British Judo rolls out apprentice programmes at six locations

This autumn marked the launch of the British Judo Association’s apprenticeship programme predominantly aimed at athletes aged 16-18 years old, which will run at a number of BJA affiliated clubs and academic institutions.

The England Judo programme has worked hard with experts around the country to re-develop a fully integrated Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence (AASE) for the sport- equivalent to almost two A’ levels.

Universities such as Bath, Anglia Ruskin, Wolverhampton and Loughborough acknowledge the qualification in its admissions process and a review is in progress to have UCAS points associated with this type of apprenticeship programme.

While AASE is not new to judo, it has previously been delivered across various institutions with varying content. Now, the BJA AASE programme will be a universal curriculum verified by BJA partners South Gloucestershire and Stroud College (SGS) to ensure consistency in delivery (quality and content) no matter where a student/athlete is in the country.

The Judo AASE course is designed to develop the athlete’s ability to plan, apply and evaluate their development in the appropriate technical, tactical, physical and psychological aspects of their sport. It also addresses wider issues such as lifestyle, career development, communication and health and safety. Apprentices must do a minimum of 15 hours of judo specific training per week to be part of the programme. 

This year’s AASE intake will be delivered out of newly named England bAASEs: Anglia Ruskin University, University of Bath, Camberley Judo Club, Ernest Bevin College, Kendal Judo Club, and at British Judo’s brand new Centre of Excellence at the University Of Wolverhampton (Walsall Campus).

These bAASES are delivering the curriculum for British Judo and these course will offer the opportunity for English judoka to increase their weekly training volume while working towards a vocational qualification. Also, included in the network for the following academic year’s intake are Gateshead College.

The Judo AASE programme will follow the technical direction of the England programme, directly linked to the British Judo Performance Pathway.

Twice national cadet champion and silver Junior national medallist Eric Ham, 16, from Glossop, is one of the students on the AASE course at British Judo’s new Centre of Excellence in Walsall. He splits his time between judo here and his A’ Levels in Stockport.

He said:”It has been a great first couple of weeks with good technical and high intensity training. The equipment in the strength and conditioning room is first class and the randori session is just what the athletes need.”

One of Camberley’s AASE students, Logan Phillips said:  “I am thoroughly enjoying the AASE programme at Camberley. The learning aspect has already taught me a lot about elite athletes. On the mat I am getting to practice and train alongside Olympians. I think it is a great opportunity for my future judo career.”

For further information, contact: AASE@britishjudo.org.uk

Face to Face with representatives of the bAASE’s

Representatives of the institutions delivering these courses reveal what benefits AASE provides on both a local and British Judo level.

Anglia Ruskin University

Bob Challis, Judo Programme Manager, Sport and Exercise Sciences

“This programme is great for us, it keeps judo aligned to education and allows athletes to train full-time from a younger age than they normally would with us. It also extends the number of years a person is likely to be a full-time athlete within Anglia Ruskin University, we now have further education, undergraduate education and post-graduate education athletes all training together.”

University of Bath 

Ryan Forshaw Training & Development Tutor (Athlete Education)

“The AASE Program is a fantastic opportunity for athletes to develop both on and off the mat. By experiencing a structured program, mirroring that of an elite level performer.Aspiring athletes gain a comprehensive understanding of training and competing to be the best.”

Kendal Judo Performance Academy

Mike Liptrot, Kendal Club Head Coach

“Kendal Judo Club this year has set up the Kendal Judo Performance Academy working together with the British Judo Association to provide their own AASE program. Kendal has a great history in producing top judoka in a full time setting. We see AASE as the missing link to help produce even more quality judoka for our new national centre.”

British Judo Centre of Excellence University of Wolverhampton’s Walsall Campus

David Elmore, British Judo Development Officer (Walsall Campus)

“The AASE programme offers talented young judo athletes an amazing opportunity to develop their technical and tactical skills in a high performance environment. The added bonus being they learn about lifestyle, nutrition, goal setting and career planning which should stand them in good stead for the future. Whether they chose a career as a Sports performer, a non-competitive role within the sport or a career out of sport, the AASE programme gives them the tools.” 

Camberley

Luke Preston, Camberley Judo Club-Head Coach and Team GB Olympic Coach

“Camberley is very proud to be part of AASE initiative. As a training centre that has run elite judo training successfully for over twenty years, we have won medals at senior European, World and Olympic level. However, some of these medal winners have finished their judo career without qualifications to build on in later life. The AASE programme now offers young aspiring judoka a formal course of elite athlete study to complement their on the mat development.”

Ernest Bevin College

Eric Bonti, Head of Elite Sports Development

“The Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence in Judo gives aspiring elite athletes the knowledge and understanding necessary for top level judo performance. Ernest Bevin College is proud to be one of eight centres nationally providing this exciting opportunity to talented judo athletes. We aim to use this development tool to improve our delivery to the young people attending our college, providing them with pathways to excellence in the competitive arena and sport in general”.”

British Judo Performance

Karen Roberts BJA Performance Projects Manager

“AASE is a fantastic step for British Judo, it will offer our athletes the tools they need, at the start of their journey, to be the very best they can be at their sport. Perhaps more importantly as the founder of judo, Jigoro Kano, would have have hoped – with these tools and through the great sport of Judo we will support these athletes to excel in ALL that they do. Not everyone can go on to become Olympic athletes, but everyone can be the best they can be. I fully expect that we will see generations of AASE students running British sport in the future.”

Peter Vincent aces apprentice course with flying colours

Great Britain Under 21 Judo Squad member Peter Vincent was presented with an award from MP Claire Perry at Wiltshire Enterprise’s Apprentice Awards ceremony last month in Trowbridge for being the ‘Apprentice of the Year in Sporting Excellence 2013’.

Peter studied the Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence at Wiltshire College and Bath University as part of the scheme run for talented players on the England Judo Squad.

The award of Sporting Apprentice of the Year comes at a time where the British Judo Association have relaunched their apprenticeship programme at a number of institutions throughout the country.

At the age of 18 Peter completed the course designed to directly measure the athlete’s ability to plan, apply and evaluate their development in the appropriate technical, tactical, physical and psychological aspects of their sport.

It also addresses wider issues such as lifestyle, career development, communication and health and safety.

Whilst on the apprenticeship programme he attained a hefty 88 medals from all over the world, 49 of which are gold.

This success in those preparatory competitions helped him to peak for the British Championships where he took the title of 2012 Under 20s British Champion, defeating Maksim Bajonov in the final.

He is now looking forward to fighting in the British Senior Championships alongside members of 2012 Olympic Squad and also preparing for more International and Domestic competitions culminating in the U21s British Championships in December this year.

Peter’s father Stuart Vincent said: “It was a very worthwhile qualification where Peter learnt a lot about every aspect of being a full time sportsman and how to manage his time and resources to get the best results and performances so a big thanks to Wiltshire College.”

Matt Divall England Programme Manager, added: “Peter’s award is a truly fantastic achievement and rightly deserved after all the work he put into the Apprenticeship. Peter’s attitude, professionalism and attention to detail would have contributed to his recent recovery from his injury and will hopefully help him achieve his future aspirations in the Judo.

“On behalf of the England Judo Programme, and British Judo, many congratulations to Peter.”

The tutor that nominated Peter, John Maxwell, said of him,

“Peter was a pleasure to teach, and it has been fantastic watching him go from strength to strength in his career over the last few years. Peter took all of the training in his stride and showed commitment and dedication to the programme, and we wish him all the best for what I am sure will prove to be a successful future in judo.”

Words by Donna Richardson.