Mike Workman - Director Of Coaching - Squash Wales

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Mike Workman – Director Of Coaching

Contact Details
Telephone: 07971052567
Email: mike.workman@www.squash.wales

Profile

My claim to fame, I was in the Welsh Masters team that beat England 2 years in succession.

I am married to Karen with a young daughter Kate and we live in Miskin the gateway of the Rhondda valley. My coaching journey started in 1991 when I attended an English SRA Part1 coaching award in Redwood Lodge.

Shortly afterwards I started coaching in Barry Leisure Centre and St Mellons Squash Club. I was coaching for 4 hours daily, together with full time employment. My first role with Welsh Squash Rackets Association, as it was named then, in 1993, was to assist Phil Miller (under 16 national squad coach) from Pontypool with the Under 16 Girls National Squad. I never forget the first time I travelled to the Home Internationals in Ireland, with Phil as my mentor. The girls were beaten and upset after every match. Phil simply smiled and had a knack of making the girls feel that they were winners. Our team spirit was second to none.

My coaching responsibilities were primarily with the Under 16 and Under 19 Girls Squads, and Ladies B squad.

Between 1993 and 2000, I qualified as a Part 2, 3 and 4 Coach, and attended a World coaching conference in Brazil, with my idol Jahangir Khan, when my daughter was only 10 days old!

In 1999, I was appointed as Assistant National Coach, with Squash Wales. My role was to develop the standard of emerging elite junior players, using training programmes, individual targets, and monitoring and evaluating individual performances. I also attended domestic, European and International events with
junior individual players and junior and senior team championships, mentored by Squash Wales National Coach, Chris Robertson.

My highlights in the role was winning the Bronze medal in Germany with the Under 15 mixed Welsh team, together with 3 Senior European team Bronze medals, and attending the Junior Commonwealth Games as Coach Manager in 2000, followed by the Commonwealth Games in Manchester in 2002.

Later in 2002, I was appointed Director of Coaching and Development. My main areas of responsibility was to increase and maintain adult and junior affiliation and participation from grass roots through to elite players, and to develop and implement coach education and professional development programmes
throughout Wales. I was fundamentally responsible for producing a coach and player pathway.

Whilst in this role, I was also a member of the United Kingdom Coaching Certificate (UKCC) Focus group with partners from England, Ireland and Scotland, including Sport Coach UK. We were instrumental in mapping out the UKCC Level 1, 2 and 3 coaching qualifications, which have become a recognised World class coaching system.

Between 1995 and 1997 I qualified as a Squash Wales Level 3 Tutor and Assessor, and recently requalified as per the UKCC requirements outlined by the awarding body 1st4 Sport. In 2006, I qualified with a Level 3 Certificate in Tutoring Sport (CTS) and Level 3 in Introduction to Assessment Practice in Sport (IAPS), and then in 2009, I added the Level 3 Certificate in Internal Verification Practice in Sport.

I am managing a staff team of committed professional part time volunteers who are dedicated to working with and offering support to clubs, leisure centres, universities and schools across the nation.

The team’s vision is to:

• Increase the popularity of Squash and Racketball in Wales
• Increase participation in Squash and Racketball
• Ensure coaches and referees are suitably qualified and receive continuous professional development
• Continue to provide a system to nurture elite players so that they can mature and fulfil their potential
• Achieve success on the highest stage
• Produce players who are honoured to represent their country
• Foster players who respect their sport, their peers, their family, their coaches and themselves

Squash and racketball are fantastic sports that offer lifelong opportunity for participation in healthy, sociable activities which are easy to learn and play. The history of Squash in Wales is of increased popularity and sustained success.

Mike Workman

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