Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
‘Festival of Athletics’ held in memory of Professor Pat Duffy
The ‘Festival of Athletics’, which was organised by Leeds Beckett Athletics Club and supported by Sport and Active Lifestyles, was held at Headingley Campus and welcomed staff, families and members of the public to take part in a range of activities including junior coaching and team competitions, a one-mile community fun run and then Carnegie games.
Professor Duffy, who passed away in 2014, was an eminent figure in the world of sports coaching and was Vice President (Europe) of the International Council for Coaching Excellence (ICCE) and the chairman of the European Coaching Council. He was also chair of the ICCE- Association of Summer Olympic International Federations project group to develop the International Sport Coaching Framework.
Catherine Ross, Chair of Leeds Beckett’s Athletics Club and a second year Sport and Exercise Science student, came up with idea for the festival and was instrumental in its organisation after being inspired by Professor Duffy’s work. She said: “It was a busy and successful day. The weather held up and it was great to see so many children enjoying their morning coaching session with the six coaches.
“There was a great atmosphere with the family fun run and the afternoon athletics meet was well supported. The meet finished off with javelin ace Mick Hill presenting the trophies and medals. We also fundraised via collection buckets on behalf of Milford Hospice in County Limerick. It was a fitting tribute to Pat’s life.”
Catherine added that it was hoped that the ‘Festival of Athletics’ would gather momentum and be an annual event.
Specialising in sports coaching at Leeds Beckett, Professor Duffy’s research focused on policy and sports coaching, as well as applying sports coaching to a business context. He worked on a Coaching for Performance project with Morrisons PLC, which integrated best practice from across business, sport and coaching capabilities into the day-to-day roles of managers and team leaders throughout the organisation.