Our performance objectives | Talent Cymru | Elite Coach Development Framework

As the Governing Body for judo in Wales, a large proportion of our funding is to deliver a performance programme that develops athletes with the ability to win Commonwealth and Olympic medals.

Our performance objectives

Within Performance, our mission is to create an athlete centred, competency based, talent development model that ensures podium success at the highest level. As clarification, two key performance objectives have been identified:

Olympic Games success. Our priority is to create a pathway from Welsh Judo clubs to the British Judo Centre of Excellence (CofE), ensuring that Welsh athletes have the mental, physical, technical and tactical abilities to succeed at the highest level.
Commonwealth Games success. Welsh Judo have set the target of becoming the most successful Welsh sport at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, determined by the total gold medals won.

We recognise that Welsh Judo can only achieve sustainable Olympic and Commonwealth success through a integrated, systematic approach to developing talent. With limited resources, our focus must be directed where it can have the most significant impact.

In order for Welsh Judo to achieve its Performance objectives, two key strategies have been established, both underpinned by operational actions. Talent Cymru Development Programme has been created with the clear focus of developing our athletes, leaving our Elite Coach Development Framework to develop our performance staff.

Talent Cymru

The Talent Cymru programme will provide resources around athletes that have demonstrated performance competencies and behaviours that we believe make future high performance success at Olympic or Commonwealth Games possible. As our aim is to ensure we are able to provide individual, bespoke service to athletes on the programme, we have identified a maximum number of fifteen athletes, split between three age groups: Cadet (under 18), Junior (under 21) and Senior with a priority towards athletes with the possibility and desire to progress to Olympic success.

Talent Cymru operates within progressive levels of support:

Aspirational- This is our entry level to the Programme, with athletes still based at home, working within their own clubs. Our Entry Level Assessments’measure competency in four performance areas: Performance behaviours, technical/tactical ability, physical capability and competition results. Whilst the assessments may not be exhaustive, they are extensive enough to measure an athlete’s current capabilities and potential. Entry-level applicants will be expected to have a good understanding of the generic effects of lifestyle factors and how that impacts on their training. They should also be able to demonstrate evidence performance behaviours that highlight best practice.

Apprenticeship – Athlete’s relocate to train at our National Academy in Cardiff, often moving their studies to a Cardiff school or college. Talent Cymru investment will be directed towards athlete’s demonstrating the physical, technical, tactical and performance behaviours, as well as competition results relevant to their age group. Most multi-disciplinary support will be based around group workshops, with some individual support in identified areas. Athlete player awards (APA) are awarded though food and accommodation, with a value of up to £10,000.

Need more details about this programme? Visit the Players Pathway section of our downloads page.