Jon Rudd’s 1st 100 Irish Days: Build Team, Mark Trees Blocking Pathway To Progress

The first 100 days of a new life won’t start for Jon Rudd until next February but the coach had started the clock before today’s announcement that he is to lead the Irish swim program as National Performance Director to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and beyond.

Rudd, one of the principle architects of the Plymouth Leander and College scheme in England, took the Irish job on the basis that Ireland ha a plan and knew where it wanted to go. Beyond searching for a house and working out how family life will work for all its members and their own commitments, Rudd is clear about some of the priorities of his first 100 days in the new post.

“I’m excited about the move. It happened quite quickly,” Rudd tells SwimVortex. “There are obvious mixed emotions about leaving behind what’s been built here [Plymouth] and the team and athletes I work with but this is a great opportunity for me … and its the same for them, too [Irish swimming].

“From the meetings I’ve had with the CEO and board (Swim Ireland] they are right behind a high performance drive and really want to have a go at doing it properly. I just wouldn’t have been interested without that. Their high performamce plan is really well written: it’s something to work with.”

Trawl back through Irish swimming history (discounting the brush with Olympic fame that turned truly sour) and we find talent aplenty and swift swimming in the junior ranks at national, European and global levels. There is a then a drop off and the transition from junior to senior ranks has proved to be a challenge too far for a great many prospects.

That is one of the aspects of Irish swimming that Rudd is keen to focus on while travelling his own learning curve to understanding what may stand in the way of success in the elite pool on the biggest of occasions. The first step wasto be found in the official statement on his appointment: “…I will now build a world class team around me that can help Ireland find that elusive podium finish at World and Olympic level.”

How? Says Rudd: “It certainly is my impression that junior talent fizzles out before it fulfils its potential. Ireland is certainly capable of producing kids who challenge for the podium at European juniors, world juniors and Olympic Youths.

“We have to change the aspirations of the people on deck: it is almost like that’s the tip of their pyramid (junior success), the level above not in their minds. The transition from junior to senior ranks is a questionable part of the program – it needs addressing.”

Rudd noted that Ireland has a good crop of good juniors right now but the challenge was to make sure they had the “right resources and the right people about them to make sure they have the right outlook and see them past those 15 and 16 years of age.”

Holistic Approach – Athlete Needs First

Brendan Hyland, courtesy of Swimming Ireland

In Plymouth, one of Rudd’s success stories with others who worked on a braun-meets-brain blueprint was the integration of sport and edication, Plymouth Leander working in tandem – and with understanding – with Plymouth College and then the level beyond, …

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