Triathlon England Eastern Region - Regional Academy
Click here for an Application Form
The Eastern Regional Academy is intended to serve several purposes:
1) To provide an excellent coaching environment for the cream of the region’s youth and junior triathletes. At the moment most of our clubs cannot do this because they do not have coaches with experience of elite competition and they do not have enough youth and junior members to make special provision for them. As a result we see promising tri-stars drop out as they reach the youth age group.
2) To provide an excellent environment for talented athletes new to triathlon. Triathlon needs to present an attractive proposition to athletes with proven swimming and running ability if it is to attract and retain them.
3) To provide excellent education and experience to club coaches. Most club coaches do little coaching outside of their own clubs. By working together, and with different athletes, we can all learn from each other and grow.
4) To educate and support athletes, parents and coaches making the transition into the world of elite triathlon. Elite sport isn’t just about athletes and it isn’t just about being talented. In triathlon there is a also the draft-legal factor which makes the sport itself so different
Sessions
Initially we plan to hold Academy sessions close to the centre of the region in Newmarket and Cambridge, and at the Ford test track at Dunton in Essex. Once the Academy becomes established we’ll consider any suitable venues and hosts. During the summer we plan to include open water swimming in our programme.
Sessions will take place about once a month and will focus on the following areas: group cycling skills, strength and conditioning, open water swimming skills, running technique and drills, racing skills and tactics. There will also be discussions about subjects like lifestyle management, diet and nutrition, race preparation, kit and equipment, and bike mechanics.
Coaching
The academy will be led by Tim Williams. Tim has been coaching triathlon and cycling since the late 1990s when he coached his wife, Heather, to reach the top 30 in the world rankings and represent Britain at elite level. Since then he’s coached four more Cambridge Tri Club athletes to elite international level and many more to age-group success in domestic and international races. He also started the junior triathlon club in Cambridge and has overseen its growth to the point where he can hand it over to his coaching team and turn his attention to the Regional Academy. He’s been bike racing for 18 years and can still hold his own in elite fields. He’s a level 3 triathlon coach.
Tim will be supported by coaches from around the region
Who should apply?
You should apply if you feel that you satisfy (more than one of) these criteria:
You are already doing triathlon and doing well in Tri-Star and youth events.
You are training regularly in a swimming club
You are committed to following a training programme.
You love running.