottom, who created the FA’s pioneering coaching system. In this century, we are increasingly well known for our radical approach to sporting partnerships and our engagement with diverse communities. Coaching and working in partnership are the essence of Leeds Met Carnegie so we relish the opportunity of working with sports coach UK and all interested parties throughout the UK to reach a sustainable world-leading position by 2016 as part of the legacy of London 2012 and Glasgow 2014.”

SkillsActive's Chief Executive Stephen Studd said: “Coaching plays an increasingly crucial role in growing and sustaining participation and developing talent. SkillsActive is delighted about the announcement and are looking forward to working with Leeds Met to develop the National Skills Academy for Sport and Active Leisure and ensure there is strong leadership and support through the Academy for improving the quality of coaching in line with the UK Coaching Framework and rolling out the UK Coaching Certificate.”

The remit of the UK Centre for Coaching Excellence will be to:

• Host the UK Coaching faculty, which will comprise of leading experts on coaching and will forge links with other agencies and institutions, as well as key sports science and medical personnel / agencies.
• Play a leading role in Level 4 UK Coaching Certificate Programmes and in coaches continued professional development, with an emphasis on the coaching of children, disabled people, talent identified athletes and world class athletes.
•  Embed the UK Coaching Certificate into relevant undergraduate programmes.
• Develop new cutting-edge programmes for the education and support of coaches including at Masters and PhD level.
• Provide on-site opportunities for coaching practice and demonstrate models of excellent practice in the employment and deployment of coaches.
• Support the development of scholarship schemes for coaches
• Conduct research into coaching, coach development and participant development
• Maximise the application of sports science and medicine to the education of coaches and practice of coaching

The UK Centre for Coaching Excellence will be linked to the National Skills Academy (NSA) and play a key role in the coaching element of the NSA.

David Gent, Regional Director of Sport England Yorkshire, said: “It's fantastic that the UK Coaching Centre for Excellence is to be based at Leeds Met.  The Centre will help improve the quality of coaches not only in Yorkshire, but across the whole country.  This is a great step forward, as better coaches are crucial to helping our talented athletes reach their full potential; as well as increasing the number of people playing sport and giving people such a good experience that they want to carry on playing sport.”

sportscotland Chief Executive Stewart Harris said: “Well trained, confident and capable coaches are key to delivering increased participation and improving performances in Scottish sport. Coaching is a recognised priority for sportscotland and in conjunction with national and local partners we aim to help Scotland’s coaches meet their full potential and further their coaching careers. We welcome the announcement that Leeds Metropolitan University is to be the venue of the UK Centre for Coaching Excellence. The Centre will provide a focal point for all coaches throughout the country and play a crucial role in helping realise the ambition of the UK Coaching Framework. 

Sports Council for Wales CEO Dr Huw Jones said: “Sports Council for Wales welcomes the launch of the UK Centre for Coaching Excellence and looks forward to the further development of skilled and qualified coaches.”

UK Sport Chief Executive John Steele said: “The announcement of this Centre is further welcome evidence of how coaching is moving up the priority list in British sport.  Its focus, in particular around the provision of Level-4 Coaching Certificate Programmes, will bring further clarity to the coaching landscape in the UK, and help to ensure that we continue to improve the interface between coaching at a world-class level and those supporting it throughout the pathway.”

Steve Grainger, Chief Executive of the Youth Sport Trust said: “Widening access to high-quality coaching is critical in delivering a step change in PE and sporting opportunities for young people. The establishment of the UK Centre for Coaching Excellence represents an important step towards offering all young people five hours a week of PE and sport.”

Steve Grainger, Chief Executive of the Youth Sport Trust said: “Widening access to high-quality coaching is critical in delivering a step change in PE and sporting opportunities for young people. The establishment of the UK Centre for Coaching Excellence represents an important step towards offering all young people five hours a week of PE and sport.”

Leeds Rhinos Head Coach, former New Zealand national RL coach and former winner of the International RL Coach of the Year Brian McClennan said: “This is a fantastic achievement for Leeds Met Carnegie and we are delighted by the announcement. Leeds Met are an integral partner of the Rhinos, with our players studying at Carnegie and students from the university assisting our coaching team, gaining experience in an elite environment to compliment their academic studies. The Rhinos were proud to be named Carnegie World Club Champions when we defeated Melbourne earlier this year. To be regarded as the best in your chosen field is what we all strive for and it is great that Leeds Met Carnegie should be awarded similar recognition in the same year.”

Yorkshire County Cricket Club Director of Professional Cricket Martyn Moxon said: “All sports need great coaches as they play such an important role by inspiring young people to achieve their potential. Leeds Metropolitan University is a great place to base A Centre for Excellence. The partnership between Leeds Met and The Yorkshire County Cricket Club is very positive, mutually beneficial and increasingly a number of our players are recognising the benefits of studying at Leeds Met for a life after their playing days are over. Today’s news is a fantastic achievement for the University and richly deserved.”