Consultation key to Athletic Association’s strategic plan
An Extraordinary General Meeting was called in Portlaoise to air fears about the direction in which the AAI was going following the installation of an interim chief executive.
The meeting had been called for by the Leitrim County Board with the support of some 14 other counties, and their motions were all accepted by acclamation without being put to a vote.
Members will have an opportunity to view the plan when it is taken around the country and a consultation process will take place. Once they see the plan they will have an opportunity to either agree or disagree with it.
It was accepted at the meeting that lack of consultation may have been central to the fears expressed by the grassroots membership, and it would appear they are happy that a consultation process will be put in place and they will have an opportunity to air their views of the developments which are likely to change the manner in which Irish athletics will be run in future.
The interim chief executive, Gary Owens, addressed the meeting.
Meanwhile, the World Youth Championships got under way in Marrakech, Morocco yesterday when David McCarthy (West Waterford) was the first of the Irish athletes in action.
The schools champion, who won a silver medal at last week’s European Youth Olympics, was in hot company for a 16 year old but he finished third in his heat in 1:55.40. The heat was won by Mumbwa Kivuna Jackson in 1:54.19 with Frederik Hallinder second in 1:54.93.
With just the first two and the 10 fastest losers to go through, he missed out by just one place in his bid to make the next round.
Ciarán O Lionáird (Leevale) is scheduled to compete in the 1,500m heats today.
Meanwhile, the director of the National Coaching and Training Centre (NCTC), Dr Pat Duffy, is to leave the post later this year.
Dr Duffy is set to take up a new appointment as chief executive of the UK’s leading coaching agency, Sports Coach UK, on September 5.
He had worked at the NCTC since its inception in 1991 and played a central role in the development of the centre, and Irish sports.
Unfortunately he didn’t always succeed in winning the respect of those who controlled the purse strings. Some years ago, funding was moved from the Department to the Irish Sports Council and budgets became tighter.
Dr Duffy, himself a former athlete, has also had a role in a number of important initiatives including the FAI Technical Development Plan, Basketball Ireland’s SuperLeague Board, UL Arena, European 5-Level Coaching Structure, Targeting Sporting Change in Ireland, Code of Ethics and Good Practice for Children’s Sport, Building Pathways in Irish Sport, Sport Strategy in Northern Ireland and High Performance Strategy.
His immense talent was also recognised at international level. He has delivered key note addresses at various forums, and is currently Chairman of the European Coaching Council and Vice-President (Europe) of the International Council for Coach Education.
He will revel in his new position as head of Sports Coach UK, which is the government-designated lead agency for coaching in Britain.
The body is charged with implementing the 2002 Coaching Task Force Report which has seen an additional £27m per annum directed at coaching initiatives and the initiation of a UK-wide coaching certificate.
The organisation’s role in the development of coaching has been further highlighted through the designation of London as the host city for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
“It is a tremendous honour to be appointed to this position at such an important time for UK sport,” Dr Duffy said.
“It was a very difficult decision to move from NCTC but the challenge and professional development opportunities of the UK position are just what I need at this stage of my career.
“One of the main reasons I was approached about the sports coach UK job was the record of and esteem in which the NCTC and its staff are held internationally.
“It has been an absolute privilege to work with the NCTC technical and administrative teams and I am certain that they have a key role to play in addressing the challenges currently facing Irish sport.”
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
