On Sunday, January 22nd, the Irish Taekwon-Do Association held its Annual General Meeting. The meeting was attended by over 50 instructors from across the country who gathered to elect a new board, committees & officers, review the achievements of the ITA strategic plan (2020 to 2023), report on the activities of the board and committees, approve amendments to our constitution, finalise key dates for 2023 and set new goals for the season ahead. We also formally welcomed several new instructors & clubs which have joined ITA over the last year. It was also a great opportunity to rekindle connections with friends and to network with instructors from across the association.
The AGM was also the launch of the new ITA Brand & Logo. As part of the launch of the new brand, each instructor received new ITA merchandise for free including notebooks, bags, portfolios, ties & tablecloths. This was made possible by continued funding & support from Sport Ireland & the Irish Martial Arts Commission.
The new logo honours the past with a modern update on the ITA fist emblem, our new brand simplifies the concept, identifies us for who we are and what we do in a bold style. The forward lean of the font suggests momentum, dynamism and movement. The vertical solidity of the fist acts almost as a full stop, simple but bold.
The ITA embodies the four facets of ITF Taekwon-Do, whatever stage of life you are in, wherever you come from and whatever your ability, ITA has something to offer. The new brand and logo and the guidelines that will be contained in our new brand book aim to help us convey that message in everything we do.
During the AGM elections were conducted for the ITA board of directors and for the first time three female board members have been elected in line with government strategy for all recognised NGBs of sport. The board also took the opportunity to make a special presentation to Master Kevin Kinsella for over 20 years of diligent work at board level, who decided to step down from his role.
The newly elected ITA board are as follows:
President: Master Kenneth Wheatley VIII Degree
Vice President: Master Mark Buckley VII Degree
Secretary General: Master Stephen Ryan VII Degree
Treasurer: Master Adrian Byrne VII Degree
Directors:
Master Adrian O’Mahoney VII Degree
Master Anne Marie Kinsella VII Degree
Mr Carl Smullen V Degree
Ms Aoife O’Mahony III Degree
Ms Claire Ingham II Degree
As well as the election of the new board all other committee elections & appointments took place as well as the establishment of the Finance, Audit, Risk & Compliance Committee to be chaired by Master Tim Forde VIII Degree and the constitutional committee which will shortly be appointed.
The ITA committees & officers are as follows:
Technical & Instruction Committee
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR: Master Niall Jones VII
MEMBERS:
Master Kenneth Wheatley VIII
Master Stephen Cooley VII
Mr Richard Forde V
Women’s Committee
Master Anne Marie Kinsella VII, Chairperson
Ms Rachel Kennedy V
Ms Sarah Barry IV
Ms Nicola Bergin IV
Ms Claire Ingham II
Marketing & Promotional Committee
Master Mark Buckley VII
Master Stephen Ryan VII
Master Adrian Byrne VII
Special Needs & Inclusion Committee
Master Pat Barry VII
Mrs. Laura Ryan V
Ms Helen G Finglas II
Sponsorship Officer
Mr Rob Ingham
Tournament & Umpire Committee
TOURNAMENT ADMINISTRATOR: Mr. Stephen Smullen V
TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR:
Master Mark Buckley VII
UMPIRE CHAIRPERSON:
Mr Carl Smullen V
TOURNAMENT COORDINATOR:
Master Stephen Ryan VII
UMPIRE TUTORS
Master Pat Barry VIII
Ms Rachel Kennedy V
Trustees
Master Declan McMullen VII Dan
Mr Breandán Dennehy I Dan
Mr Jeroen Wezelman IV
Ms Sarah Barry V
INSURANCE OFFICER:
Mr Andrew Butler V
ANTI-DOPING OFFICER:
Ms. Sabina Mason V
Young People’s Advisory Committee
NATIONAL CHILDREN’S OFFICER:
Mr. Jamie Rigney VI
DESIGNATED PERSON:
Master Anne-Marie Kinsella VII
DESIGNATED PERSON:
Ms Sabina Mason V
COACHING OFFICERS:
Master Adrian Byrne VII
Mr Carl Smullen V
IMAC Officers
IMAC TREASURER:
Master Kenneth Wheatley VIII
IMAC SECRETARY:
Mr. Carl Smullen V
IMAC ANTI-DOPING:
Ms. Sabina Mason V
IMAC HEALTH & SAFETY OFFICER(S)
Master Tim Forde VII Dan & Ms Sabina Mason V Dan
IMAC WOMEN’S OFFICER
Master Anne-Marie Kinsella VII Dan
TAEKWON-DO REP 1
Master Tim Forde VIII Dan
TAEKWON-DO REP 2
Ms Helen G Finglas II
SHADOW REP 1
Master Adrian Byrne VII
SHADOW REP 2
Ms Claire Ingham II
Certified Coach Developers
Master Wheatley VIII
Master Adrian Byrne VII
Master Stephen Ryan VII
Master Stephen Cooley VII
Master Pat Barry VII
Mr Carl Smullen V
Master Anne Marie Kinsella VI
Mr Hong Looi VI
Ethics & Discipline Committee:
Master Kenneth Wheatley VIII
Appointed as necessary
Appointed as necessary
National Team Coaches and Management
DIRECTOR:
Master Mark Buckley VII
HEAD COACH:
Master Stephen Ryan, VII
COACH:
Master Stephen Cooley VII
COACH:
Master Adrian Byrne VII
COACH:
Mr Paul King I
COACH:
Mr Stephen Smullen V
COACH:
Master Niall Jones VII
TEAM MANAGERS:
Ms Claire Ingham II
Mr Rob Ingham
ATHLETIC THERAPIST
Sophie Gibney
Report by Master Stephen Ryan
ITA Secretary General
sryan@taekwondo.ie