NI and Ulster Endurance Development Squad 2017 2018
20 July 2017
Following the successful delivery of two squads in 2016/2017, Athletics NI are pleased announce the selections for the 2017/2018 Ulster & NI Endurance Development Squads. The endurance initiative aims to develop promising young athletes and their coaches. Run in conjunction with the Ulster Athletics Council and Athletics Ireland the "Ulster & Northern Ireland Endurance Development Squad” weekends will be held three times across the year and provide an opportunity for the select group of developing endurance athletes to train together and learn key skills that will aid them in achieving success in endurance events.
Jackie Newton, Director of Coaching and Athlete Development said, “Through this series of camps we aim to support the preparation of athletes and the development of coaching in the endurance event group. Our plan is to focus on specific preparation and training that is relevant for each phase in a periodised year. We will time-phase the camps so that appropriate training methods and factors are explored at the start of each new phase through the autumn, winter and spring.”
The single day Squad will take place on Saturday 16th September. The content delivered on this first day will include practical workshops on ‘Planning the Training Programme’ and ‘Physical Preparation’ including strength and conditioning and running mechanics. The various sessions will be delivered by a team made up of Athletics NI staff and identified endurance coaches from across Ulster and Northern Ireland. We are also delighted that Kerry O’Flaherty has accepted our invite to come along as guest of honour. Kerry will share her thoughts on the importance of careful planning and building strength to be able to train optimally.
In order to be invited to the squad weekends athletes must meet specified selection criteria and have the approval of their personal coach to attend.
Newton went on to say, “We recognise that the personal coach is pivotal in the development of athletes. We would very much like coaches to attend the camps with their athletes and particularly this first session as we will spend a significant amount of time looking at planning for the year and collecting information on topics that coaches want to be covered in the subsequent camps. The camps will be complemented by other Endurance Coach Network sessions through the winter where we will welcome informative and entertaining guest speakers and allow opportunity for this Community of Practice to develop.”
The first squad weekend will take place from 9.45am on Saturday 16th September 2017 at Greenmount CAFRE Campus. The selection criteria for the first squad day are detail on the Endurance Squads page of the Athletics NI website http://athleticsni.org/Athletes/Pathway/Development-Squads/Endurance-Development-Squad along with a provisional list of athletes who Athletics NI believe have met the criteria.
Similar to last year, Athletics NI are providing a 7-day grace window for individuals who may have slipped through the cracks to contact the office and be added to the list.
If having looked carefully through the criteria you believe you have been accidentally omitted please send an email to allister@athleticsni.org, which includes your name, date of birth and a direct link to the qualifying result. We are sorry but we cannot accept individuals onto the squad weekend without proof that they meet the criteria.
Bookings will then open at noon on Thursday 27th July 2017 and be taken on a first come first served basis so look out for the press release next week.