AA & ATFCA sign MOU

Athletics Australia and the Australian Track and Field Coaches Association (ATFCA) have today signed a memorandum of understanding that aims to draw upon the nation’s coaching knowledge for the betterment of performance-focused athletics.

Aimed at providing a comprehensive suite of support services to coaches as they guide Australia’s athletes to success on the world stage, the agreement will see the introduction of an Integrated Model Working Group to expand upon and oversee the implementation of the principles agreed to in the MOU.

“The ATFCA membership includes a number of senior coaches whose experience and international success will complement the development of Athletic Australia’s future coaching strategy,” Mark Arbib, Athletics Australia President, said.

“Athletics Australia has already instituted a well-respected coach education framework and this agreement is designed to ensure its continued improvement, resulting in the best possible outcomes for our athletes and their coaches.”

Dennis Goodwin, ATFCA President, echoed Arbib’s enthusiasm for the opportunities the memorandum of understanding presents.

“While we need to acknowledge there is still some considerable work to be done to reach a deeper understanding of how this partnership will work in practice, the principles agreed to in this MOU is a great achievement for both our organisations and a huge step forward for the sport of athletics in Australia.” Goodwin said.

“I am very excited about the prospects of working closely with AA in a collaborative environment, and the benefits this relationship will bring to our athletes, coaches and administrators of the sport in general going forward into the future.”

A detailed operating agreement remains to be confirmed, with Athletics Australia and the ATFCA to meet in October to consider the next steps.