NI Korugi Squad

Bertie Nicholson is the NI Korugi Junior/Senior Team Coach. korugi@btcb-ni.org.uk

Barry Hamilton is the NI Kyorugi Children/Cadet Team Coach

The establishment of county and Northern Ireland sparring squads for juniors and under 21’s during 2004 2005 was seen as an important step in the development of sport Taekwondo within Northern Ireland. Having moved away from the non-structured approach to having three squad centres representing five counties county for squads of Junior and Under 21 players has been a welcome and satisfying achievement. After the initial excitement of establishing the squads the NI Korugi Coach now has the task of embedding the new approach and helping it mature. The main aim for 2008 is therefore to allow the county squads to develop their own best approach to attracting and training novice players and for the NI Korugi Coach to ‘bring on’ the players that were identified eligible for the N.I. Squad. Attention and resources will therefore be more focused on the N.I. Squad for 2008/09. The benefits if the plan is achieved include: A. Squad members > Increased satisfaction and enjoyment of the members involved. > Respect and excitement of being in a successful NI Korugi Squad. > Greater opportunities to compete nationally and internationally. > Eligible to attend British Squad training at Loughborough University and compete for the British Team. > Eligible to attend Irish Squad training in Dublin and compete for Irish Team B. Local community / SCNI > Enjoyment from the success of local people. > Satisfy the SCNI that the financial commitment has been worthwhile. C. BTCB(NI) > Growing pool of trained players. > Promotion of the Martial Art and Olympic sport to local community to assist in attracting and retaining members. > Success at competitions and respect for TANI within and outside of Northern Ireland. > Northern Ireland recognised and invited to competitions. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES FOR 2008 Aim: To develop and implement the NI Korugi Squad Action Plan, which will create and sustain strong, quality, well trained, successful N.I. Sparring Squad. Objectives: > To widen the number of NI Squad memners to cover a greater number of competition weight groups. > To identify and develop ability of more females to be competent to train at N.I. squad level. > To become established in the British squad training at Loughborough University to avail of elite/Olympic level training and sports science support for N.I. squad members. > Re-establish formal links with Irish Taekwondo Union (ITU) Squad and become established in the Irish squad training. > To provide opportunities for the squads to compete. > To develop a NI Korugi Squad Committee. > To raise the profile of successful N.I. squad players.