Alan Dean appointed as Performance Programme Manager for GB Baseball and Softball Olympic Programme
Alan Dean has been appointed as Performance Programme Manager for the GB Baseball and Softball Olympic Programme.
Alan Dean pictured at the 2023 World Baseball Classic (Paul Stodard)
Dean will work across the Olympic Performance Programme, which includes the entire Great Britain Women’s Softball programme and the Great Britain Baseball Senior and U23 Teams.
Alan has been involved with both of the National Teams for over a decade, first working with GB Softball in 2009 and GB Baseball in 2007.
Dean has served as part of the Sports Science and Medical Staff for competitions including the World Baseball Classic, Softball World Cup, multiple European Championships, and more, working across age groups and disciplines.
He is the current Chair of the BaseballSoftballUK Medical and Science Commission, supervising all athletes in the Olympic Performance Programme.
Alan’s experience in high-performance sport goes beyond his involvement with Great Britain Baseball and Softball. He is the owner and operator of Smarter Performance, a multi-disciplinary sports performance business based in Horsham, West Sussex.
Alan’s coaching philosophy follows an evidence-based approach to ensure that the "whole" person benefits from coaching, a philosophy closely aligned with that of the Olympic Performance Programme.
Alan’s eldest son, Jacob, was a member of the Great Britain Baseball programme, playing through the age group teams and making his Senior debut at the 2016 European Championships at 18 years of age, while his youngest son, Louis, is also part of the GB Baseball programme and plays for the London Mets NBL team, winning the NBL title last year.
“Alan brings a wealth of experience in high-performance sport to the position, demonstrating exceptional professionalism, strategic insight, and a meticulous approach to athlete development,” said Performance Director Gary Anderson. “His keen attention to detail and commitment to excellence will be invaluable in optimising our performance environments.”
“Alan has been part of the Great Britain Baseball programme for several years, giving us his time, his expertise and his support throughout many successful tournaments. This new role will see him go from strength to strength, and as he goes, so will we. I’m so pleased for him and excited for this new phase to begin,” said Drew Spencer, Head Coach of GB Baseball’s Senior National Team.
“I am honoured and excited to take up the role of Performance Programme Manager, assist in driving Great Britain towards LA28 qualification and solidifying GB's place at the top table of the European rankings,” said Alan. “I look forward to working with both federations, coaching staffs, and the support staff to fulfil our shared goals.”
The Great Britain Baseball and Softball Olympic Performance Programmes will play a busy competition schedule this year, with four European Championships on the calendar – the U18 and Senior European Championships for Softball and the U23 and Senior Championships for Baseball.
The schedule for GB Baseball in 2025 can be found on our events page
For more information about the programmes and this year’s competitions, visit baseballsoftballuk.com.
