Short judo Bio.... Darren (AKA Bob) has been a British Judo Association coach since 1997. Prior to coaching he spent 4 years on the army judo team competing in the UK, USA, Canada, Gibraltar and Spain. He left the army in 1998 to train as a full time judo player under the guidance of Neil Adams (2 time Olympic Silver medallist) and stayed there for two years. Due to a shoulder injury he stopped competing in 2000. When he left full time training he studied for a BSc in Sports Sciences and graduated in 2004. Darren regularly assists with the training of the Eastern Area squads and attends England training sessions with his players. In 2002 he was the assistant coach to the England judo team at the commonwealth games in Manchester.
Darren was in the first group to complete the “judo degree” at the University of Bath and has graduated with a Foundation degree in Sports Performance, and a BSc (Hons) in Sports Performance, these awards incorporate a European Judo Union Level 4 and Level 5 High Performance Coach award respectively. He is now studying a PhD at Anglia Ruskin University, where he lectures, in the structure of light weight women’s judo from a technical, tactical and time motion perspective.
Darren has coached at Comberton Judo Club since 1999, he currently lectures on a BSc (Hons) in Sports Coaching & Physical Education at Anglia Ruskin University. He is also regularly coaches the the army and combined services squads on training camps and at competitions. In 2008 Darren founded Anglia Ruskin Universities Judo Club and is currently their head coach. In their first year competing in the university team championships they came 5th in the team championships, in 2011 their mens team were crowned university championsafter beating Loughborough university in the final of the British University and Colleges championships. Anglia Ruskin University have been men’s team champions in 2011, 2012 and 2013. In 2014 they won Bronze. They have also won a large number of individual medals in this time.
In September 2007 Darren went to Rio de Janeiro to present research in Long-Term Player Development at the 5th International Judo Federation World Research Symposium. In 2009 he presented research comparing different methods of coaching judo to 9-11 year olds at the 6th International Judo Federation World Research Symposium. In 2011 he presented in Paris at the 7th International Judo Federation World Research Symposium on the temporal components of u48kg elite judo. He is a registered member of the International Association of Judo Researchers. In 2008 he also presented at the 2nd European Judo Union Children’s Seminar. For more information on his reaserch you can look at his blog - http://judobob.wordpress.com/my-phd-research/
The “Judo degree” has now moved to Anglia Ruskin University. This course yields a FDSc and BSc in sports coaching as well as a European Judo Union Level 4 performance coach award and Level 5 High performance coach award. Darren is the pathway leader for these courses. Current Roles in Judo: Head coach Comberton Judo club Head coach Anglia Ruskin University Part of the coaching team for the Army & combined services squads Pathway Leader for European Judo Union Level 4 and 5 coaching awards. Active researcher (LTAD, Talent ID, coaching process & performance analysis in judo) Webmaster and creator of www.coachingjudo.com, a website designed to educate coaches Other coaching related qualifications to date:
★ Restraint and Arrest techniques Instructor (Army) ★ Sports coach UK courses include Fundamentals of movement, Long-term Athlete Development, child protection, A club for all, equity in coaching, first aid & Mentoring Sports coaches ★ Various qualifications in pre-hospital care above the required first aid qualification for coaching ★ Various mentoring course associated with being a mentor for Living sport.
