Centre to set up commission for coach development

Sports

High Performance Sport Papua New Guinea has begun work to establish a coach commission to support coaches in their development.
The notion sprouted from the recent Association of Sport Performance Centre congress attended by the Papua New Guinea Sports Foundation executive director Peter Tsiamalili Jr and High Performance Sport Papua New Guinea director Aaron Alsop in Durban, South Africa.
Although winning is often aligned to a high performance team/athlete, capacity building is a key fundamental for the long-term sustained success at the elite level.
Alsop said: “We regularly hear of the investment being made into the athletes but not often do we see that coming forth for the coaches.
“This is an integral part of any successful programme.
“We understand that national federations and sports in general don’t have a lot of resources but together we all have the expertise. The PNG Coach Commission will present an opportunity to bring that expertise together and develop some solid curriculum, frameworks and accreditation programmes.
“This platform is currently lacking in PNG but together with our national federations, the Oceania sport organisations, OSFO and the International Council for Coaching Excellence, it’s a project we are moving forward with. Our long term goal is that coaching is seen as a profession, with coaches remunerated like any job such as teaching,” he said.
“Athletes compete for four to 10 years at the elite level but coaches can develop athletes for decades. This investment will see a legacy left in PNG.
“We have progressed well with our coach education system and will continue.”