"A huge kickstart into the coaching world" is how hockey legend Eddie Ockenden describes the AIS Gen32 program as he begins his new role with the Tasmanian Institute of Sport (TIS).
The former Australian Kookaburras captain, five-time Olympian and newly appointed TIS Head Hockey Coach has returned home to support the next generation of Tasmanian athletes progressing through the national pathway, bringing recent learnings from AIS Gen32 straight into his daily environment.
"The AIS Gen32 coaching program has been a huge benefit to my understanding about all things coaching," Ockenden said.
"As a new coach transitioning out of a playing career, I feel like it has really accelerated my development."
AIS Gen32 was created in 2022 to enhance the depth and diversity within Australia's high performance coaching ranks ahead of the home Games in Brisbane and provides emerging or early career coaches with a two-year paid internship in the nation's top sporting programs.
Ockenden is one of the 30-strong second cohort of Gen32, with the up and coming coaches working across 23 coming together this week for their first face to face session of the year in Melbourne.
"We are lucky to have such a broad range of learning available through AIS Gen32," Ockenden said.
"I really enjoy learning off other coaches in the program. We have some very experienced coaches that offer great advice, as well as new coaches and coaches in a similar position to me transitioning from a playing career to coaching. I find the shared experience beneficial to discuss and learn."
To learn more about AIS Gen32 and other high performance coach development programs, visit www.ausport.gov.au/ais/coach-development
