TAAG Team train with BAC

Our new group of TAAG (TASS Athletes’ Advisory Group) members have been exploring their roles in greater depth and learning new skills to help during the year ahead, and beyond.
The TAAG is a group of TASS athletes from a wide cross-section of sports and TASS Delivery Sites. As well as providing a link between TASS athletes and TASS HQ, TAAG members will develop skills that will remain useful in their futures.

The group convened for a virtual training session with Kristian Thomas, Athlete Engagement Manager with the BAC (British Athletes Commission), and Olympic gymnast. In addition to discussing the purpose and benefits of the TAAG and their roles within the group, the athletes were able to benefit from Kristian’s experience, both as an athlete and in his current role, which involves helping to develop the athlete voice and athlete representation mechanism.

Following the session, Becky Wilde, TAAG Chair commented:
“I found the BAC training session really useful and interesting. The skills we learnt are all things we’ll take forward to develop ourselves at an individual level and as a group. I’m looking forward to implementing what we learnt as part of TAAG and in any future roles we may have. Thank you to Kristian for running such an engaging session!”

Alison Brown is National Lead for Athlete Support at TASS and was instrumental in establishing the TAAG. She is passionate about using the athlete voice to help TASS HQ to monitor and develop its support to athletes:
“It’s fantastic to be working with the BAC again to deliver tailored training to our TAAG members. Not only does the training serve to build their awareness and confidence to be effective athlete representatives, it provides a unique opportunity for our TAAG members to develop their own communication skills for use in their sport, study and future employment.”

For TASS, the TAAG is a key means of accessing direct athlete feedback and a way of generating ideas to help shape and improve delivery and resources for athletes. TASS are keen to ensure that the TAAG Members receive training for their role that will help their own personal development.

This isn’t the first time that the BAC have provided training in partnership with TASS. Olympian Kristian, is well-placed to deliver this training and to provide great advice to the athlete advisory group:

“We were delighted to work alongside TASS and their athlete focus group TAAG for the second year running. We know how important an athlete voice mechanism can be in helping create positive change, and the session shows a real desire from TASS to listen their members, and identify how they can best support them as student athletes.”

Alongside Kristian’s work in developing athlete representation mechanisms, the BAC also provides impartial and confidential advice and guidance to members of World-Class Performance Programmes, ensuring that athletes always have somewhere to turn when they are in need of support.

If you’re a TASS athlete and are interested in the joining the TAAG next year, please look out for the recruitment process beginning from September 2021.