Anita Navin - Sports Coaching: A Reference Guide for Students, Coaches and Competitors

EDITOR: ANITA NAVIN

Anita is currently the Head of Department for Sport Development, Management and Coaching at Northumbria University in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and is a lead member for the development of the undergraduate, postgraduate and professional doctorate programmes in sport coaching. Alongside her academic role Anita is an experienced coach and coach educator, and serves as a consultant for England Netball; she is also involved in tutor development and programme reviews for other sports with a consultancy group. Anita is also a technical commentator for netball on Sky television.

Anita has been involved with England Netball for over twenty-five years as a player, coach, scout, tutor and technical expert for the development of the UK coaching certificate. She has coached at International level with the Northern Ireland Netball Association, and is involved in both the England coaching programme for talented athletes and the Netball Super League programme at Northumbria. Because of her expertise in coaching and in the professional development of fellow coaches she has recently been appointed to the International Federation Coaching Advisory Group for Netball. Anita is also a member of the UK Centre for Coaching Excellence Higher Education Advisory Group.

DR LES ANSLEY

Les lectured at Kingston University for four years before moving up to Northumbria University in 2007. He graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Sport and Exercise Science from the University of Birmingham. In June 2003 he was awarded his PhD (Physiology) from the University of Cape Town. His early research focused on pacing strategies and fatigue during exercise, and at his first international conference in 2004 he was a finalist for the Young Investigator Award. In 2005 he was awarded a HEFCE Promising Young Researcher grant for an international collaborative project. More recently, Les has developed a research interest in exercise-induced bronchoconstriction.

DR PAULA ROBSON-ANSLEY

Paula was appointed as a Reader in the School of Psychology and Sport Sciences at Northumbria University in 2007. Her current research is focused on the role of the immune system in fatigue and recovery from exercise. Paula graduated from the University of Brighton in 1996, and completed her PhD at the University of Birmingham in 1999 where she investigated the impact of exercise on immune system function. She was a research fellow in South Africa at the University of Stellenbosch and the University of Cape Town, where she formulated and tested a range of nutritional supplements to maintain immune function in endurance sports people, as well as working with a range of athletes on strategies for avoiding overtraining syndrome.

KELVIN BEECHING

Kelvin Beeching graduated with a BA (Hons) degree in Applied Sport Science and Coaching in 2005, and has more recently undertaken a postgraduate degree in his specialist field of coaching science. Kelvin currently works as a Lecturer in sport coaching at Northumbria University. Prior to his appointment there, he worked as a Sport Lecturer in further education. He has a range of coaching experience from working in both participation and performance levels of sport in both football and cricket. He has experience of both coaching and sport science support in professional settings, working with a range of athletes from footballers to ice hockey players.

CLAIRE BRUCE

Claire Bruce is a Senior Lecturer and the programme leader for the Sports Development with Coaching programme at Northumbria University. Having obtained a BA (Hons) in Sport and Recreation Management from Sheffield Hallam University in 1994, Claire went on to work in the business sector. She has over ten years of experience in business management in industry, at both regional and national levels. In 2005 she completed an MSc in Sport Management, her research focusing on an evaluation of the Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme in England. She is currently engaged in research, addressing the impact of computer gaming technology on the sustainability of youth sport participation.

EMMA COCKBURN

Emma was appointed a Graduate Tutor at Northumbria University in 2005. She was herself a successful graduate from Northumbria University, obtaining a BSc (Hons) degree in Applied Sport and Exercise Science in 2003. She is involved in teaching in the fields of sports physiology, sports nutrition, and the application of sports science to coaching and research methods. Currently, Emma is in the final year of her PhD investigating the effects of milk-based protein-CHO supplementation on the attenuation of exercise-induced muscle damage. Other research interests include the reliability of performance tests, the use of milk as a sports drink, and recovery methods. She is also BASES accredited for physiological support, and coaches at England Hockey Centres.

DENISE EGAN

Denise is currently an Assistant Head Teacher at St Anthonys School in Sunderland, and has been involved in the coaching and mentoring of trainee teachers and newly qualified staff at the school. She has also been instrumental in the review of teaching strategies to support staff in managing behaviour. Denise was recently awarded a government qualification following her involvement in the national programme for Specialist Leaders of Behaviour and Attendance. She is a successful World Championship and Commonwealth Games coach in netball. She is renowned for putting forward successful teams in National Schools Netball competitions, and her notable achievements include eight players from the school gaining a place in the England squads. Currently Denise is an active Coach Educator and Assessor, as part of the UK Coaching Certificate programme in netball.