European Athletics High-Performance Conferences

European Athletics High-Performance Conference 23-24 November 2013, Frankfurt (GER)

European Athletics High-Performance ConferencesDiscussion Group Feedback

• What can federations really do to affect the performances of elite athletes?

• What are the reasons European athletes seem to compete less than successful athletes from other areas?

• What can we do to improve the planning of performance development and the provision of services to elite athletes and their coaches?

• What are the recommendations you can make for each other and European Athletics?

European Athletics High-Performance ConferencesGroup Members

Jose Luis DeCarlos ESP

Stephen Maguire GBR

Bengt-Erik Blomkvist SWE

Diyan Drashkov BUL

Kevin Ankrom IRL

Ronny Nilsen NOR

Sinisa Ergotic CRO

Dimitrios Michelarakis GRE

Rogel Nahum ISR

Goran Obradovic SRB

Edvins Krums LAT

Frédéric Kimmlingen LUX

Goran Chavdarovski MKD

Dushica Jovanovska MKD

Frederic Choquard MON

European Athletics High-Performance ConferencesDiscussion Group Feedback

• What can federations really do to affect the performances of elite athletes?

1. Educate coaches and create professional development-support through funding

2. Organize high level camps and competitions

3. Change culture of athletes and coaches

4. Integrated approach between athlete-coach-performance services (case management meetings)

5. Evidence based data to invest in the right athletes and coaches

European Athletics High-Performance ConferencesDiscussion Group Feedback

• What are the reasons European athletes seem to compete less than successful athletes from other areas?

1. Culture is the different (those that like to compete vs. those that don’t like to compete)

2. Coaches philosophy is/is NOT to compete

3. Europe lack of quality competition

4. Athletes philosophy is/is NOT to compete

5. Europe needs to sync competition calendar better

European Athletics High-Performance ConferencesDiscussion Group Feedback

• What can we do to improve the planning of performance development and the provision of services to elite athletes and their coaches?

1. Integrate performance services (economies of scale) that is driven and managed by one person

2. Appoint EA specific specialist in performance services (ie. EA biomechanics specialist)

3. EA to appoint leads in event groups and education federations around best practice

4. Continued education for federation coaches

5. EA become the specialist in delivery of education courses / website

European Athletics High-Performance ConferencesDiscussion Group Feedback

• What are the recommendations you can make for each other and European Athletics?

1. Has to be driven by the EAA

2. Share ideas

3. Cooperation within EAA countries

4. Create a high performance/head coach series-education program course

5. Multiple platforms of delivery of information - Websites - Videos - Seminars - Coach education courses