Two-time British Swimming Coaches Association (BSCA) Coach of the Year, Melanie Marshall, has been selected to take part in UK Sport’s exclusive World Class Coaching: Elite Program.
Coaches from across the UK’s entire sporting realm were recently chosen for the program based on ‘their proven ability to deliver success at the highest level within the British top performance system.’ Each coach is allotted an ‘investment’ of £20,000 per year, and also includes ‘unparalleled access to world-leading expertise, technology and experiences.’
Marshall hails from the City of Derby, where she’s been in her coaching role for the past 6 years. The most accomplished athlete under Marshall’s tutelage to date is World Record Holder Adam Peaty, who raced to gold in both the 50m and 100m breaststroke events at last summer’s 2015 FINA World Championships.
Additional entrants into the coaching program include British Athletics’ Barry Fudge, British Cycling’s Paul Manning and football’s Gareth Southgate.
Of the collection of notable coaches entering the program, Liz Nicholl, Chief Executive of UK Sport, said “I’d like to congratulate the individuals selected as part of UK Sport’s latest World Class Coaching: Elite Programme cohort. They have already experienced success and are committed to doing whatever it takes to be the very best they can be. On the Elite Programme they will have the opportunity to learn with each other, from each other and from experts in other sports and industries. We look forward to supporting their further development to benefit not just themselves, but also their sport and the athletes they work alongside.”
UK Sport’s Head of Coaching, Graham Taylor, said “The aim of the Elite Programme has always been to support world-class coaches in this country to become world leading in their respective fields. Those selected in the latest intake possess technical ability of the highest quality and proven track records of success, but we want to take their skills and understanding to the next level.
Much like previous years, these coaches will support, learn from and inspire each other to innovate and anticipate, while engendering these characteristics in their athletes and teams to make brilliance business as usual in their sport.”
An accomplished swimmer herself, Marshall represented Great Britain at both the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens and the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.