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- Dave Thompson, Rowing New Zealand, Coach Accelerator Programme participant.
“I was 19 when I started coaching the kids at Taradale High School,” says Dave. “That led me to St Peter’s in Cambridge, where I’ve lived for the past nine years, then on to Sacred Heart and Hamilton Boys.”
Dave’s coaching career has seen him working at an international level, with his athletes competing at the following regattas:
2008 – Men’s Junior Eight – Silver medal at Junior World Championships
2007 – Under 23 Men’s Coxless Fours – Silver medal at the U23 World Rowing Championships
2007 – Men’s Under 23 Single – Gold at the U23 World Rowing Championships
2006 – Women’s Junior Coxless Fours – Fifth at the Junior World Championships
2005 – Men’s Double Scull – Third at the Junior World Championships.
Nowadays, you can find Dave working for Rowing New Zealand as coach of the New Zealand Men’s rowing squad.
Like all good coaches, Dave knows there’s always more he can learn. So, when a colleague encouraged him to put his name forward for SPARC’s Coach Accelerator Programme, he thought, “why not?”
“I’m keen to continue my learning as much as I can for the benefit of my athletes and felt I probably had an outside chance of being accepted,” says Dave. “I was amazed to find I was one of only six coaches chosen out of a pool of about 40 applications.”
Dave began the Coach Accelerator Programme in April 2009, together with five other high-profile coaches. He’s found the programme “fantastic” so far.
“To be fair, I didn’t appreciate the kinds of benefits I’d get out of it when I applied, but I’m certainly reaping them already,” says Dave. “Having the opportunity to work alongside other coaches and learn from each other is fantastic.”
The programme participants come together for a week four times a year and are in contact on a regular basis throughout the year.
“I can’t say enough about the knowledge I’ve gained so far,” says Dave. “One thing that surprised me was how much I’ve learned from people who aren’t even in the sports industry and have shared their leadership skills with us. It’s really broadened my learning.”
