News & Updates

Nominations are now open for the Arthur Eustace Award for Coaching, which serves to recognise an outstanding athletics coach whose behaviours align with Athletics New Zealand’s key coaching values.

Arthur was one of Athletics NZ’s leading administrators, having served on the Oceania Athletics and World Athletics Councils, and was a life member of Oceania Athletics, World Athletics and Athletics NZ. A champion hurdler and Empire Games bronze medallist, he started his post-athlete career as a coach and was passionate about coaching right through until his passing in 2018.

Arthur was a founding member of the Athletics NZ Coaches’ Association and an inaugural inductee into the NZ Athletic Coaches’ Association Hall of Fame in 2006. He was instrumental in World Athletics establishing a Coaches’ Commission. Arthur was also Athletics NZ’s Patron from 2009 until 2018.

The Arthur Eustace Award celebrates coaches who demonstrate the values Arthur held around coaching athletics and who also exhibit the behaviours that support Athletics NZ’s core beliefs around coaching.

It will be awarded to a coach who demonstrates the following:

Athlete/Participant Focus            

• Establishes environments that support the athlete to learn and take responsibility for their performance
• Tailors approach to the individual and is sensitive to their individual needs

Learning Focused

• Learns ‘on the job’
• Open to feedback on their performance (mentoring), is reflective of their own practices with a commitment to be better

Values

• Puts aside self-interest and collaborates in the best interests of the athlete
•   Shares knowledge and works with others in the interest of increasing the capability of coaches across the sport

This is the second year in which the Arthur Eustace Award will be presented, following on from inaugural recipient Lance Smith, who has coached distance, sprints and the jumps with consistent success over four decades.

All coaches are eligible for the 2020 award and nominations are invited now from centres, clubs and athletes.

Nominations for this prestigious award close on 29 September but early nominations are appreciated.

The nomination process is available by clicking here

Please call Athletics NZ Community Manager Hamish Meacheam on 027 324 1976 if you have any queries.

The award will be presented at the 133^rd Athletics NZ AGM, which is to be held on 8 November at Bruce Pulman Park in Auckland.