Information for attendees
Justin Grace
Justin Grace, Head Sprint Coach, Great Britain Cycling Team.
"I will discuss my thoughts and experiences from leading 3 of the best cycling teams in the world (New Zealand, France and Great Britain). The communication and direction challenges, in leading a diverse group of staff, from Engineers to Physiologists to Analysts to Directors. All delivering one unified message to the emotional, inquisitive, demanding customer - the Worlds Top Athletes."
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Justin Grace started his cycling career at the age of 11 and as a rider Justin made a seamless progression from professional track sprinter and Masters World Champion, into a coaching role.
He was responsible for the inception of the New Zealand Sprint programme with after coaching three Juniors to become world champions and progressing them into successful elite riders. The funding and staffing for the New Zealand Track Sprint programme increased exponentially based on the results and leadership under Justin. In June 2013 Justin joined the French Cycling Federation as Directeur de la Piste, enticed by the lure of becoming the first ever foreign coach in French cycling history. In his first year there, his team broke 2 world records and won 4 World Championships. In August 2014 the Great Britain Cycling programme gave Justin the opportunity to lead the most successful Olympic track program, which he gladly accepted. The demand for Justin is based on his recognised ability to build team culture and the ability to balance all the necessary components of sports in the right direction and to build the right environment to foster winners.
Junior World Championships 2009 GOLD - Team Sprint GOLD – Keirin GOLD – Sprint Masters World Championships 2009 GOLD - Kilometer Time Trial Silver - Sprint Elite World Championships 2010 Bronze – Team Sprint Bronze – Kilometer Time Trial Elite World Championships 2013 Silver – Team Sprint Silver – Kilometer Time Trial Elite World Championships 2014 GOLD - Kilometer Time Trial GOLD – Keirin GOLD – Sprint Bronze – Team Sprint World Records 2014 Mens Elite Sprint – 9.347 seconds Mens Elite Kilo – 56.303 World Cups and Continental Championships Over 60 podium placings A coach can be more importantly defined as a conductor – a conductor who needs to bring all the components of an orchestra together to play the right tune at the right time. In the same vain as a conductor, a coach needs to bring the right people together, to provide the right training and environment for an athlete, with the right timing. This is essential to ensuring the success of a programme. The coach needs to understand the conditions an athlete is under, conditions they are operating in, equipment they are using, past history, expected future outcomes and all under a large number of variables some of which can be unpredictable. The United Kingdom Coaching Strategy describes the role of the sports coach as one that "enables the athlete to achieve levels of performance to a degree that may not have been possible if left to his/her own endeavours". It is the coaches responsibility to ensure that on race day the coach has provided all the necessary tools to make an athlete successful in their event. One of the main ways in achieving this is in knowing how to communicate with the athlete and identify in which way that athlete learns. Likewise the coach must know what the athlete's true potential is and how they operate. One modus of operation for an athlete is rarely the same for another. It is understanding these factors which assist with the success of a coach. This presentation will begin with an overview into the world of elite sport, specific to track cycling:World Championship Results
Role of a coach
Lecture
• High tolerance (timed to 0.001 second),
• High tech (£100,000 bicycles),
• High performance (humans travelling 80kph)
I will give examples I have used to empower staff, engage the athletes and manage a "team of individuals" from various and different demographics.
Also discussed will be how this all ties together; using my experience combining the "Science of Coaching versus the Art of Coaching" and the human factors involved.