Cube hopes to give top talent a big lift
WEIGHTLIFTING
NORTH Tyneside’s Cube Weightlifting Academy is close to acquiring Talent Academy status with British Weightlifting, writes TONY HODGSON.
Cube, who recently moved to a new base on Churchill Street, Howdon, has enjoyed success on and off the competition platform since being estabished five years ago by owner Josh Mosavi.
Mosavi, an international-level weightlifter for Iran, is head coach at the club and also works with CrossFit boxers developing their own weightlifting clubs and talented athletes.
The accreditation, if approved, would allow Cube to act as a hub for talented weightlifters in the area.
They can then be guided on to the British Weightlifting and England Weightlifting pathways - which could eventually lead to them representing Team GB.
Cube’s coaching team has a long history in the sport and has worked with many lifters and coaches in the region.
Mosavi said: “When I first came to England and moved to the North East I used to train at Gateshead Stadium with the powerlifters as there was no Olympic weightlifting club in the area.
“So I decided to set up a British Weightlifting-affiliated club and word got around.
“Before I knew it people were asking me to teach them the lifts and it went from there.”
He added: “Being a Talent Academy coach is being there to help someone fulfil their potential and be the best they can be.
“Being accredited as a Talent Academy will mean the club will be working alongside British Weightlifting to continue to give our members as many opportunities in the sport as possible.”
Cube is one of only a handful of weightlifting clubs in England which has the SportEngland Clubmark accreditation awarded for best practice in club management and welfare and in providing opportunities to members.
It has mentored several members into coaching, Mosavi’s wife Laura and Julian Richardson both achieving their Level Two coaching qualifications.
In addition,student coach Kim Caisley, also a Level Two coach, went on to head up the Olympic weightlifting team at Northumbria University.
Cube also enjoyed lots of medal success in 2019 - including claiming several Northern, English and British titles.
It also celebrated international success with Theo Bayne-Dixon (15) representing Great Britain in the Youth European Championship in Ireland.
Cube hopes to boost interest in the sport at its new Howdon base once the current lockdown restrictions are lifted.
Assistant coach Tina Shaw added: “We don’t know when we will be able to open fully and we are expecting we will have to still maintain some social distancing measures for the rest of the year.
“We are going to see if there is a way we can still undertake some of our 2020 plans either remotely or virtually, such as our clean sport education scheme and member development through our youth development pathways.”
The academy will be holding talented athlete seminars and is looking to run programmes for 13-17 year-olds later in the year.
It welcomes anyone who has an interest in weightlifting.
Contact the team at coaches@cubeweightlifting.co.uk or by ringing 07814 014 442.