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In April 2009, six top New Zealand coaches commenced the Coach Accelerator Programme. The Coach Accelerator is an innovative programme funded by SPARC aimed at providing our top coaches with the skills to produce World, Olympic or Paralymic champions within five years. Already there is an impressive line up of coaches ready to apply for next year’s intake.
The first six coaches selected for the programme were; Steve Hansen (All Blacks, rugby), Mike Hesson (Otago Volts, cricket), Yvette McCausland-Durie (Pulse franchise, netball), Tom Willmott (snowboarding), Dave Thompson (rowing) and Dayle Cheatley (track cycling).
The three year Coach Accelerator programme provides these coaches with individually-tailored professional development plans, four compulsory residential camps per year, and a mix of sport-specific and generic coaching training.
We spoke to Chris Bailey, Senior Advisor – People & Performance at SPARC, to find out more about this exciting new initiative.
“The Coach Accelerator is about turning good coaches into great ones through an intensive development programme,” says Chris.
“High performance coaching in New Zealand is quickly becoming fully professional and the demands on coaches are far greater than in the past. Not surprisingly, we therefore have a shortfall of exceptional coaches. But the good news is there are some coaches who have the potential to quickly take their skills to the next level,” says Chris.
“While there are already some great approaches to teaching fundamental coaching skills, we also needed to look at new, innovative ways to accelerate the coaches’ learning. And that’s where the Coach Accelerator Programme has grown from.”
“The first residential camp began in April and focussed on leadership,” says Chris. “We brought in the then New Zealand Post Chief Executive John Allen and New Zealand Defence Force Chief of Army Major General Lou Gardiner to share their proven leadership expertise.”
Other innovative components of the programme so far have included working with horses, performing as a V8 pit crew at Ruapuna race track, presenting to a world-champion public speaker and teaching school children to use ‘rip sticks.’
