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Leading sports practitioner confirmed as keynote for England Athletics Jumps and Throws Conference

We are delighted to announce that world-renowned practitioner Dr Áine MacNamara, Associate Professor in Elite Performance at Dublin City University and Chair of the Professional Doctorate in Elite Performance (Sport), will be a keynote speaker at our Jumps and Throws Conference on 25 & 26 March 2023, at Loughborough University.

To secure your place now at the Conference, themed ‘Coaching the Adaptable Athlete’, either as a delegate attending in person or as an online delegate, visit our conference page. Please note places are limited, therefore we advise those wanting to attend should sign-up early to avoid disappointment.

MacNamara’s background is in physical education, youth coaching, and talent development. She has worked in a range of sporting environments as an educator, coach educator, and consultant.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vfrt_GrCh6o

Video: Jumps and Throws keynote speaker - Dr Áine MacNamara. Watch on YouTube

Her main research interest is in talent development, youth coaching and the design, implementation, and evaluation of systems and policies in sport.

MacNamara has published widely and consults with a range of sporting organisations in Ireland and the UK to help them develop player development and coach development pathways and policies as well as providing coach and parent education to support the implementation of these ideas.

She said:

“In this keynote, what I am really interested in doing is drawing on our research that has explored the psychological characteristics of developing excellence [PCDEs] as mechanisms that help support the development of high-potential young athletes on the pathway to help them convert their potential into talent. A lot of emphasis in coaching has tended to be placed on the technical, tactical, and physical elements and even though it’s long recognised that psychological factors and mechanisms are key components it often doesn’t get the same emphasis within coaching practice.

“In this presentation, I’d really like to help coaches understand how they might be able to promote and reinforce PCDEs as part of their coaching practice integrated into their processes and systems to help encourage and prime and reinforce those psycho-behavioural characteristics in young athletes before they hit some of the challenges and hurdles that they will inevitably face as they progress to higher and higher levels within their sport.”

Darren Ritchie, England Athletics Event Group Lead for Jumps and Combined Events, said:

“We are absolutely delighted to confirm Dr Áine MacNamara will be a keynote speaker at our Jumps and Throws Conference. To have someone of Áine’s standing as a world-renowned practitioner in sport and sport coaching sharing her insight, knowledge, and expertise with those joining us for our conference in March is a huge coup. We are thrilled to be able to offer delegates this opportunity to hear from such a leading authority in her field.”

The England Athletics Jumps and Throws Conference on 25 and 26 March 2023 will take place at Loughborough University and the Burleigh Court Hotel. The theme of the conference is titled, ‘Coaching the Adaptable Athlete’. As well as featuring leading practitioners as keynote speakers, the conference will include practical sessions from those in their field of expertise, looking at the development of the athlete.

We will be confirming more keynote speakers and guest experts attending the conference in due course.

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