Coach Zone

Since 2010, the Institute of Sport has supported high performance coaches through their high performance coach education programme entitled 'The Pursuit of Excellence' (PEP). The programme offers participating high performance coaches with a diverse learning support programme that is learner centered and applied to the high performance context that each coach operates in. The PEP programme includes the following high performance coach supports:

1. Self Directed Learning

Coaches can apply for some financial assistance to complete individualized learning that is specific to their sport. This may involve attendance at international conferences, traveling abroad to shadow an international coach, or the completion of a specific short term training course across a performance science discipline or a high performance systems area i.e. strategic planning.

2. Community Led Learning

Each year the Institute of Sport run a series of professional development events designed to build a high quality community of practice. Coaches get an opportunity to connect with their peers in order to share similar challenges and discuss possible solutions. This may involve the completion of an applied team project or the completion of an applied coaching scenario. In addition to this peer to peer support coaches are also given the opportunity to meet with a range of experts who assist coaches to build their knowledge set on a range of critical emerging themes that are central to high performance coaching.

3. Mentorship Support

High performance coaches participating on the PEP programme can also access a range of expert mentors across a series of support themes from high performance management, lifestyle support or performance science integration. This mentorship support offers coaches with a critical situational based learning support that can be accessed at critical periods of their development.'