Birmingham 2022 was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and hockey coach Jerome Goudie admits being in the thick of it has inspired him to push for greater heights.

Goudie, who is head coach at Loughborough University after earning 121 caps for England and Great Britain in his playing days, is one of the aspiring support staff in the Team England Futures programme due to his role as England under-18s assistant coach. 

While the 45-year-old kept an eye on the hockey competitions that took place in Birmingham, he also got to witness some of the action in athletics and table tennis. 

Along with the other coaches involved with Team England Futures, Goudie was given a tour of the athletes’ village and a behind-the-scenes look at some of the other facilities made available to competitors at the Games. 

Goudie said: “I was surprised at the amount of background detail that goes into everyday life [at the Games]. 

“You get a feel for it when you do go to tournaments yourself but now obviously, with the level of security and stuff around the Games, there’s a lot more that goes into going into the dining room hall, going from campus to campus and going into each venue. 

“There’s a lot more that has to be thought about and planned than you would normally appreciate.” 

Team England Futures seeks to better prepare athletes to deliver medal-winning performances as either Team England, Team GB or ParalympicsGB debutants at future Games, while also giving support staff a first-hand look at the opportunities they could be presented with, as well as challenges they may face, at a multi-sport competition.

Those involved were honoured by a visit from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and Princess Charlotte, at the University of Birmingham. 

The Duchess has been the patron of SportsAid since 2013 and she joined in a series of workshops to provide the athletes with some further insight on the mental challenges that lie ahead. 

Goudie has been involved in coaching for over a decade and has been in his current role of heading up men’s performance at Loughborough, who have a track record of producing players who represent their country, for nine years. 

The Commonwealth Games were his first experience of what goes on behind the scenes at a multi-sport event and he believes it will go a long way in developing him as a coach who could potentially be involved in future Games. 

Goudie said: “It helped me because now I have a really good understanding, starting with the Immersion Camp of getting your kit and being part of that to coming into this environment. 

“You can recognise the athletes’ village is a place that you could probably get overwhelmed by because of the number of people who might be there. 

“You’re able to not just recognise that but get comfortable with that and not get too carried away with the party atmosphere that’s in there 

“It can prepare you for if that opportunity comes up in the future, then you’ll be prepared and enjoy it, but focused on hopefully delivering some results when it comes to the next Commonwealth Games or Olympics.” 

Commonwealth Games England has appointed SportsAid to lead on the development, management and operational delivery of Team England Futures at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. You can find out more about the programme by visiting https://www.sportsaid.org.uk/partnerships/team-england-futures/.