Elite Development Coach Appointment
Rowing NZ are committed to providing pathway athletes with the level of support required to reach elite level rowing, and an Elite Development programme was introduced in July 2020 to provide support and experience to athletes who have demonstrated the physical and mental performance capability, and the potential to thrive under a transition training programme.
Rowing NZ are pleased to announce the appointment of Tom Stannard as Elite Development Coach, based at Lake Karapiro. Tom will have responsibility for the daily training environment of elite development squad athletes with a focus on the mentorship and development of coaches working with U23 and pathway athletes.
Tom joins Rowing NZ from Waikato Rowing Performance Centre (RPC) where he has held the Head Coach position since 2017. Tom has held numerous international coaching positions with Rowing NZ across U23 and elite teams. At the 2016 World Rowing U23 Championships Tom won gold in the men’s coxed four and silver in the men’s four, silver in the men’s coxed four and bronze in the men’s four at the 2018 World Rowing U23 Championships and silver in the men’s four at the 2019 World Rowing U23 Championships. Tom also coached the New Zealand elite men’s four at the 2018 World Rowing Championships, and was named as lead coach of the 2020 U23 team.
Tom was selected to join the High Performance Sport NZ (HPSNZ) 2020 Summer Olympic Learning Tour enabling him to attend the Tokyo 2020 Olympics (hosted in 2021), will shortly complete a three year HPSNZ Coach Accelerator Programme, and is a recipient of the Prime Minister’s Scholarship - a programme created to support athletes, coaches, support team members and officials to gain educational or professional qualifications while continuing in sport. Tom has completed a Bachelor of Jazz Drumming, Post Graduate Diploma in secondary school teaching, HPSNZ Coach Campaign Leadership Programme, and attended the 2017 World Rowing Coaches Conference, bringing a wealth of knowledge to the Rowing NZ coaching team.
Speaking of his appointment, Tom commented, ‘’Coaching is an incredibly rewarding career, and I am very excited to step into my new role as Elite Development Coach based out of Rowing NZ. I have always been incredibly grateful for the support I have received from the wider rowing coaching community, from secondary school coaches right through to elite coaches. New Zealand’s coaching community is one based on the sharing of knowledge and I encourage any coach who has aspirations to coach for New Zealand to spend time with coaches of all levels and from all regions.’’
Tom will remain with Waikato RPC until the conclusion of the 2021 Rocket Foods New Zealand Rowing Championships, and will start his new role on 1 April.
Rowing NZ is committed to providing all athletes and participants an enjoyable, safe and rewarding time in our sport, and strive to ensure all domestic rowers have access to quality coaching. To learn more about coach education programmes and resources, please contact coachdevelopment@rowingnz.kiwi