Meet the talented coaches 2007
From left to right - Natalie Jacques, Andy Smith, Sally Thomas, Matt Williams, Anthony Nweke, Paul Gair, Jill Barlow, Carole Johnson, Richard Camm
Here are the talented coaches from the 2007 - 2008 project.
Please use the links above to find more information on each coach.
The 9 coaches who were included the programme are from a variety of sports. They represent:
- football
- netball
- BMX (Bicycle Moto Cross) and mountain biking
- sailing
- athletics
- swimming
- trampolining
- rugby union
Each Nottinghamshire district is represented.
Jill Barlow – Swimming (Rushcliffe)
Jill is working her way up the coaching scale having begun as a poolside helper working at Bingham Swimming Club and then took her ASA assistant and teacher qualifications. She is now a qualified club coach and works with the Nova Centurion county squads (Newark and Sherwood and Mansfield) as well as the recently merged Calverton and Bingham Swimming Club (Rushcliffe). Jill is interested in an all-round approach to coaching – developing the swimmer to perform but also encouraging life skills and confidence in the individual. She hopes the programme will provide the opportunity for her to begin working with higher level swimmers and working towards her level 4 qualification and that she will be able to learn from working with performance coaches. She feels these new skills can then be adapted to her coaching in a club setting.
Richard Camm – BMX and Mountain Biking (Broxtowe)
Richard began coaching in 2004. He currently works with the Bulwell Outlaws (City) and Bramcote Hills and Bramcote Park Schools (Broxtowe). He is a British Cycling level 2 club coach teaching BMX basic skills through to detailed techniques and the same for mountain bikes. He also coaches for the British Cycling Federation as well as local Scouts and Guides associations and helps to run club races or repair bikes as he has cycle mechanic and regional refereeing qualifications. Richard hopes to use the programme to gain better access to quality lead coaches in his sport who can provide tips and techniques for improving his results. He is also keen on reaching wider audiences and promoting his sport to children and adults as well as learning how to communicate more effectively with participants who are more challenging and perhaps have behavioural issues.
Paul Gair – Athletics (Mansfield)
Volunteering up to seven hours a week with Mansfield Harriers Athletics Club, Joseph Whitaker School (Newark and Sherwood) and the county squads, Paul is well known in athletics in Nottinghamshire. Currently a level 2 coach and beginning work on his level 3 in September, he can be found every week at the Berry Hill track coaching club throwers and supporting events. He works with newcomers to the sport along with seasoned competitors and has coached his daughter to perform consistently well at a national level. Paul wants to use the programme to improve his communication skills with athletes and their parents and to work with the other sports on the programme to try and apply some of their good practice to athletics.
Natalie Jacques – Trampolining (Lives in Derbyshire – coaching in Nottinghamshire)
Working with athletes as young as 5 years old from recreational to regional level, Natalie coaches at Chilwell Olympia (Broxtowe), Rushcliffe Leisure Centre (Rushcliffe), Farnborough College (City) and Phoenix Trampolining Club (Erewash). As a competitor Natalie was coached by international high performance coaches and now hopes to achieve this level for herself. She is currently a level 2 coach and has begun work on her level 3 qualification this month. Natalie sees the programme as a way of working towards becoming a high performance coach and helping to develop national champions as she gains experience and picks up new skills.
Carole Johnson – Swimming (Bassetlaw)
Working with Nova Centurion, Retford Swimming Club and Bassetlaw District Council, Carole has been coaching swimming for 9 years. She works with swimmers of all ages and abilities from beginners through to performance and has had considerable experience in training disabled swimmers. Currently Carol is one of the lead coaches for the Kelloggs scheme which encourages families to experience water activities at their local leisure centre. She is looking forward to using the scheme to update her coaching techniques and learn how to spot athletes with potential. She is also keen to work with coaches who are more qualified than herself to learn from them and develop her coaching style.
Anthony Nweke – Football (Mansfield)
A former bronze medallist at the Cerebral Palsy World Games, Anthony has always been interested in sport and has been involved in coaching since completing a work placement with Notts County’s Football in the Community in 2002. He is currently coaching with Nottinghamshire County Council’s Sports Disability Unit and Mansfield Town Football Club’s Centre of Excellence as well as working with the Nottinghamshire Powerchair Football Club and Sherwood Seals Swimming Club. Anthony is also a qualified tutor for Sports Leaders and is passionate about meeting other disabled people and convincing them that having a disability is not a barrier to developing yourself and other people through sport. He is hoping the programme will provide a better background for him in topics such as sports science and psychology and that his assigned mentor will provide him both with support for his disability and support to develop his coaching techniques.
Andy Smith – Sailing (Ashfield)
Although still competing at national level in the Challenger Trimaran Class and aiming for a place at the Paralympic Games, Andy aspires to become a top national coach. He is currently working on a foundation degree in sports coaching and development at West Nottinghamshire College to support this ambition. At present he is coaching for the Nottinghamshire County Council Sports Disability Unit and volunteers at the Mill Adventure Club where he teaches kayaking and sailing to 11 to 19 year olds. He thinks the programme will really accelerate his development and offer him an insight into the coaching world as well being able to share his experience of coaching from the other side as a competitor. Andy has already signed up for his first governing body course on the programme and will be taking the Level 2 Royal Yachting Association Power Boat course in September.
Sally Thomas – Netball (Newark and Sherwood)
Coaching for Newark Shooters Netball Club and Barnby Road Primary School, Sally has been coaching netball for 8 years in primary and secondary schools as well as at the club she helped to set up. She was responsible for coaching many of the players in the two squads that won gold medals for Newark and Sherwood at this year’s Nottinghamshire Youth Games. She feels that the programme will give her the opportunity to assess her coaching and looks forward to having the support of a mentor as well as her fellow coaches to share experiences and develop her skills.
Matt Williams – Rugby Union (Rushcliffe – coaching in Gedling, City, Leicester)
Coaching at Mellish RFC, Nottingham University, Notts Lincs and Derbys and Leicester Tigers, Matt is involved with coaching rugby players from age 7 through to adults. By day he is the Rugby Development Officer delivering community programmes for the Leicester Tigers but in his spare time, Matt still manages to spend 22.5 hours a week as a voluntary coach working with the Women's 1st XV at Nottingham University, Mellish RFC’s junior and senior teams and the Notts, Lincolnshire and Derbyshire RFU Men's 1st XV squad.
By taking part in the talented coaches project, Matt is hoping to develop his overall knowledge as a coach and to acquire the skills to be able to spot possible high performers. He wants to be able to create long term plans for the players he works with and to build on his knowledge of areas such as diet, fitness, strength and conditioning and psychology.