Sports Coach UK, in partnership with UK Sport and Sport England have successfully launched an ‘Aspire Coach Programme’ aimed at coaches who have potential to coach at future Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth games. GB Taekwondo are pleased to annouce Gareth Brown, of BTS, has successfully enrolled onto the programme to help develop his coaching skills.

The involvement of Taekwondo in such a programme has again signalled the great progression that the sport has made in the last 12 months and has come at a convienent time before GB Taekwondo launch it’s own coach development initiatives in the coming months.

Whilst the ‘inspire coach’ programme is in it’s first year, the content available to students on the course will no doubt prove invaluable. Gareth, who coached at the Cadet and Junior European Championships in 2011 and is flying out to Eygpt next month for the Junior World Championships, attended the first workshop at the end of February and had this to say,

“It is very exciting to be involved on this course. The programme gives me the chance to development my own coaching programme, receive 360 feedback and choose a mentor from my sport which is great experience for me. The course is also great to hear from experienced coaches and practioners in other Olympic discplines to create a shared learning environment”

In the next two months coach education initiatives will be outlined and published by GB Taekwondo which will signal the beginning of engagement with club instructors. As recently echoed by Development Manager Dean Leak in his recent blog, coach education will feature as a large priority in contributing to the long term success of Great Britain at future games

For further details about the programme please click here.

If you have any feedback or comments you would like to give in regards to coach education programmes or how you think coach programmes within GB Taekwondo could best operate in the future, please comment below.

British Taekwondo South player and member of the National Cadet Squad, Jeamy Navarro-Schrank, was recently featured in an article on the worldwide ABS-CBN News website.

In the article Jeamy talks about how she began in the sport, originally beginning in ballet “I didn’t really like it — all the prancing around” before attending a taekwondo class with a friend and falling in love with the sport.

The article also talks about her achievements and her hopes for the future, including competing at the Olympics: “It’s my goal, it was me who started the whole Olympic thing. I just want to get up there and join the Olympics.”

You can read the full article on the ABS CBN News website by clicking here

It is my belief that Sport Taekwondo is starting to make a big shift in the right direction in the UK. We are not getting too ahead of ourselves, but having seen the talent coming through the cadet and junior age groups, we are better placed than ever before. However, we have a long way to go.

Last year was the first time GB Taekwondo received ‘excel’ funding and this has given us the ability to invest in youth talent squads. This will no doubt benefit athletes and coaches now and in the future. Previously, the only contact time available with junior athletes was at major competitions and training camps leading up to it. Now, we have full cadet and junior talent squad programmes in place with more coaching and support service, high level international training camps, a clear England talent pathway which indicates route for progression and increased funding opportunities with SportsAid and TASS to fund international competitions.

I was first employed by GB Taekwondo to oversee the talent 2012: fighting chance project – tasked at transferring alternative style combat athletes to WTF style. This has given me a great insight into what it takes to be a successful athlete in Sport Taekwondo. Whilst the project was an alternative way at searching out talent and proved successful, I fully believe the future talent of our sport is embedded in our clubs. Damon Sansum has released shown again that a transfer project can work and that the sport has changed significantly in terms of styles.

I have genuinely been impressed with the raw potential a lot of our young athletes possess. I say this for a reason. In November and December last year we changed the culture of how we select athletes on squads. Previously, which I believe was not ideal, teams and squads were selected off achievements at national and international competitions. Whilst competitions provide us with good information, namely around performance under pressure, whether someone loses first round or wins gold does not provide us with intelligent performance factors about that individual on the score sheet. It does not give us explicit indications whether this person has potential or no potential. At national talent trials such as in November and December, the high performance coaching team and support staff had clear performance indicators they were looking out for. They were not just look at individuals who were performing well in the moment, they were looking at individuals who have characteristics which can be developed and could be successful in the future. This process will ensure we limit missing out anyone with potential. There is not one recipe for great potential. Everyone is different.

After a talent has been recognised, it is the job of the club instructor; high performance coaches and support staff to act on this and ensure these characteristics are developed and maintained. Again, the progression for development varies. Some blossom early, some are late developers. Either way, each athlete will be supported fully through this important transition.

I often get asked the question; “how long will I remain on the programme?” or “will I ever be thrown out?” It is very good question. Talent squads have been designed to support progression through the talent pathway. Athletes supported on the programme will have been selected based on characteristics or results which demonstrate potential to succeed at future major championships or Olympic Games. If they continue to show signs of progression and commitment, they will remain on the programme. Athletes who indicate signs of a drop in progression and commitment may be removed from the programme. This philosophy underpins our long term ambition of being the best junior nation in Europe.

Since my time working with cadet and juniors athletes in the last 10 months, the progression of some athletes have been staggering which encourages me to make such a statement; that we are better placed than ever before. With the increased resource targeted at these athletes in the pathway, we can transfer more athletes through to the World Class Programme.

Encouragingly, Sport England has recognised the progression we have made and have increased their investment to deliver more initiatives in the next year. In the last year we have predominately focused development at cadet and junior athletes and whilst we will continue with this, we will now look at coach education. For me, club coaches play an essential role in the development of their athletes and this needs to continue. The coach education programme will bridge the link between national squads and clubs and ensure a collaborative approach moving forward. The coach education programme will also aim to provide coaches with continuous professional development opportunities aimed at specific individual development. When we have further details on how and when this system will roll out details will be released on our website.

In summary, the next year for Sport Taekwondo is extremely exciting and important. Our top senior fighters will be taking to the stage in the summer and giving some great, inspirational performances. You are the next generation. You could one day represent GB at the games. Maybe 2016? Maybe 2020? One thing for certain is only you can achieve this. We can only support.

United-supporting Olympic hopefuls Michael Harvey and Jordan Gayle talked to Inside United Magazine about the run up to the Olympics and life supporting the Reds.

Click here to read the article

The Great Britain squad for the European Championships will be announced on Monday March 26 and the event will be your last opportunity to get up close to the best athletes in Europe only weeks before the London 2012 Olympic Games!

The Senior European Taekwondo Championships comes to Great Britain for the first time this May and will attract elite athletes and National teams from across the continent to one of the best Olympic sports events around.

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Jade Jones who enjoyed a fantastic 2011 began the new year by taking on some rather unlikely foes

Comedian John Bishop, Scientist Professor Brian Cox and TV host Jonathan Ross all felt the 18-year-old’s power as she demonstrated her skills on Ross’ primetime show.

View Gb Taekwondo’s Jade online (appearing from 20 minutes in, and available until 7th Feb)

Jones and the rest of GB taekwondo return to action in March at the all important German Open (3-4) and Dutch Open (17-18). Both events count towards selection for London 2012 and all eyes will be on those key Olympic weight categories.

Following that Manchester will host the 2012 European Championships between May 3rd and 6th before Taekwondo features at the Olympics on August 8th.

The four Olympic weight categories chosen by Team GB are male -68kg and -80kg and female -57kg and -67kg.

On Thursday August 9th, -68kg male and -57kg female will be contested whilst the following day will be Male -80kg and Female -67kg.

For now though, the team have travelled to Mexico for some much needed warm weather and sparring opportunities.

Great Britain ended its most successful ever year on the mat with an equally impressive haul off it.

World Champion Sarah Stevenson finished her rollercoaster year on a high, receiving a trio of awards; The Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year 2011, The Sports Journalist Association’s Committee Award and an MBE in the Queen’s New Year’s honours list.

Delighted Stevenson reflected on her awards saying…

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There’s been no let up for the GB Taekwondo squad as they turn into the ‘home straight’ with London 2012 now less than 6 months away.

They’ve been working hard since before Xmas in a training phase known as ‘general preparation’, under the stewardship of Strength and Conditioning Coach, Neil Parsley.

With less emphasis on taekwondo and more on speed, stamina, power and flexibility, Neil has put the squad through a punishing programme but one that is key to ensuring that our athletes are in top shape for the Europeans and of course, the Games.

The squad are now in Mexico where they are training alongside the Mexican national team. General Preparation makes way for taekwondo now as the athletes will be sparring with their Central American counterparts as well as competing in a Test Match towards the end of the trip. And then of course it’s all eyes on those crucial events in Hamburg and Eindhoven in March.

Earlier this month GB Taekwondo welcomed Cabinet Minister Iain Duncan Smith to our Academy in Manchester, as we launched our new development programme ‘Opportunity Kicks’.

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