Dame Susan heads impressive line-up

Dame Susan Devoy will spearhead an impressive line-up of guestspeakers at next year's inaugural National Sports Coaching Conference in Tauranga.

The conference titled the Practical Application of Coaching seeks to deliver the business of sport and issues relating to performance coaching to coaches outside the Academy of Sport programmes.

Devoy, Sport Bay of Plenty's Chief Executive, will give the opening address, while Black Sox coach Don Tricker will be the keynote speaker. Tricker is expected to share a warts and all insight into the highs and lows of the five times world champions Black Sox.

Other speakers include a mixture of technical and scientific professionals and high performance coaches including: Richard Smith, the Coaching Manager of the New Zealand Academy of Sport (South); Dr John Cronin a recognised expert in exercise science; New Zealand Junior Women's Volleyball coach Stewart Henderson and New Zealand Director of Coaching Phil Merritt.

It is believed the conference will be the first generic coaching course held in New Zealand for some time.

It arose after it gaps in the education and development of experienced performance level coaches who operate outside the New Zealand Academy of Sport carded programmes were identified.