England Golf has recruited four new staff to continue and enhance the success of its performance programme in the identification and development of world class amateur golfers.
Dan Abrahams will join as National Provider Psychology, Dan Coughlan as National Provider Physiotherapy and Nick Ward as Lead Strength and Conditioning Coach while Paul Ashwell has been appointed as the Lead Coach for the England Men’s A Squad.
Dan Abrahams is an HCPC registered sport psychologist and former PGA professional golfer who competed on several European satellite tours while as a coach supported both beginners and European Tour professionals. Dan has over a decade of experience as a sport psychologist, most notably in golf and football. As a golf psychologist he spent eight years delivering to Surrey county golfers, worked with players from all the major global tours and lectured for the PGA of GB & I. Within football he has worked with clubs and players from both the Premier League and Football League.
Dan Coughlan brings experience across a variety of sports in addition to golf, including cycling, football and lacrosse. Dan is already familiar with England Golf’s performance structure as he has been working as the East Region’s U16 and AASE athletic development coach for two years whilst at the same time fulfilling a similar role for Essex County Golf Union. Dan is a member of the Chartered Institute of Physiotherapy and the UK Strength and Conditioning Association.
Nick Ward again has expertise from a wide number of sports, most recently from contracts with Sheffield Eagles RLFC and the Derbyshire Institute of Sport, where he worked with performance athletes from badminton, basketball, golf, table tennis, sailing and swimming. In addition he led the Canadian National bobsleigh and skeleton team to their best ever World Championship medal success in 2007-2008 and has worked with a number of Premier and Football League teams as well as County Cricket and the governing bodies of rowing and netball.
Paul Ashwell is no stranger to England Golf as he has formed part of the England men’s A squad coaching team since 2008, in addition to being the lead coach to the boy’s U18 squad from 2005. During that time he saw England Boys win two European Championships and a World Championship, along with several Home Internationals victories, one by a record margin in 2007. Paul will combine his England duties alongside his role of Director of Coaching at St Ives Golf Club.
Nigel Edwards, England Golf’s Performance Director is very positive about the new appointments, commenting, “The number of highly qualified individuals who applied and the talent of those interviewed for these positions was incredible. England players have achieved great success in recent years and we know that bringing this additional experience to our support team combined with the dedication and work ethic our players show in training will not only continue but also build on that success.”
England Golf www.englandgolf.org