1    Introduction

This document describes how coaching is organised within Wild Water Racing.

2    Discussion

Recent 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:

• There are no paid coaches, all coaches take part on a voluntary basis
• Potential coaches have limited time to commit
• Potential coaches are geographically dispersed around the country
• There is a large untapped resource of WWR ‘coaches’

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 Structure

The 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 Roles

Whilst 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

• Develops the Coaching Strategy within the overall BCU framework.
• Plans programmes of training and development with GBR Training Squad Managers
• Identify areas for coach education
• Ensure coherency and consistency of coaching in line with the Coaching Strategy

3.1.2    National Coach

• Coaches athletes in the GBR Training Squads
• Coaches athletes on GBR Team trips
• Contributes to the development of the Coaching Strategy
• Provides knowledge and advice to other coaches

3.1.3    Mentor Coach

• Provide coaching and guidance on an individual level with an athlete
• Communicate regularly with the athlete
• Plan and manage long and short-term programmes with the athlete
• Identify areas of specific coaching other coaches can provide
• If the athlete is on a GBR Training Squad, liaise with National Coaches, to co-ordinate training programs

3.1.4    Regional Coach

• Champions coaching of WWR in their region
• Promotes the WWR 3 Star  syllabus
• Encourages and advises coaches participating in coaching locally
• Coaches athletes in their region using the WWR 3 star syllabus
• Encourages athletes to race

3.1.5    Coach

• Coaches athletes using the WWR 3 star syllabus
• Provides coaching assistance to National, Regional or Club Coaches
• Encourages athletes to race

3.1.6    Club Coach

• Champions coaching of WWR in their club
• Promotes the WWR 3 star syllabus
• Encourages and advises coaches participating in coaching at their club
• Coaches athletes in their club using the WWR 3 star syllabus
• Encourages athletes to race

3.1.7    Experienced Athlete

• Provides coaching assistance to National, Regional or Club Coaches
• Coaches athletes using the WWR 3 Star syllabus
• Encourages athletes to race

3.1.8    Bankside Support

• Uses the WWR 3 Star syllabus to advise and guide newcomers to the sport
• Supports and encourages young people to take part in, and enjoy, WWR
• Seeks coaching support from the Coaching Pool
• Considers getting involved with coaching or administration of WWR

3.2    Athlete Groups

Obviously, 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    BCU WWR Star Awards

The BCU star awards provide a consistent framework for Wildwater Racing Specialist coaches and general coaches alike. The star awards focus on the key skills required to understand and enjoy the Wildwater Racing experience.

3.2.2    GBR Training Squads

The 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 Teams

When 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 Framework

The 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 Star Award Syllabus

At the heart of the BCU Star Awards is the WWR Star Award 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 syllabus as their guide, but also to enhance it using their own knowledge, experience and attributes.

5.2    The WWR Manual

The 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 Qualifications

Anyone 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.