Feb 28, 2013
The Better Boards, Stronger Sport (BBSS) governance project meeting was hosted by Just Sport Ireland (JSI) and the Irish Sports Council (ISC) in Dublin on the 31st January and 1st February.
The BBSS project and ‘toolkit’ is a European Commission funded project, led by the UK Sport and Recreation Alliance, aimed at ‘promoting innovative approaches to strengthen the organisation of sport in Europe’ as part of the EU funding for Preparatory Action 2011 in the Field of Sport. The BBSS ‘toolkit’ which will be produced at the end of the project aims to help national governing bodies of sport improve their governance and will help sports organisations become more effective.
Dublin was the fourth (and penultimate) project meeting host with representatives from five different EU countries attending including the UK, Ireland, Poland, Estonia and Finland. The eight sporting bodies represented were; the UK Sport and Recreation Alliance, JSI, the ISC, the Polish Ministry of Sport and Tourism, the Estonian Olympic Committee the Finnish Sports Federation, European Women in Sport, European Athlete as Student as well as researchers from Birkbeck, University of London who are collating and editing the text.
Each country provided a number of governance case studies, from which ten shall be used, and Ireland provided detailed case studies from Cricket Ireland, Triathlon Ireland, Special Olympics Ireland and Paralympics Ireland. The purpose of the meeting was to review and edit the case study design, and for each country to present the tools for implementing each of the ten ‘features’ of good governance identified:
– Feature 1: Act in the best interest of the sport
– Feature 2: Define the role of the Board and evaluate their performance
– Feature 3: Establish a balanced competency based Board
– Feature 4: Set the vision and mission and provide leadership on the strategy
– Feature 5: Establish effective controls
– Feature 6: Act with transparency and be accountable to stakeholders
– Feature 7: Engage with sporting and non-sporting bodies
– Feature 8: Work as a team
– Feature 9: Focus on membership
– Feature 10: Promote good governance throughout the sport
JSI presented on Features 2 and 10; the different ‘role descriptions’ for board members and the importance of ‘succession planning’, whilst the ISC presented on Feature 9; ‘membership strategy’. The discussion highlighted the importance of the Chairman/CEO role for the effective running of a sporting organisation and it was felt more emphasis needed to be put around this relationship. It was felt also that as much importance should be placed on membership retention as membership growth and information about how to implement this will be included in the final ‘toolkit’.
The final group meeting shall take place in Helsinki on the 9th and 10th of May at which the completed ‘toolkit’ will be agreed for publishing. JSI and the ISC shall then publicise and make available the ‘toolkit’ to NGBs thereafter. Further information on the Better Boards, Stronger Sport project can be found on the UK Sport and Recreation Alliance’s website: http://www.sportandrecreation.org.uk/projects-programmes-and-initiatives/bbss
Feb 28, 2013
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Angling Council of Ireland
The Angling Council of Ireland (ACI) is the governing body for five different branches of the sport of angling throughout the island of Ireland namely, Sea Angling, Coarse Angling, Pike (game) Angling, Trout Angling, Salmon and Sea Trout Angling.
Membership
The Angling Council of Ireland currently has 15,000 members registered at club level.
Clubs
250 Clubs are registered with the Angling Council of Ireland.
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2012 Highlights
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The development of new Level 1 Coaching Course in conjunction with Coaching Ireland was one of the key highlights for the Angling Council of Ireland in 2012.
Continued professional development courses on coaching persons with disability, water safety and first aid were successfully developed and delivered throughout the course of the year.
A total of 100 anglers took competed in the 2012 home international, European Championships and World Championships.
The continued success of “Angling for All” was highlighted by the further expansion in ten counties. Angling for All is an outreach programme in conjunction with the Equality Authority which promotes recreational angling and provides people with disability a comprehensive introduction to angling sport.
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Looking Forward to 2013
In 2013 the Angling Council of Ireland will expand the International Youth programme which will include sending three teams to World Championships for the first time.
At home, Ireland will play host to World Lure Championships on the picturesque Lough Erne in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh. Having previously hosted the World Angling Championships (match fishing) in 1992, the Erne system has established itself as one of the top fishing venues around.
Another international event to take place in Ireland during 2013 is the International Fly Fishers Federation assessment.
New world class facilities will be developed at the Inniscarra Reservoir in Cork which will host the 2014 World Championships; while, new facilities at the National Sports Campus at Abbotstown will provide the opportunity to improve the ACI’s coaching facilities.
Centres of excellence in coaching people with disabilities will be developed in Fermoy, on the River Blackwater, and in Dunamon, on the River Suck.
Game Angling Fly casting clinics will be delivered around the country, including clinics in: Kerry, Meath, Cork and Waterford and Tipperary.
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Calendar of Events
| Annual Presentation of Awards |
March 2nd 2013 |
| Natioanl Pike Championships- Lough Ree |
April 2013 |
| World Freshwater Championships – Juvenile |
June 2013 |
| Home Nations Sea Angling – Boat |
June 2013 |
| All Ireland Coarse Angling Championships |
July 2013 |
| World Freshwater Championships – Senior |
July 2013 |
| World Championships Sea Angling – Boat |
September 2013 |
| World Championships Sea Angling – Shore |
October 2013 |
| World Championships Boat Fishing With Lures |
October 2013 |
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How to Get Involved
People interested in getting involved in angling can check out the Angling Council of Ireland’s website where there are links to the five different angling branches.
Alternatively, you can contact the Angling Council of Ireland HQ on (01) 6251132 or info@anglingcouncilireland.ie and they can help people get involved.
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Fact File
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€250 million – the value of angling to the Irish economy annualy
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€125 million – the contribution of Irish anglers
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5 branches of angling governed by the Angling Council of Ireland
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15,000 members nationwide
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250 angling clubs in Ireland
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Social Media
You can stay in touch with the Angling Council of Ireland on:
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Contact the Angling Council of Ireland
Angling Council of Ireland,
Sport HQ,
13 Joyce Way,
Park West,
Dublin 12
Phone: (01) 6251132/3
Fax: (01) 6251134
Email: info@anglingcouncilireland.ie
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Do you want your organisation to feature here?
Contact the Federation of Irish Sport on 01-6251155 or email info@irishsport.ie
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Feb 28, 2013
Location:
Gormanstown College, Co. Meath
Date:
7-9 February, 2013
Participating Teams:
Ireland, Holland (q), Czech Republic (q), Italy
Host:
Irish Wheelchair Association Sport (“IWA-Sport”)
About IWA Sport:
IWA-Sport working to create and support opportunities for people of all ages with a physical disability to take part in a wide range of sports and activities. IWA Sport currently working with 1500 people, providing sporting opportunities across 11 sports including athletics, boccia, wheelchair rugby, wheelchair basketball, swimming, table tennis, sailing, bowls, powerlifiting, handcycling and tennis. Throughout 2012 IWA-Sport hosted 217 field events.
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Event History:
This is the second time this qualification tournament has taken place in Ireland, IWA Sport having previously hosted the 2009 edition. IWA Sport made a bid for the event in August of 2012. The International Wheelchair Rugby Federation subsequently met at the Paralympic Games in London and announced that IWA Sport had been successful in their bid.
The 2013 European Wheelchair Rugby Championship finals will be held in Antwerp, Belgium, where the top 12 teams from Europe will compete for the title.
Event Preparation:
As with any international event, there was a huge amount of work in the planning stage of the tournament. Given the nature of the competition, selecting a suitable venue which would meet the the event requirements, particularly accessibility, was paramount. Other factors affecting the choice of location included suitability to cater for the hosting of matches, training and storage all in one. This is why Gormanston College Sports Hall was selected and proved to be the ideal venue.
In addition to logistics, various schedules needed to be planned including training, match and transport schedules, as well as a classification schedule for the participating athletes.
A co-ordination committee comprising of IWA-Sport management and the Wheelchair Rugby committee was put in place and met regularly to discuss all aspects of planning. Communication was on-going between the International Wheelchair Rugby Federation and IWA-Sport in the build-up to the tournament to ensure everything was being adequately planned for.
The Event:
Venue
The choice of competition venue and team hotel could not have been better. Hotel and venue selection are very important for wheelchair sport events in terms of good access. Gormanston College had exactly what was required in terms of competition venue, while the close proximity and accessibility of the City North Hotel made for a relaxed environment for the participating teams.
Spectators
The event attracted great attendances from Irish fans over the three days of competition, whilst a small number of international spectators travelled to support their teams. With a long and proud tradition of hosting international events down through the years, building on the legacy of the London Paralympic Games was always important, and to be selected as one of the first Paralympic sport events post London is a great honour for IWA-Sport.
Volunteers
IWA Sport was very fortunate to avail of the services of a large number of volunteers during the event. Roles taken on by volunteers included: bus drivers, table officials, merchandise sales people, spectator liaison personnel, physios and caterers. Many of these volunteers took significant time off work and study to ensure the smooth running of the event.
Profile
IWA-Sport hosted this event in 2009 but this year’s edition attracted much more interest. A big part of this is down to the London games, in addition to the work of IWA-Sport’s development officers’ right around the country promoting all wheelchair sports. This has resulted in the continued growth of IWA-Sport’s profile.
Ireland’s Performance
The only disappointment of the event was Ireland’s failure to qualify. The Gaelic Warriors were unfortunate to lose their opening game against fancied opponents Czech Republic, going down by a single point. This meant the home side had an uphill battle from the outset to gain one of the two qualifying spots. The Irish team gave it their all, but it was not to be and the both the eventual qualifiers, Czech Republic and Holland, played consistently well throughout the tournament.
What next for Irish Wheelchair Sport in 2013?
There’s a busy year ahead for all IWA-Sport’s disciplines, with a full schedule of events four the high participation sports. Throughout 2013 IWA-Sport will co-ordinate eight athletics meets, the wheelchair basketball league and cups, wheelchair rugby league, and national championships in swimming, tennis and archery.
IWA-Sport members will also form part of the Paralympic panels competing in the first year of the Rio 2016 Paralympic cycle, attending the Athletics World Championships in France, the European Para-Table Tennis Championships in Italy and the World Swimming Championships in Montreal. Junior teams will also travel to the UK and the US to compete in athletics events.
….and for the Gaelic Warriors?
While the Wheelchair Rugby side will not be going to the European Championship, they do have a busy schedule ahead with the Bernd Best tournament in Germany, the Rugby Mania tournament in Czech Republic and the Swiss Low Points Tournament.
Feb 22, 2013
The Triathlon Ireland Talent Identification programme has the goal of locating talented junior athletes between the ages of 14 and 23 and developing them to their full potential in the sport of triathlon. This programme is about high performance sport and developing highly talented athletes who have the potential to compete for their country.
Applications close March 13th http://www.triathlonireland.com/high-performance-talent.html
Feb 22, 2013
The Beyond 2012 Report published by Ofsted, the UK agency responsible for the regulation of services which care for children and young people and those providing education and skills for learners, found that whilst PE was generally in good health, teaching in more than a quarter of schools is not improving pupil’s fitness.
The Report found that one fifth of primary schools did not ensure all pupils learnt to swim, many teachers lacked specialist PE knowledge and only a minority of schools played competitive sport to a high level. Contributors to the Report stated that PE lessons often did not involve enough strenuous activity.
The Report also stated that very few schools had adapted PE programmes to suit the needs of overweight and obese students despite the Health Service in the UK classifying 3 in every 10 children as obese.
Included in the Report’s recommendations were that a minimum of two hours of physical education be provided each week. The Report calls on the UK government to build on the momentum generated by the Olympics & Paralympics and to ensure that those responsible for the initial training of primary teachers provides them with sufficient knowledge to enable them to teach PE well.
There may be some learnings for Ireland with only 10% of post-primary receiving the 120 minutes of PE per week as recommended by the Department of Education & Skills. There are 300,000 children in the UK estimated to be obese or overweight whilst, four out of five children do not get the minimum physical activity levels as recommended in the Department of Health & Children’s National Physical Activity Guidelines.
Susan Marron, Chairperson of the Irish Primary PE Association, outlined her vision for PE in primary schools by 2020 in the Federation’s Annual Review saying: “By 2020 Physical Education will be at the heart of children’s education. A child’s experience of PE will help develop their physical, social and emotional competences as well as give them the confidence to participate in physical activity and appropriate extra-curricular and community sporting opportunities.
“PE will be supported by physically active schools which maximise opportunities to promote physical activity at lesson transitions and break times and which encourage active travel to and from school. Optional extra-curricular activities will be suported by the National Governing Bodies for Sport, Local Sports Partnerships and the HSE.”
The Federation has for some time been outlining the need for an overall “Masterplan or Vision for Sport” which would cover all aspects of government’s interaction with Sport and physical activity including education and the availability and nature of sport in schools.
Commentating on the Ofsted report, Federation of Irish Sport Chief Executive, Sarah O’Connor, highlighted the need for sport and physically activity to be taken seriously: “Sport & physical activity have a key role to play in public health. 6% of deaths globally each year are due to physical inactivity whilst the UK estimate that 11% of their annual health spend is directly attributable to physical inactivity. ESRI research shows that people who participate in sport and exercise across the life course generally experience better physical and mental health than non-participants. Schools have a key role to play in ensuring that all Ireland’s children are equipped with basic physical literacy skills to facilitate not just adequate levels of fitness but also set the foundations for life long participation in sport and physical activity. A more active Ireland is a healthier Ireland.”
A copy of the Ofsted Beyond 2012 Report can be seen at: http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/news/not-enough-physical-physical-education
A link to the ESRI’s Sporting Lives Research can be viewed at: http://www.esri.ie/publications/latest_publications/view/index.xml?id=2528
Feb 22, 2013
From Triathlon Ireland
Triathlon Ireland is pleased to announce the appointment of Chris Kitchen as the new Chief Executive Officer. Chris is well placed to steer Triathlon Ireland through the substantial growth they are experiencing having many years’ experience in both business and sport, running a number of companies as well as being heavily involved in triathlon as a competitor, technical official, coach and Board member.
Chris got involved as an athlete in triathlon in the mid 80’s and went on to set up a local Triathlon club, Chiltern Triathletes, in 1989, acting as Club Secretary for many years and is still Club Coach. He became a race referee in 1992, Qualified as one of the first Level 3 Coaches in the UK in 1994, helped write and deliver the early Level 1 and 2 Coach Education programmes and has run many coaching days or weekends.
He competed for GB in the Age Group Team at the ITU World Long Distance Championships in Nice twice in the ‘90s. In 2002, he became the BTA Long Distance Elite Team Manager during a time which saw a series of World and European Champions. Chris has been the race director of numerous triathlon events including a Children’s Triathlon which is in its 15th year and acted as ITU Team Leader in World Championship events around the World.
He was one of the key players in the British Triathlon’s modernisation programme and in January 2007 was appointed as Director with the Performance Portfolio to the British Triathlon Board. He was a part of the Board which oversaw a transition to a company with substantial reserves, significant growth and medal success in London 2012. Heavily involved in the High Performance Programme, Chris led the strategic direction, chaired the elite selection panels across all disciplines and reported to the Board on Performance matters.
The ITU Congress in Auckland saw him re-elected onto the ITU Multisport Committee where he now acts as Chair in the strategic development of Duathlon, Long Distance Triathlon, Cross Triathlon, Winter Triathlon and Aquathlon worldwide.
With a business background in Document Management Systems, Software Development, IT Solutions and Website Development he has substantial management experience and commercial knowledge and understanding.
Commenting on his appointment Chris said. “I am absolutely delighted to have been appointed as CEO. Triathlon in Ireland is really buoyant and exciting with a growing membership supported by coaches and technical officials and of course some great events. I have a great team behind me, both staff and volunteers, a supportive board and I am really looking forward to seeing what I can do to help develop Triathlon Ireland for triathletes in Ireland.”
