Twenty-seven coaches and PE educators successfully completed the Advanced Instructor course in Athletic Skills Movement (ASM) conducted from 10-15 January at the National Racquet Sport Centre, Tacarigua.
Under the tagline ‘Optimising Talent Development through Movement Education’ the Dutch-based ASM was brought to Trinidad as a result of a strategic partnership between SporTT and the University of Portsmouth.
Co-founder and lecturer of the ASM René Wormhoudt, speaking after the distribution of certificates said, “We’ve learned a lot from the experience of the participants and importantly I think the message of working together to create healthier and better movers in Trinidad and Tobago was delivered!”. Mr. Wormhoudt is a 30-year veteran in youth and elite coaching in many different sports and is the current S&C coach of the Dutch national men’s football team.
The ASM team in Trinidad also included ASM co-founder and lecturer Professor Geert Savelsbergh, Dr. Martina Navarro, Mr. Yordi Vermaat, Mr. Jorick Hendriksen, Mr. Martijn Postuma and Mr. Christian Spekreijse.
The workshop was led by SporTT’s Elite Athlete Wellbeing Unit and several members of the Unit benefitted from the ASM course, including Olympic coach Ismael Lopez Mastrapa, Sport Psychologist Dr. Nadine Sammy and former national volleyballer Courtnee-Mae Clifford.
The ASM is intended to provide coaches (elite, youth and community) as well as PE teachers and practitioners in the health, exercise and sport industries with a framework to think about skillful movement across the lifespan. The Model encompasses elite sport, physical literacy and developmental perspectives with the expected outcome of enhancing existing programs that focus on developing versatile movers in a non-linear way. The approach can benefit the entire society, not just athletes in a high-performance setting.
*END*
