Swindon Dolphin swimmer Joe Kerslake has been selected for the 2012 Young Coaches Academy Programme. The programme is a joint venture between the ASA and the Youth Sport Trust to develop and provide mentoring for young and aspiring aquatics coaches and Kerslake is one of just 20 coaches in the country selected.
Joe Kerslake ~ Coach in the making
Louise Clayton, Chief Coach at Swindon Dolphin, is delighted with Kerslake’s selection. “This is a superb opportunity for Joe and a great honour for Swindon Dolphin,” says Clayton. “Joe is an up and coming coach with great potential, he has a great rapport with his swimmers and he is constantly willing to learn and keen to develop.” The 17 year old Kerslake, who is still a competitive swimmer himself, had his first experience of coaching in 2008 when he spent a week working with the then Dolphin and now Derventio eXcel and GB coach Andi Manley during his school work experience.
Apart from a brief period away from the club Kerslake has been involved in teaching and coaching ever since, working with and learning from the club’s experienced coaches such as Tessa Farr, Tony Stratford, Glenys Lock and Andy Alexander, all of whom have also played a part in Kerslake’s own swimming. “From the time I worked with Joe as his coach he showed the motivation and work ethic necessary to progress from County to Regional to National level swimmer,” recalls Manley. “He now demonstrates great enthusiasm and drive to develop as a coach and is very proactive in furthering his skills, knowledge and experiences through visiting established performance programmes around the country and working with GB coaches.” The performance programmes Manley refers to are his own and that at Swansea. Last year Kerslake spent a week shadowing Swansea ITC coaches Bud McAllister and Graham Bassi as they put Olympic hopefuls such as Jazz Carlin and Jemma Lowe through their paces during their preparation for 2012 and a visit to work again with Manley is being planned for later this Spring.
Final word on Kerslake’s selection though must go to coach Tessa Farr. It was Farr that taught Kerslake to swim before he joined Swindon Dolphin and who has subsequently been Kerslake’s coach and also worked poolside with him. “I have taught thousands of children to swim over the years, and it is always nice to see them go on to enjoy their swimming within a club,” says Farr. “But even more than that it is nice to see swimmers giving something back to their sport and I hope Joe makes the most of this opportunity and makes a contribution to swimming and Swindon Dolphin for many years to come.”
The programme begins on 17th February when Kerslake and the other young aquatics coaches will join with their counterparts from badminton, basketball, boccia, football, rugby, table tennis and volleyball at the Inaugural Young Coaches Academy to be held at Loughborough University. In the following 12 months Kerslake will particpate in ASA Regional talent camps, be a participant in the ASA Beacon Programme, be assigned a mentor and receive support towards the next level of his coaching qualification.
