British Canoeing Coach Awards – White Water and Open Water
Last week Owen and Dave travelled to sunny Wales to complete Open Water Canoe and White Water Canoe coach training with Ray Goodwin with the British Canoeing Coach Awards.
The paddling was great, the weather was perfect.
As the Coach Awards are new, we thought we’d share our experience.
What British Canoeing say…
British Canoeing Coach Awards offer discipline specific pathways to the skills and coaching behaviours required for developing performance through progressive coaching.
The British Canoeing Coach Award is designed for people whose core function is to coach paddlers as an Outdoor Instructor within specific disciplines; coaching beginners new to the sport, or paddlers looking to develop their skills in the given discipline and / or environment.
British Canoeing coaches are able to plan, deliver and review progressive sessions safely, effectively and independently.
There are 18 options available!
The Coach Award content is delivered through the Core Coach Training and the Discipline Specific Training.
Discipline Specific Training focuses on HOW to coach the discipline specific skills and WHAT you will be coaching.
The training explores how to coach technical and tactical skills, the course will help coaches plan and deliver safe, enjoyable, progressive coaching sessions and explore specifics.
What we Think…
We booked Coach Training through Ray Goodwin; we’ve known Ray for years – he’s a considerate and compassionate course provider with many decades of brilliant experience.
We booked two coach training courses back to back to save travel costs. Completing the two courses in 4 days wasn’t onerous.
On reflection we felt that completing both courses consecutively was the best way of doing things. The coaching theory is very similar over both courses and it was useful to revisit ideas over 4 days rather than condensing them into two.
Some time is spent in a classroom every day. A good understanding of coaching theory and learning styles underpins what is covered on the water.
Coaching courses are not leadership courses; don’t expect to spend a full day on the water travelling long distances.
Confined areas and features are discussed in detail. You might spend 45 minutes discussing coaching techniques at a single eddy line (which is great).
Summary…
The new British Canoeing Coach Awards seem well planned, robust and fit for purpose.
A real focus on learner centred coaching styles should, over time, lead to an improvement in paddle sport coaching in the UK.
Coach training and assessment pathways are clear, concise and achievable.
As with most things, British Canoeing Coach awards will adapt and improve over time but their foundation is already solid.
They’re good courses that will improve the experience of coaches and participants.
Do them!
22 October 2018 by Owen Senior
