Water polo coach selected for ‘exciting and innovative’ programme

Water polo coach Richard Cousins has been chosen to take part in an ‘exciting and innovative’ year-long journey to boost his development.

The Sedgefield WPC coach has been selected for the Swim England Pathway Coach Programme 2021-2022.

The Pathway Coach Programme  – which also includes 18 swimming and two diving coaches – comprises of six workshops, immersive fieldwork and one-to-one guidance from a mentor on the Swim England Coach Developer team

It will also include a blend of technical and non-technical information, delivered through both online and face to face interactions.

The programme is specifically aimed at coaches who are predominantly working with age-group and early youth level athletes within the Swim England Talent Pathways.

Useful tool

Lindsay Trimmings, Swim England coach development manager, said: “We’re delighted to see so many coaches from our disciplines taking part in the Pathway Coach Programme.

“It is an exciting and innovative course which will help enhance the skills of the many talented coaches selected for the programme and we hope they find it informative and a useful tool in their development.”

The swimming coaches have so far completed the first workshop about developing self awareness and reflective practice.

They are now working towards workshop two which focuses on creating and nurturing an effective talent development environment.

Coaches selected on the Swim England Pathway Coach Programme

Diving: Ben Carman (Corby Steel Diving Club), Brandon Foster (Southampton Diving Academy).
Swimming: Patrick Blake (City of Hereford Swimming Club), David Cousins (Bristol Penguins Olympic Swimming Club), Joe Evans (Wycombe District Swimming Club), Jamie Fowler (Team Luton), Gerry Gillespie (Enfield Swim Squad), Rob Hudson (Nova Centurion Swimming Club), Kyle Hudson (City of Derby), Gary Inch (Brentwood SC), Ian Jones (Tiverton Swimming Club), Pat Leaman (Clevedon ASC), Stuart McCrea (Leatherhead Swimming Club), Becki McGuire (Morpeth ASC), Laurence Mills (Modernian Swimming Club), Lawrence Palmer (Putteridge Swimming Club), Will Philpot (Crawley Swimming Club), Matt Smart (Guildford City Swimming Club), Zoe Stemp (Havant & Waterlooville), Matt Turner (City of Manchester Aquatics).
Water polo: Richard Cousins (Sedgefield WPC).

Coaches on the Swim England Coach Developer team

John Adye (Repton School), Russ Barber, Amanda Booth (Headington), Kevin Brooks (Wycombe), Dave Champion (Ipswich), Paul Connolly (England Hockey), Euan Dale (Millfield), Richard Denigan (City of Leeds), Janko Gojkovic (Hatfield), Jo John (Exeter City), Chris Leighton (Borough of Stockton), Ryan Livingstone (Millfield), Kim Longland (Greenwich), Jamie Main (Derventio Excel), Tom Owens (Leeds Diving), Mark Rose (City of Manchester), Marc Spackman (Royal Wolverhampton), Ian Wright (Glasgow), Paul Woodley (Derwentside).