Northwest Triathlon Club is definitely a club on the up, writes
Michael Black, NI Club & Coach Development Officer on TI's website.
Based in Derry Northern Ireland, the club has grown dramatically over the past number of years. With a 50% increase in membership numbers, a strong presence on the racing front and a thriving junior section, Northwest Triathlon Club can count itself as one of the top triathlon clubs in the country.
Central to the club's success in recent times is their thriving junior section which was set up to cater for the demand and enthusiasm shown by the local junior athletes. A group of hard working committee members and coaches lay on an extensive program of training and fun activities.
Young athletes from the ages of 8-16 years old can now avail of the opportunities created by NWTC. One major part of their success is the fact that the junior section is a separate structure with its own sub-committee and coaches, solely catering for the needs of juniors. All too often we can see how juniors can be discouraged and intimidated by entering a predominantly adult environment. By having a dedicated group of coaches designing sessions around the needs of the young athletes then it’s only a matter of time before numbers increase, programs grow and coaches become better educated and trained to meet their needs.
Since September 2014 the club has hosted mountain bike sessions, bike skills, transition skills, pool coaching, running skills, nutrition and preparation workshops and S&C courses. Recently the club organised a fun pool and exercise session which finished with a club party. Over 30 athletes attend on a weekly basis and the club hopes to develop more junior coaches next year to allow it to offer the program to more kids in the area.
Next year the focus for the club is to develop these athletes and put them into specific training programs based on information from testing or monitoring days. This will ensure that no matter what level the athlete is at, they will be provided with a training plan suited to their abilities. This again shows the professionalism and foresight of the coaches involved.
With too many to mention individually we at Triathlon Ireland would like to congratulate all the coaches and members involved in getting the junior section to where it is today and hope that their continued dedication and encouragement will serve to grow the opportunities for young athletes in the area and in triathlon as a whole.
