Lifestyle Support and Personal Planning
Performance Lifeskills and Personal Performance Planning
The Performance Lifeskills and Planning support service is designed to address two key components – the performance environment around an athlete and the personal skills to operate effectively as a high performance athlete. The Institute’s Athlete Career Development and Athlete Education Support programmes assist athletes to engage effectively with their employers or education institution to build an environment that is supportive of high performance sport.
Our Performance Lifeskills coaches work with athletes to develop and enhance their personal performance management skills (planning, negotiation, communication) to ensure that their training and recovery are optimised and that their athletic life is balance with other activities and demands.
Below are two case study examples of our work in this area.
Natalya Coyle – Modern Pentathlon
Natalya Coyle – Modern Pentathlon
Occupation: Full time athlete / part-time student
Institute supports: Medical; Physiotherapy; Strength & Conditioning; Nutrition; Psychology; Physiology; Performance Lifeskills and planning
Natalya is a full time athlete pursing qualification for London 2012. She combines this with part time study at Trinity College Dublin studying business.
Working with her Institute Lifeskills and planning coach Ken Lynch, Natalya negiated a flexibile learning agreement with Trinity College Dublin. This split Natalya’s programme into one year’s study over a two year period and included flexibility around end of year exams.
These arrangements allow Natalya to train effectively, allow suitable time for rest and recovery, travel to the required arenas for training and create a positive distraction outside of her sport. This type of distraction helps to reduce the level of athlete identity and creates a more rounded and holistically developed athlete better able to cope with adversity, decision making and life after sport.
There have been a number of people involved in the creation of this environment for Natalya. Performance Director, Lindsey Weedon provided a clear performance focus. Work on time management and coping skills have been delivered in tandem with the performance specific psychology support with Kate Kirby. Trinity College DUCAC (Sport Dept.) and Natalya’s Head of Departments and lecturers have also been extremely positive and supportive.
Darren O’Neill – Boxing
Occupation: Full time athlete / career break teacher
Institute supports: Medical; Strength & Conditioning; Performance Analysis; Nutrition; Performance Lifeskills and Planning
On June 8th 2010, Darren O Neill won his first ever major senior world level medal at the 2010 European Boxing Championships in Moscow. His success in the ring was also marked by a significant success out of the ring when he successful completed the transition from third level education into the world of work during the same year.
Darren O’Neill is an example of how the Institute’s Athlete Education and Career Development programmes have positively impacted on the performance of a top athlete. With support from the Institute of Sport Darren completed his teaching degree in St Patricks College, Drumcondra in 2009. He then successfully interviewed for a job as a full time teacher in Holy Trinity School, Donaghmede. Since then the Institute has brokered a career break to enable Darren to represent Ireland at the 2012 Olympics.
‘In early 2010 Daragh successfully lead a 10 month lifestyle support programme that involved integrating my competition and training programme with my employment schedule. This involved leading key meetings with our Head Coach Billy Walsh, Sports Psychologist and S&C Coach with regard to my high performance training programme. Once we agreed on a lifestyle profile befitting of a world class athlete, Daragh then lead a successful engagement with my employer which lead to a successful brokering of 6 weeks paid leave prior to my success at the European Boxing Championship in Moscow 2010. I cannot stress the importance of Daragh's support, help and work etiquette throughout our relationship. I feel privileged to have someone who can work so effectively and yet still have the time and understanding to recognize the needs and vulnerabilities of an athlete’ Darren O’Neill