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Coaching Structure
Coaching Structure | Coaching structure |
1 IntroductionThis document describes how coaching is organised within Wild Water Racing. 2 DiscussionRecent reviews of coaching of Wild Water Racing from grass roots up to Great Britain Team level highlighted a number of key facts. Those worth emphasising are:
This has led to the current coaching structure and in turn to a coaching framework within WWR. This complements the existing and planned BCU coaching structure that covers all aspects of Paddlesport. 3 Coaching StructureThe Coaching Structure takes the form of a Coaching Pool with an aim of including coaches, nationwide, with varying skills and experience that can be applied across classes from development through to elite athletes at both senior and junior level. The intention is the Coaching Pool can harness the great deal of knowledge and experience that exists amongst people that are not necessarily involved with coaching at the moment. Because it is a pool, the coaching load can be spread between larger numbers of people, hopefully removing possible barriers that may be putting off potential coaches. Club sessions, regional training days and national training days can be arranged around coach availability and geographical placement with such events 'calling' upon members of this wider Coaching Pool with the particular skills, knowledge or enthusiasm for the event.The aim is for the Coaching Pool to be flexible and inclusive allowing coaches to participate at whatever level they desire, whether that be the type of athletes they work with or the amount of time they are willing to commit. The Coaching Pool also gives the opportunity for coaches, themselves, to develop and progress their coaching interest further, if they wish. 3.1 Coaching RolesWhilst participating in the Coaching Pool, a coach will act in a particular coaching role. In practice, many coaches carry out many coaching roles throughout the year; however, it’s useful that a coach understands what role they are fulfilling when conducting coaching activities.3.1.1 Director of Coaching
3.1.2 National Coach
3.1.3 Mentor Coach
3.1.4 Regional Coach
3.1.5 Coach
3.1.6 Club Coach
3.1.7 Experienced Athlete
3.1.8 Bankside Support
3.2 Athlete GroupsObviously, the reason for having coaches is to coach athletes. The Coaching Pool will provide coaching resource to 3 broad groups of athletes. The interests of the athletes in each group is served by a Manager or Director who co-ordinates coaching activities on behalf of the athletes.3.2.1 WWR Development AcademyArguably, the WWR Development Academy (the Academy) covers all athletes, nationwide, who wish to improve at WWR. However, its focus will generally be towards younger athletes and to athletes new to WWR. The Academy is co-ordinated by the Academy Director.By any standard, the Academy covers a large community of athletes, so it is divided into Regional Academies. The aim is to have Regional Academy Directors, encouraged and supported by the Academy Director, who coach athletes within their region, but who also champion coaching of athletes amongst the clubs in their region. The Academy Director and Regional Academy Directors will organise national and regional training days and events to bring together athletes and coaches to share knowledge and enjoy the sport of WWR. Within the regions there are local groupings of athletes, typically at clubs coached by club coaches, but also athletes who are self-coaching. Clubs and self-coaching athletes are encouraged to supplement their own activities by going along to regional and national academy events. 3.2.2 GBR Training SquadsThe GBR Training Squads focus on athletes who are likely to compete for GBR Teams internationally. This is described in a separate document (GBR Training Squads).Each GBR Training Squad is co-ordinated by a Training Squad Manager. Typically the National Coaches have most involvement coaching the GBR Training Squads. However, other coaches do get involved as and when appropriate. In particular, coaches at a more local level can be involved by acting as a Mentor Coach to an athlete who is on a GBR Training Squad. 3.2.3 GBR TeamsWhen a GBR Team is selected and competes internationally, it will usually be supported by coaching resource. Each GBR Team is co-ordinated by a Team Manager. Typically the Senior and Junior Teams will be supported by National Coaches, however other coaches do get involved.Masters and University Teams are generally much more self-organised; however, coaching support can be sought, by their Team Manager, from the general Coaching Pool. 4 Coaching Structure Diagram
5 Coaching FrameworkThe Coaching Pool, by its very nature is flexible in the sense that people interested in coaching can contribute to the level their time allows. For some this may be a regular weekly commitment down at their local club, for others it may be just a day or two each year helping at regional or club training days. Whilst the merits of such flexibility are clear, it also presents the problem of how to maintain coherency and consistency of coaching when it is applied by lots of different coaches. This has led to a Coaching Framework which involves a common syllabus for athletes, resources for coaches - in the form of a WWR Manual (and other reference material), and the BCU/UKCC coach qualification schemes.There is a large and under-utilised pool of coaches, experienced athletes and other 'friends of Wild Water Racing' who have a lot of knowledge and experience who we would like to encourage to get involved with local, regional and national coaching programmes. By sharing a common approach to WWR coaching across the country, it allows occasional contributions from such 'friends of Wild Water Racing' to be coherent, meaningful and focussed, without placing too onerous a burden upon the time they are able to volunteer. 5.1 WWR Development Academy SyllabusAt the heart of the Coaching Framework is the WWR Development Academy Syllabus.This athlete syllabus, aims to highlight all the components that go into to making a complete Wild Water Racer. The syllabus should appeal to any athlete who wants to increase their enjoyment of Wild Water Racing, through skills and knowledge development, as well as help anyone who wants to progress to higher levels of performance in Wild Water Racing. The athlete syllabus acknowledges that participants may come to Wild Water Racing as novice paddlers, from other paddlesport disciplines or, indeed, from other sports. All athletes are endowed with various strengths and areas for improvement. What the syllabus can do is highlight the areas in which a participant is strong or is improving rapidly as well as the areas that need improvement allowing the athlete to develop all aspects as a whole and progress all their skills and knowledge together at the same level. By developing all aspects to each level together, participants are more likely to improve in an enjoyable and progressive way. In terms of coaching, the athlete syllabus is intended to encourage people to participate in coaching by passing on knowledge and instilling confidence in coaches who get involved. The athlete syllabus should act as confirmation for already active WWR coaches. It should fill in knowledge gaps for new coaches or coaches from other paddlesport disciplines. It should guide experienced athletes that would like to start coaching as well as guide athletes who are self-coaching. Equally, it should also guide those new to Wild Water Racing including bankside supporters and parents of young athletes. Coaches, whatever their experience level, are encouraged to develop their own coaching programs using the athlete syllabus as their guide, but also to enhance it using their own knowledge, experience and attributes. 5.2 The WWR ManualThe WWR Manual is the main resource to use in conjunction with the athlete syllabus. It provides further detail about all the areas covered in the athlete syllabus. Its aim is to share ‘best practice’ with all coaches and to provide a language and vocabulary that can be shared by all coaches.As well as the WWR Manual, there is a plethora of coaching reference material available from within paddlesport or from other sports. The best articles will be highlighted by WWR but coaches are encouraged to increase their own knowledge and expertise with their own research. 5.3 BCU/UKCC Coach QualificationsAnyone coaching WWR is encouraged to obtain coach qualifications. There is a comprehensive Coach Qualification scheme provided by the BCU/UKCC Coaching Scheme and we can advise and support coaches who seek qualifications.However, the Coaching Pool acknowledges that someone doesn’t become a qualified coach and then start coaching but rather, they start coaching, find it rewarding and enjoyable and discover they want to further their interest in coaching by increasing their knowledge and gaining qualifications. The WWR coaching structure and framework aims to generate the reward, enjoyment and interest in coaching which will lead to coaches wanting to become qualified.        |
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