From 1st March, all athletes seeking selection for any European and World Championships (all age groups, including European Games) must submit their current Individual Athlete Development Plans (IADPs) to BF prior to selection.
There is a GBR selection eligibility criteria for athletes to demonstrate training levels. Starting with the 2023 Cadet and Junior World Championships selection, this will be strictly enforced for all upcoming European and World Championships. To meet this criteria athletes will be required to submit their Individual Athlete Development Plans (IADPs). In the case of those seeking Cadet & Junior European Selection from 2024, an Athlete Profile will suffice.
Over the last 2 years the ADP has been providing tools and training sessions for athletes to self-assess, build their Athlete Profile and start creating their own Individual Athlete Development Plans. There have also been opportunities for coaches to learn about how to support an athlete as they develop and manage their training plans.
It is an expectation of all athletes in the ADP to have a self managed Athlete Profile and for this in turn to build into an IADP. (For more information see here). If you do not have a template Athlete Profile or IADP please complete a request here.
These development plans are important because they:
From 1st March, all selections for European and World Championships will enforce this requirement and athletes should submit their IAPD/Athlete Profile within a month of the selection date, and at the latest 7 days prior to selection. Athletes will be expected to submit updated documents for each championships.
All athletes selected to compete at the Cadet and Junior European Championships will be expected to submit an Athlete Profile or IAPD within 2 weeks of selection being announced and these will be discussed in generic terms with athletes at the online C&J European Championship Preparation session on 11th February 2023. Athletes will be expected to review their documents after their individual and team competitions with input from the lead coach/coaches present at the event.
Athletes who have not been selected for C&J Europeans, but are looking to be selected for C&J Worlds are encouraged to submit their IADPs as soon as possible for review.
IADPs/Athlete Profiles can be uploaded here.
Once your form has been uploaded you will be contacted if more information is required.
Prior to submission athletes should review their Athlete Profile/IADP with their personal coach prior to submission. Athletes seeking selection for Junior events are encouraged to reach out to an ADP coach for a review, and Seniors should review their IAPD with the Weapon Leads.
To assist athletes in further building and developing their Athlete Profiles/IADPs, over the coming months, we will be running a number of training sessions, split by pathway stage. To begin all ADP fencers will receive an invitation to submit their updated athlete assessment which informs which stage an athlete is on a pathway. Following completion of the athlete assessment, invites will be sent to join the appropriate session. It is expected these session will start to take place in March 2023 and if you have not received an invitation you should contact us here.
There will also be invitations sent to personal coaches of ADP athletes and ADP coaches. If you coach an ADP athlete and have not received an invitation by March you should contact us here.
More Details
IADPs will be reviewed on a regular schedule – as fencers go up the performance pathway the expectation is that these reviews become more frequent and more detailed. Athletes looking to access public funding will be expected to have comprehensive and detailed plans in place, understanding that these will form the basis of decisions to invest in fencing and fencers, in comparison to other sports. (for more information about how the ADP is funded please see here).
The expectation is that athletes and their personal coaches will regularly review IADPs together, at a minimum once every two months and after every significant competition.
The ADP
The Athlete Development Programme (ADP) is a six weapon programme that exists to support athletes in achieving Olympic and Paralympic success and inspiring others. It covers athletes from age 15 to 35 (and beyond for those performing at Olympic level) who are moving through a defined development pathway to success at the highest level of fencing. Find out more about the programme here.
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