Athletics Australia to launch High Performance Coach Mentoring Program

A combined total of 350 years of experience will be harvested from some of Australia’s most revered track and field coaches, as Athletics Australia launches its Coach Mentoring Program in conjunction with the Australian Institute of Sport.

A key initiative of AA’s Coach Development Strategy, the newly formed pilot program aims to capture the collective expertise of some of Australia’s most highly qualified, experienced and respected coaches for the benefit of developing high performance coaches and their athletes ahead of the Paris 2024 and LA 2028 Games.

The mentoring program will be conducted over 12 months with 11 mentors including AA Targeted Athlete Campaign Lead and former head coach Craig Hilliard, as well as Dick Telford, Sandro Bisetto, Tudor Bidder, Uwe Hohn, Sharon Hannan, John Quinn, Esa Peltola, Lyn Foreman, Cliff Mallet and Peter Fortune.

Athletics Australia’s National Performance Pathways Lead – Coaching, Di Huxley said the pilot program intends to pass on crucial knowledge to selected NASS coaches, to build on the success of the Australian teams at the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“Research confirms mentoring to be one the most effective vehicles of coach education and has been instrumental to the success of our coaches from the grassroots level to the elite,” Huxley said.

“We’re incredibly lucky to have so many coaches of such a high calibre in Australia, and this pilot program has the potential to yield great benefits, such as such as increased learning, motivation, and confidence, along with faster career advancement for both coaches and athletes.”

National Coach Development Coordinator Mark Stewart said the achievements of the 11 coaches at the elite level would also be critical to the success of the program.

“Our mentors have coached medallists or top 8 finishers as well as multiple team members at the Commonwealth Games, World Championships, Olympics or Paralympics, and bring with them a wealth of knowledge and experience from related areas across our sport,” Stewart said.

“Importantly, they all share a passion for athletics and are all highly committed to providing education and mentoring opportunities for other coaches.”

With nearly four decades of coaching experience behind him, Hilliard said he was looking forward to contributing to the initiative, which be believes has the potential to bolster the sport for years to come. 

“I was lucky enough to come through the AIS Coach Apprenticeship Mentor Program in 1982 and it was responsible for really starting my career. It opened doors for me rapidly, and I found that it was critical for myself and other coaches of understand the art of coaching.

“There’s a lot that myself and the other mentors will be able to pass on, and not just on the technical side. Much of what you learn as a coach, you acquire through experience. By passing on that experience, we can help coaches frame their own coaching philosophy and their approach to athletes, while helping them upskill their knowledge to improve their daily training environments.”

The program commences today, with training for both the mentors and the  group of NASS coaches they will be working with. Then over the next 12 months they will spend time together in each other’s daily training environments; as well having as monthly online town hall meeting  with presentations, forums and Q&As conducted by mentors and other specialist guests.

The intent of the program, based on its success, is to continue the initiative as part of Athletics Australia’s Coach Education and Development Framework, and extend future opportunities throughout the Australian athletics community.

By Sascha Ryner, Athletics Australia
Posted: 2/12/2021