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As Team GB sits high on the Olympic medals table, the question on many coaches' minds is how are we going to cope with the surge in demand at grass roots level for sports coaching triggered by the inspirational performances of the world's top athletes?

This was the theme of the Oxfordshire Coaching Conference 2012 "The Legacy of 2012" that attracted 115 coaches from 9 sports for a day of talks and workshops on at Cokethorpe School Witney.

RFU Player Development Manager, Gary Townsend, presented the key speech on "Athlete Centred Coaching", to an audience of coaches from Archery, Athletics, Rugby, Netball, Hockey, Football, Ice Skating, Rowing and Synchronised Swimming.

Workshops were both general and based on specific sports and included; "Building possession with young players" presented by OFA coach Paul Holder, "Developing quick interplay" by OFA coach Paul Lever, How to deliver engaging sessions" by Liz Burkinshaw and Lisa Manning, "Developing Talent" by Stuart Armstrong, "Introducing Rugby to children" and "Developing the whole person" by Gary Townsend, "Strength and Conditioning" by Keir Wenham, "Planning and Periodisation with ORFU Club Coaching Coordinators" by Gavin Wiliams, "Coaching Science - Theory to Practise" by Danny Newcombe and "Maximising Potential" by Jenny Gray.

Feedback received by conference organisers, Oxfordshire Sports Partnership, was very positive. Coaches said that the event was both valuable in terms of new knowledge, theory and techniques and of huge benefit to their own professional development. Time spent at the conference counts toward coaches' ‘Continuing Professional Development’.

Liz Burkinshaw, scUK tutor said, "I was really impressed with the Coaching Conference and Oxfordshire Sports Partnership for pulling coaches together under the big theme of participation.  The keynote speaker was fantastic. I think that it helped having an overall theme which meant that the coaches we are working with are able to get their head into it and really spend some time thinking and reflecting on their coaching practice so that they can improve their delivery and be more effective."

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