News

Community Sports Coaching Students Presented with Awards at Institute of Technology Carlow

14/02/2017

IT Carlow community sports coaching awards(Tue. 14th February, 2017) – 27 students were last night presented with Level 6 Certificates in Community Sports Coaching and in Strength & Conditioning at a ceremony at Institute of Technology Carlow.

Special guest of honour at the ceremony, which took place in the Institute’s Haughton Building, was Armagh gaelic footballer and All-Ireland Senior Football Championship medal holder, Oisin McConville, who spoke about his personal journey. Addressing the conferees, the GAA star said “To a young person, their sports coach is one of the most significant people in their lives”.

John Foley, sports editor with the Nationalist, interviewed Oisin McConville, Donal McNally, head of sport at Institute of Technology Carlow and Martha Jane Duggan, Carlow Local Sports Partnership (LSP) coordinator. A video featuring participants of the course was also shown before the awarding of certificates.

The 14-week programme is an initiative between Carlow Local Sports Partnership in conjunction with Institute of Technology Carlow and approved and supported by Sport Ireland, formally known as the Irish Sports Council.  All of the coaching elements of the course are certified by the IRFU, GAA, FAI and Get Ireland Walking.

Holders of the Level 6 Certificate in Community Sports Coaching may gain employment in the sports sector as coaches, physical activity leaders or referees and the programme also provides a pathway to further education opportunities.   

Speaking at the conferring ceremony, Donal McNally said the Institute was delighted to collaborate with County Carlow Local Sports Partnership to deliver the certificate programme. “Although other local sports partnerships have rolled out similar programmes, this venture is unique as participants who completed the programme have now graduated with an NFQ Level 6 Award. This will have a knock on affect in the community as local sports clubs will benefit from the expertise of the graduates coming back to work within their clubs.”

Speaking at the conferring ceremony, Martha Jane Duggan, LSP coordinator said, ‘Carlow Sports Partnership would like to acknowledge the significant contribution of the national governing bodies of sport to this programme. We would also like to thank the many clubs, schools and community groups that provided placement opportunities. Feedback indicates strongly that this programme will have a lasting impact on participants and we hope to see this cohort of students motivated to pursue progression routes in coaching, volunteering, employment and further education”.
 
-ENDS-
For reference: Alma Feeley, Institute of Technology Carlow
E: alma.feeley@setu.ie   M: 087 8204934

Pic Caption: Conferees of the Level 6 Certificate in Community Sports Coaching and the Certificate in Strength & Conditioning, pictured with course lecturers at the conferring ceremony in the Haughton Building