UCLan extends partnership with Plas y Brenin

UCLan Outdoor students will continue to enjoy practical sessions with the UK's top provider of outdoor adventure activities, following confirmation of an exciting partnership between the University and Plas y Brenin.

After a successful trial period UCLan has teamed up with the National Mountain Sports Centre in North Wales, where they will help deliver selected courses over the next three years.

Outdoor Leadership and Adventure Sports Coaching students will benefit from the expertise of UCLan and Plas y Brenin staff as they tackle a diverse range of modules.

These will develop their practical, coaching and leadership skills via a range of activities including mountaineering, rock climbing, white water kayaking, sea kayaking, mountain biking and canoeing.

UCLan's Institute of Coaching and Performance will also work closely with Plas y Brenin on research projects, including understanding the judgement and decision making processes of experts in adventure sports that will help to influence the future development of the outdoor profession over the next decade.

UCLan Outdoors Senior Lecturer Loel Collins said: "We're very excited be in a position to maintain our relationship with the National Mountain Sports Centre. It's a partnership that reinforces UCLan and Plas y Brenin as leaders in the field of development in this sector.

Dave Cheetham, Marketing Manager for Plas y Brenin, added: "We're over the moon to be working with UCLan's students and their staff, and we hope it will be a relationship that extends long into the future.

"UCLan is committed to helping its students achieve and surpass their goals, and to helping them convert their learning into rewarding careers in the outdoors. We're convinced Plas y Brenin can play a significant part in helping them do that.

"Alongside top-class coaching, world-class facilities and state-of-the-art-equipment, the students will also have the benefit of being immersed in the exciting and inspiring world of a National Sports Centre, surrounded by high performance athletes, coaches and enthusiasts all eager to help.

"They'll share time with many of the country's most successful climbers, paddlers and riders, and have the opportunity to communicate directly with decision makers from the governing bodies of those sports.

"With input from the best in the business at UCLan and Plas y Brenin, these students will enjoy the best foundation for a career in the outdoor industry."

Coaching expert accepts international invite

Professor Collins accepts Snow Sports NZ role

Professor Dave Collins has been appointed as Sports Psychologist by Snow Sports New Zealand.

Professor Collins has worked as a consultant for Snow Sports NZ for the past two years, and his new role will see him help athletes' preparations for the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea.

He commented: "Since 2013 I've been inputting to the coaches and support staff on how these complex skills can best be taught and established.

"I work with Head Coach Tom Willmott, who is a student on our DProf programme, and supported by High Performance Sport New Zealand through a Prime Minister's Scholarship.

"Tom is one of almost 100 postgraduate students currently working with ICaP - a highly skilled group which includes coaches from Premiership Football and Rugby, a number of Olympic sports, plus support scientists and leaders from a variety of high performance environments."

Snow Sports NZ was formed in 2010 to represent the interests of five winter sports – Ski Racing, Snowboard, Cross Country, Freeskiing and Adaptive Snow Sports.

They boast a number of up-and-coming athletes including Christy Prior, only the sixth female in the world to pull off a double back-flip with a snowboard strapped to her feet.

For more information about Snow Sports NZ please click here.

Performance expert joins Irish Rugby World Cup staff

John Kiely has been appointed to the Ireland backroom staff squad for the upcoming Rugby Union World Cup 2015 tournament.

Currently employed as a Senior Lecturer in Elite Performance within ICaP, John (above right) has worked with Irish squad during the past two Six Nations competitions, operating as a 'return to play' specialist for injured players or those who have been unable to take part in full training.

John said he was delighted to work with Ireland Rugby once again: "It's a prestigious link to have, as there are only four home nations and a limited amount of roles available.

"It reflects extremely well on the work we do within ICaP, where we are constantly looking to push boundaries in elite performance environments. The work I'll be doing with the Irish squad will reinforce that, as I don't necessarily sit within one particular discipline.

"Effectively my role will fall between Strength & Conditioning and Medical, and is what ICaP is all about – constantly striving to implement innovative techniques at an elite level."

John boasts a wealth of sporting experience, previously working with star triple-jumper Phillips Idowu, 2013 Squash world champion Laura Massaro and a host of governing bodies.

He has also spent time in professional rugby as power training specialist for the Munster senior squad, provided consultancy services to leading professional football clubs in the UK and supported numerous Olympic Track & Field major medallists.

To find out more about John please click here.

Golf Trade Show invite for ICaP pair

ICaP's Professor Dave Collins and Dr Howie Carson have been invited to present at Europe's largest golf retail and education event.

The Golf Trade Show 2015 (GTS2015) features expert industry speakers who will discuss a variety of topics including management of staff, junior coaching, biomechanics and how to grow the game.

The timetable is devised to help PGA professionals learn new information to help enhance every aspect of their businesses.

David Colclough, PGA Head of Member Education, said: "This year's line-up brings together some of the members' favourite speakers, along with some of the people who have been shaping much of the recent analysis of how to get more people playing golf.

"We also welcome new speakers who have made an impact on the PGA's CPD programme this year, and I'm particularly excited to welcome Professor Collins, who brings so much knowledge from the world of sport.

"I really hope PGA Professionals will take advantage of all these great learning opportunities during their visit to The Golf Trade Show."

The event takes place 6-8 October at Harrogate International Centre. For more information please click here.

As a follow up to GTS2015, Professor Collins and Dr Carson are running a CPD event entitled 'So now you've learnt to do it, how do you make it better?'

The course aims to provide new 'tools' for coaches relating to 'what needs to be done and why' and 'how to do it' when implementing skill refinement.

The PGA National Training Academy, The Belfry, Sutton Coldfield, is hosting the course on 11 November. Applications are currently restricted to PGA members, although may be opened to non-members closer to the event.

For more details please email Dr Howie Carson.

ICaP continues to deliver elite service

ICaP focuses on the enhancement of performance, either directly or by developing providers and systems to bespoke needs.

Institute members regularly work across a variety of disciplines, both individually and as members of an integrated support team.

Andrew Cruickshank is currently providing ongoing consultancy services to the British Judo Association, Motor Sport Association and other individual elite performers.

In addition, his recent publications have covered topics such as the dark side of elite team leadership, culture change in professional sport, and leaders'/coaches' professional judgment and decision making.

Andrew recently completed his UCLan DProf examinations and is completing training as a supervisor for the professional preparation of applied sport and exercise psychologists through the British Psychological Society.

He has also conducted invited presentations at The University of Edinburgh on professional practice (performance psychology) and elite team cultures.

For more information about ICaP please click here.

Institute to launch pioneering new coaching course

ICaP has revealed plans to launch a new course which could change the face of coaching education.

The Level 3 programme has already attracted huge interest across a variety of sports. Table Tennis England are the first national governing body to sign up to the programme and it's hoped others will join them in the future.

ICaP currently offers an endorsed Level 4 UK Coaching Certificate, but after a request by Table Tennis England to look at a new approach for Level 3 awards the new course was designed.

Course Leader Bryan Jones commented: "From an academic point of view it's very humanistic. Rather than people coming in and having a pre-prescribed coaching programme, we'll assess where they are at the start and see how that measures with a set of competencies at the end.

"We're personalising the journey so they can fulfil their Level 3 within the domain they're currently working. It will be a pioneering approach to coaching at this level. We've had lots of interest so far, including from Rugby League, and we're hoping many other sports will see the benefit in utilising the programme."

Miriam Beales, Coaching and Workforce Manager for Table Tennis England, said the new course will properly bridge the gap between Levels 3 and 4.

"For us it's about making it more realistic to the coach for the environment they are in," said Miriam. "Rather than giving them formalised knowledge, everything will be contextualised towards the individual."

The course, targeted for an October 2015 start date, will be worth 20 credits and provides a university certificate plus the chance for progression onto full honours degrees.

Bryan added: "We're pushing the Level 3 award towards the first year of a degree territory. This should create a higher level of coach further down the road. We hope people will see the value of a programme which will result in the learning journey being a true reflection of their needs and aspirations."

For more details about the programme please email Bryan.