Paddle UK Sprint Academy coach Sam Glover has been awarded a place on the UK Sport Athlete to Coach programme.
The athlete to coach programme aims to support and prepare former athletes for the shift into coaching, harnessing their prior background and experience and supporting them at the start of their career.
The 18-month programme will immerse the coaches in workshops, in-situ coach developer and peer support, and exposure to different coaching environments and perspectives.
Sam joined 14 other former athletes earlier this month at a kick off the programme.
He said: “Being selected for the Athlete to Coach programme is a huge achievement for me.
“As a group, we’ve already had our first get together in Wales. Being surrounded by coaches who have achieved great success in their respective sports was both nerve-wracking and incredibly humbling.
“We quickly formed strong relationships and it has been fascinating to gain insight into how other coaches operate within their elite sporting environments.
“Over the next months, we’ll be visiting each other’s training venues and I’m excited to take away new ideas, challenge existing processes and broaden my overall experience. These opportunities will help me to continue to develop my own coaching toolbox – something I can draw from to support the ongoing growth and confidence in my coaching delivery.”
Keir Worth, director of paddlesport for Paddle UK, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for Sam and we are really delighted that he was selected.
“The course will provide him the support and challenge that he requires to continue to develop and progress as a coach. Everyone in the team is looking forward to supporting him and seeing how he develops over the duration.”