The National Olympic Academy of Barbados, the educational arm of the Barbados Olympic Association Inc (BOA), launched a special High Performance Coaching Clinic at the Barbados Gymnasium on Thursday May 8.
Designed for coaches who want to take their athletes to the elite level, the intense 3 day course was conducted by Roger Archambault, Ch.P.C., a highly qualified Chartered Professional Coach who has achieved the National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) level 5 Biathlon and level 3 Cross Country. Archambault is a former National Team Head Coach and has coached at the international level for over 20 years.
Secretary General of the BOA, Erskine Simmons, welcomed Archambault and praised him for his efforts and dedication to the promotion of excellence in sport. “We are extremely pleased to welcome a coach of Roger’s stature to Barbados. His extensive and impressive resume speaks for itself and this is a tremendous opportunity for coaches in Barbados to learn what it takes to elevate our athletes and take them to the elite level. We have outstanding talent here in Barbados and we look forward to the continued success of the national athletes moving forward.”
Archambault expressed his delight at being on the island and praised the organisers for playing the National Anthem to open the course. “I have been involved in sport as a coach for many years and this has taken me all over the world. I have never had a coaching course start with the playing of the National Anthem and I think that this is a great distinction. At the end of the day, when we are talking about moving from club to elite level performance, it is about wanting to hear that National Anthem played when accepting that gold medal.”
He also highlighted the importance of coaches in developing high performance athletes. “Coaches drive the development of the sports system. The movers and shakers in the world of high performance sport are in this room.”
The High Performance Coaching Clinic ran for three days and ended on Saturday May 10.
