British Weight Lifting Launch bespoke Diploma in Sporting Excellence (DiSE)

British Weight Lifting has launched a bespoke Diploma in Sporting Excellence (DiSE) for 2019 onwards within the Talent Pathway.

It has been designed to meet the needs of young athletes aged between 16-18 who have the potential to progress within the sport of Olympic Weightlifting.

DiSE will run within the Talent Pathway Programme and is designed to run over a two year period and will include camps, regional days and 1:1 days with programme specialists. The programme sessions will be held at Loughborough for the National Camp days and your Regional Hub for the regional days, on suitable dates to avoid competition clashes, in school holidays and at weekends. Personal Coaches may also be invited to attend relevant sessions with their athletes and contribute where appropriate to their athlete’s programme. The programme is designed to support progression either to further / higher education or gain employment within a related field.

British Weight Lifting CEO Ashley Metcalfe commented,“Our DiSE partnership with Loughborough College is a fantastic opportunity for our next generation of talented young lifters to improve their skills and develop their potential both on and off the platform. Designed to fit with existing academic studies and covering all areas of weight lifting, the Diploma is a great opportunity for 16-18 year olds to develop as athletes and lifters and gain a recognised qualification on completion of the course.”

Across the two years, athletes need to complete a number of units to successfully achieve the Diploma in Sport Excellence qualification part of the programme which include:

• Technical and Tactical
• Physical skills / Injury Prevention
• Mental / Psychological Skills
• Nutrition
• Lifestyle
• Career and Finance Planning
• Communication and Media
• Lift Clean Awareness
• Health and Safety
• Culture, values and behaviours

Evidence of completion for the qualification is mainly by completion of e-portfolios, which is completed mainly on camp, with some to complete at home.

Upon completion of DiSE, learners will receive a certificate and 64 UCAS points.

Who delivers the DiSE Programme?

The DiSE programme is run in partnership between British Weight Lifting and Loughborough College. Loughborough College already work with several other National Governing Bodies, developing a range of bespoke delivery models across those sports. 

What level of commitment is required from selected DiSE athletes?

Athletes will be expected to attend the national and regional camps and complete a small amount of portfolio work outside of camps, as well as recording their training and competition throughout the period.  Athletes will also have a progress review every 8 weeks with their dedicated Loughborough College tutor.

Are all the camps residential?

All the National camps are residential with lifters generally allocated twin rooms with en-suite facilities. Regional days are designed to travel to and from on the same day.

Why choose DiSE?

Benefits

• Mentoring and support
• A programme which aims to equip athletes with the necessary skills, behaviours and abilities to progress on the pathway and develop specific skills to support the athlete
• Opportunity to attend camps and train in a high-performance setting
• Objective feedback on technical and physical development
• Opportunities for 1:1 sessions with specialist support staff
• Upon completion 64 UCAS points are available (Currently equivalent to BTEC extended Dip at Merit, Pass, Pass and 2 x A levels at C’s)

Eligibility

• Aged 16 -18 (aged 16 on 1^st September 2019)
• Be in full time education (or approved part time study), but not an apprenticeship
• Be a current participant on the regional talent pathway programme or enrolling onto the talent pathway programme
• Be prepared to sign up to a 2-year programme
• Commitment to complete the learning programme
• Be a current resident in England

There is a strictly a maximum of 20 spaces available, so please apply at your earliest opportunity. Applications will close on 31 July 2019.

How to apply

The first step to apply for DiSE is to complete the expression of interest form below:

DiSE Expression of Interest

The selection policy can also be viewed below:

DiSE selection policy