2023 Youth Academy & Speed-Power Academy

27 November 2023

2023 Youth Academy & Speed-Power Academy

Nurturing Junior Talent, Aspiring to Senior Success

In September 2014 Athletics Northern Ireland launched the Youth Academy to support Northern Ireland’s talented young athletes and their coaches.

We believe physical & technical preparation and a performance mindset are critical for athlete development and we must create a challenging, supportive, open and professional environment where athletes and coaches can fulfil their potential.

Athletics Northern Ireland's Academies aim to identify and develop talented junior athletes and raise their potential for senior success. We are focused on improving physical qualities, sporting knowledge, psychological skills and performance behaviours in young athletes whilst educating parents and coaches on what it takes to perform consistently on the international stage as seniors. In doing so we believe Northern Ireland will develop a pipeline of junior athletes who will become successful seniors representing Northern Ireland at the Commonwealth Games and Great Britain or Ireland at major championships.

Since establishing the Academy in 2014 supported Athletes have achieved Commonwealth Youth Games Medals, European Junior Medals & World Para Medals & made breakthroughs to compete at European Team Championships, Senior Commonwealth Games, European & World Indoors. At the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in 2022 there were five Academy Graduates on the team who achieved 3x top 10 finishes and a silver medal.

 

Eligibility

  • Youth Academy… an athlete must be eligible for NI Commonwealth Games selection by fulfilling one of the below criteria
    • Being born in NI
    • Having at least 1 parent or grandparent born in NI
    • Having 3 years residence in NI.
  • Speed - Power Academy… an athlete must be either NI eligible (as above) or Ulster eligible (from one of the additional 3 counties of Ulster.)

 

Youth Academy

The Athletics Northern Ireland Youth Academy has proven popular and successful and now has bases at Jordanstown and Coleraine. The 2023-2024 recommenced launched in October 2023 supporting 30 athlete-coach pairs.

ATHLETE

EVENT

COACH

Aida Zukauskaite

Hammer

Paul Kirkpatrick

Andrew Greer

100m WC

Heather Ardis

Annabel Morrison

3000m

Tommy Farrell

Aoibheann Dempsey

400mH

Ian Neely

Ashleigh McArdle

Shot / Multis

Barry McArdle

Ava Colgan

Multis

Jim O'Neill

Ava Diver

800m

Catherine Diver

Ben Acheson

1500m

Mark Kirk

Blaine Lynch

Javelin

Laura Lewis

Callum Baird

400m

Ian Neely

Callum Morgan

5000m

Mark Kirk

Charlie Lawden

Javelin

Laura Lewis

Clara Casey

800m

Tom Doherty

Emer McKee

1500m/3000m

Lawson Cochrane

Emily Morris

1500m/3000m

Lawson Cochrane

Emmy Thornton

800m

Mark Kirk

Finn Diver

1500m

Catherine Diver

Finn O'Neill

Decathlon

Jim Alexander / Wendy Phillips / Damien Crawford

Frank Buchanan

1500m/3000m

Francis Shaw

Isa McCarron

800m

Jim McKeown

Jodi Foster

800m

Davy Foster

Kirsti Foster

1500m

Davy Foster

Lucy foster

1500m

Davy Foster

Lughaidh Mallon

1500m

Mark Kirk

Luke Kelly

3000m/5000m

Mark Kirk

Meabh O’Connor

LJ/Heptathlon

Michael O'Connor

Nick Griggs

1500m/3000m

Mark Kirk

Poppy Hastings

3000m

Barrie Holmes

Rebecca Rossiter

1500m

Mark Kirk

Veronica O'Neill

100mH/400mH

Jim O'Neill

 

In 2023-2024 Academy support will include:

  • Weekly speed development and strength and conditioning
  • Quarterly strength diagnostics
  • Integrated Physiotherapy clinics
  • Athlete, parent and coach education
  • Performance planning support for athletes and coaches

 

Speed Power Academy

The Speed-Power Academy, delivered at Ulster University Jordanstown recommenced in October 2023 with 18 athletes from NI & Ulster aged 14-18 years old selected. Speed-Power Academy assists athletes and their coaches with improving physical preparation & performance behaviours. Athletes have the opportunity to sample aspects of the Youth Academy curriculum and access strength and conditioning, speed development and strength diagnostics. The Speed Power-Academy has previously proven useful in accelerating a number of young athletes towards Youth Academy.

ATHLETE

EVENT

COACH

Caleb McFadden

HJ

Stephen Lewis

Ben Sykes

100m

Gillian Sykes

Cora Scullion

1500m

Adrian Scullion

Erin Cross

400m

Lawson Cochrane

Ewan Donald

100m

Gillian Sykes

Finn Cross

800m

Lawson Cochrane

Finn McClean

80mH

Brendan McConville

Grace Bennett

3000m

Jim McKeown

Jonny McLaughlin

Javelin

Paddy McGrattan

Katie Keown

1500m

Jim McKeown

Lily Rimmer

1500m

Jim McKeown

Martha Orr

200m

Ian Neely

Noah Harper

800m

Jim McKeown

Noah Watt

3000m

Andrew Han

Olivia Morgan

800m

Jim McKeown

Roger McMullan

Long Jump

Adam McMullen

Saul Thompson

800m

Ian Neely

Thomas Williams

Hammer

Neil Williams

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