VIC Triathlon hit the ground running with a memorable weekend of regional coach and technical official courses, delivered in partnership with Regional Sport Victoria and AusTriathlon.

The Regional Workforce Project commenced in October as representatives from all regions of Victoria headed to La Trobe University Bendigo Campus.

The weekend of 19-20 October opened with a Foundation Coach Course, facilitated by Sarah Mulkearns with the support of mentor-coaches Joe Gambles and Patrick Legge. 17 participants from Warragul, Bellarine Peninsula, Albury, Echuca, Ballarat, and Bendigo undertook the course.

This was followed by a Level 1 Technical Official Course, led by facilitator Kim Summers and assistant facilitators Nina and Shayne Quinton. 10 of the 11 participants completed their Field of Play assessment at the Bendigo Triathlon Club season opener the next day. This event was also the season opener of the Victorian Regional Series.

Nadelle Legge, VIC Triathlon Participation Operations Officer, says the hands-on courses were a fantastic opportunity to help upskill officials who can take their newfound knowledge back to their clubs all around regional Victoria and even across Australia.

“Many smaller club races don’t have technical officials at all, but now there is a new group of officials educated and prepared to act in that role,” Legge said. “Having those officials on the ground in regional locations will help make the sport safer.

“It was also strategic, with Sunday’s opening race for the Bendigo Tri Club. It was the first race of our regional series running in Victoria, which we brought back to life for the first time in many years.”

With a mix of theoretical learning and technical field-of-play assessments, the trainee officials had the chance to obtain their accreditation while supporting nearly 100 participants taking part in the race, a big jump from the 30-40 who typically compete.

The event’s growth was backed by lots of networking and the great result of 10 more technical officials accredited through on-the-job training on Sunday.

Gavin Hicks, Bendigo Triathlon Club President, was thrilled that VIC Triathlon invested in regional clubs and organised these courses for coaches and technical officials.

“It was professionally run and wonderful connecting with other regional clubs, culminating in the Regional Champs Race 1 the following day,” Hicks said.

“With the cost-of-living crisis and over-inflated prices for many triathlons, Regional Triathlons provide a cheaper and more community-orientated approach which many people from Melbourne are craving. It’s in Triathlon’s best interest that regional racing and clubs are strong.”

Anna Dixon also attended on behalf of the Cairns Crocs Committee & Beckworth Racing Club and found the Bendigo Foundation Coaching Course to be a wonderful opportunity to learn new skills, refine ideas and network with other volunteers at regional clubs.

“I loved the process of experiencing other participants’ session plans and thinking through my own full session design,” Dixon said. “The presence of so many committee members who were there to bring extra skill to their clubs to facilitate growth of the sport was inspiring as was the sharing of ideas for grassroots growth within the sport.

“The trainers were fabulous, and each new coach brought a wealth of experience and ideas. It was a privilege to be able to participate.”

Fellow participant Jude Channon embraced this chance to develop stronger skills for coaching triathletes.

“The pre-practical coursework was clear, the facilitators and trainers on the day were incredibly knowledgeable and willing to share their knowledge in a fun and friendly way,” Channon said. “I learned a lot from other participants as well and would highly recommend this course. ‘

The Wild Dog Triathlon Club Warragul had four team members attend both days in Bendigo to learn the fundamentals of coaching, including President Justin Bersey, who enjoyed both the coaching and technical official course.

“The weekend was a complete success. It was great being involved with other regional clubs and being able to share thoughts and ideas on both coaching and building participation in Triathlon,” Bersey said.

“Sarah, Joe, and Patrick were great mentors on the day as we split into groups to take individually run coaching programs in all three disciplines: swim, ride, and run. We were able to build on our training and racing knowledge and adapt this into the coaching program. The funding provided to help us with our travel and accommodation expenses was also greatly appreciated in making this event easier to attend.”

The technical training during the Bendigo regional race at Eaglehawk YMCA provided a rundown on how to educate new participants on helmet and bike safety, set up transition areas, and ensure proper mount and dismount procedures.

Since the educational weekend, Bersey has gone on to officiate at his first event, the Elwood 2XU.

“I had the chance to experience all aspects of becoming a technical official, including pre-race official briefings, swim start, bike racing and helmet check. I also had the chance to work on the motorbike during the event and the day finished with a post-race briefing and rundown on our thoughts to help make the event run more smoothly for both organisers and participants.”

This is just one example of how the coaches and officials training are opening new doors for those passionate about triathlon. By pairing newer technical officials with more experienced coaches and teaching transferable skills, Legge and the Vic Triathlon team are eager to create a stronger network and embrace opportunities for further growth.

“For post-foundation course upskilling, we are looking at a series of masterclasses and online learning modules early in 2025 to provide a pathway for new coaches to stay engaged and develop their skills,” Legge said. “Thank you to AusTriathlon, Regional Sport Victoria, La Trobe Uni Bendigo, Bendigo Tri Club, and all the participants for supporting our Regional Coach and Technical Officials Courses, and we can’t wait to see what else we can accomplish together.”

VIC Triathlon, AusTriathlon, and Regional Sport Victoria acknowledge the support of the Victorian Government.