Athletics NZ loses high performance staff to Australia

Two key high performance staff have left Athletics New Zealand.

Scott Goodman has resigned High Performance Director after more than ten years in the role and Dale Stevenson, Lead Coach Throws, has signalled his intention to head back to his native Australia in March.

Goodman, who is also returning to Australia, will leave Athletics NZ in late January to take up a new sporting role in his country of birth.

Both men are heading home for family reasons.

Scott is the longest standing High Performance Director with a major New Zealand national sports organisation.

He joining Athletics NZ in 2011 and has overseen a successful period for the sport in New Zealand highlighted by four medals at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, two medals at the recent Tokyo Olympics, nine medals at the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games and seven medals at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

While heading back to Australia with family in March, Stevenson will formally step down from his role with Athletics NZ after the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in August.

Stevenson came on board in 2014 and has played a leading role in the development and ongoing success of New Zealand’s throws programme.

Best known for his long-standing coaching relationship with double Olympic bronze medallist and three-time world champion Tom Walsh, he more recently also guided Dame Valerie Adams to Olympic shot put bronze at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and successfully coached Lauren Bruce to the Oceania hammer record.

Walsh has already transitioned to being coached by Hayden Hall who has been an assistant coach and mentored by Dale for the last several years. Lauren Bruce will continue to be coached by Dale for the foreseeable future.

Athletics NZ chief executive Pete Pfitzinger paid tribute to both men saying, “Both Scott and Dale have made defining and lasting contributions to our high performance culture and can be very proud of their achievements during their time with us. They will be sorely missed.

“Scott has endured limited family time for over a decade and with Covid-19 travel implications an ongoing issue we fully support his decision to return home. Dale is similarly putting family first around his decision.

“We wish them both the very best and know they will continue to support Athletics NZ in the years ahead.”