The Horizon Programme

'A Long Term Coach Development Support - The 2016 Focus'

The Horizon Programme is a coach development programme designed to reflect the critical need to develop and support Ireland's top Junior and Developmental coaches. The programme will commence in November 29th 2012 and it will run until December 2013. The programme will offer coaches an opportunity to develop their coaching skills in an applied and performance driven context. In addition the programme will also offer recently retired athletes who have achieved coaching qualifications with an opportunity to begin their transition into a high performance coaching career.

The horizon programme will offer programme participants the following coach development supports:

1. Self Directed Learning Support

This support will facilitate coaches to spend their grant aid on learning activity critical to their long term development as a coach. This may include shadowing a senior head coach at a senior competition, attendance at an international coaching conference or the completion of a formal coaching qualification.

2. Horizon Coach Community Events

In order facilitate the development of horizon coaches leading into the 2016 quadrennial, four 1 day coach community events will be provided to successful applicants between October 2012 and December 2013. These events will use formal based learning activities involving case studies and lecture based activities across a range of themes central to the needs of top junior and developmental coaches. Such themes include: high performance systems development, long term athlete development, the athlete coach parent triad and application of performance science into the coaching process.

3. Podium Led Mentorship Support

A panel of top coaches from the 2012 Podium Programme will be offering a unique mentorship support to top junior and developmental coaches. This mentorship will be group based and mentorship groups will be formed based upon the needs of Horizon coaches. For example a group of endurance based Horizon coaches may get mentored by a top Podium Programme coach who has an advanced knowledge and experience of success relevant to this area. This mentorship support will be offered on a quarterly basis.

The entry criteria for the horizon programme includes the following benchmarks:

• The number of junior and developmental athletes that an applicant has coached who have won a medal(s) at World, European, and Youth Olympic events
• The number of years that an applicant has coached at a junior and developmental level at major world and European competitions
• The number of athletes that an applicant has coached who have successfully transitioned into a senior international programme
• Each coach must be officially appointed in a coaching role working with junior and developmental athletes in the high performance programme of their national sports body
• Recently retired athlete who has completed his/her coaching qualifications and is making the transition into coaching in the high performance programme of their national sports body and supported by the performance director/lead

A maximum of 12 places will be made available for the 2012 PEP Horizon Programme.

"The contacts I have made and the experiences I have shared have advanced me greatly. The opportunity to meet with other coaches has been fantastic both from within athletics and outside of it. Exposure to IIS staff, facilities and operations has been productive"

Teresa McDaid, Athletics, 2011 Programme Participant