Ten coaches join elite UK Sport scheme

The 10 British coaches selected to join a UK Sport initiative designed to fast track their development in time for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games have been named.

The coaches have been chosen from a variety of Olympic sporting disciplines to undergo a three-year development training scheme called the Elite Coach programme.

They are: swimming coaches Graham Antwhistle and Louise Graham, athletics coaches Harry King and Tony Minichello, netball coach Jess Garland, canoeing coach Steve Harris, sailing coach Harvey Hillary, women’s hockey coach Danny Kerry, men’s hockey coach Jason Lee and judo coach Darren Warner.

The scheme will begin this autumn and include the development of technical skills, through observing some of the best coaches in action, and work on leadership skills.

Liz Nicholl, UK Sport’s director of performance, said: “As the name suggests, our intention is to take some of the most promising coaches that British sport has to offer and to expose them to the best practitioners from the sport sector and beyond – wherever they happen to be in the world.

“When you add that to the ability for this group to share their experiences with one another, you have a powerful mix that will result in a new breed of elite coach, capable of inspiring our athletes to new heights.”

The 2006 intake of coaches will be the third group since the Elite Coach programme began in 2004. It costs £500,000 to run per year and is intended to produce more than 50 elite British coaches by 2012. Details: www.uksport.gov.uk