Qualified BCU Level 5 Coaches are recognised as a cadre of competent, experienced, motivated paddlesport coaches with a depth and wealth of knowledge, who can be relied upon to provide practical coaching, advice and guidance up to the highest level. The qualification is available in Open Canoe, Sea, Surf, and Whitewater Kayaking.
The Level 5 award is not an end goal in itself. It is the setting out point and one should not feel that it is an elite award intended only for “high flyers”, as this is far from the truth. There are Coaches, Experienced Coaches, and Very Experienced Coaches, who are all worthy of the Level 5 Award, whom by keeping an open mind are continuing to learn and develop ideas, methods, and approaches.
Prerequisites:
Before candidates can register for the Level 5 Training, they are required to meet the following prerequisites:
- Aged 21 or over
- BCU Level 4 Coach (or BCU LEvel 3 Coach with Coaching Process and 5 Star Leader Award)
- 4 Star in a secod disicpline
- Hold a current first aid award (minimum 2 days including CPR and EAV)
- Comprehensive Home Nation Association Membership
What kind of experience should Coaches have to get the most out of the Level 5 Training Course?
The BCU Coach Level 5 training course is the start of a coach education program for experienced, recreational paddle-sport coaches with over 3 years of experience ‘in the field’. Candidates benefit most from this course if they are practicing coaches, have attended a BCU coaching processes course, (within 2 years of the training course) and have been applying those coaching skills regularly in an advanced setting for a minimum 6 month period prior to the course.
Candidates are also required to take an up-to-date coaching and paddling logbook to their training course.
Level 5 Training:
This seven-day course is the training phase of an ongoing coach development programme. As well as receiving input from a variety of specialist coaches and lecturers candidates will be refining their coaching technique and in conjunction with a trainer putting together a development plan to guide them in their future development as a coach.
The main thrust of the training input is to impart an understanding of how skills are acquired and enhanced, and to evaluate/develop coaching styles and methods to improve paddlers performance.
Objectives:
- To provide candidates with feedback that will enable them to critically analyse their performance as paddlesport coaches
- To assist candidates in planning a series of goals which will help them in their coach development
- To help candidates evaluate their knowledge of relevant theory and decide which areas merit further study
- To improve candidates understanding of further coaching processes, including being able to individualise their coaching, and deliver programmes that enhance long term learning
- To examine how we can improve our own performance by borrowing ideas from other coaches and their coaching disciplines
- To provide training and appraisal in the specific discipline in which the candidates are specialising
- To ensure that by the end of the training phase, trainees are clear in their own mind what a Level 5 Coach is and what steps they need to take in order to reach the standard required.
2009 Training Course Dates:
April 6th – 12th: Plas Y Brenin www.pyb.co.uk
September 26th – October 2nd: Glenmore Lodge www.glenmorelodge.org.uk
October 19th – 25th: Plas Y Brenin www.pyb.co.uk
Post Training Development:
During the training course, trainers constantly evaluate the candidates in order to provide specific feedback in order to help them appraise their ongoing development and set appropriate tasks and goals to assist in their overall future development. From these tasks and goals an agreed action plan will be written. On completion of the Training Course the status of Coach Level 5 (trainee) will be awarded. This status is valid for a period of 3 years. During the further development phase the agreed action plan will need to be achieved, assisted by their Coach Tutor. Candidates will select and agree an appropriate Coach Tutor with their Training Course Director based on their particular needs. The tutoring process will largely be part of a normal paddling programme and should proceed without undue delay. A minimum 6-month development phase is required before candidates can proceed to assessment.
Preparing for Assessment:
After candidates have completed their Level 5 Training Course they will be working through their individual action plan and continuing to develop their coaching skills. Not every Trainee will decide to move forward for assessment, but for those that do they will need to begin to gather the evidence required for assessment; this list is not exhaustive but includes:
A letter of support and session narrative from the candidates Tutor, that includes:
a formal recommendation for the Trainee to attend the specific assessment;
an endorsement that the Trainee has completed the relevant elements of their action plan;
a session narrative. This is written following a day where the Tutor observes the Trainee coaching their long-term students. It is written by the Tutor as feedback for the Trainee, and requires a clear indication that the Tutor observed Level 5 coaching behaviours.
Narrative from Review Day - a Level 5 review day must be undertaken before applying for assessment. This can be done from 6 months after training. This will take the form of a one-day appraisal where the Trainee will receive written as well as oral feedback together with a re-aligned action plan.
An approved project
Assessment:
The Assessment is a full two-day event starting on the first evening with a briefing from the Assessment Director to set the scene. On the first day of assessment the Candidate will be working with 2 or 3 students unknown to them. The aim of this day is to assess the Candidate’s ability to coach students with whom they have no coaching relationship. On the second day Candidates will work with their own long-term students. The ethos of this day is seeing the Candidate working with students with whom they have an established coaching relationship. The day’s coaching is assessed in context of their prior experience with their long-term students.
Long-term Students:
Candidates must spend a minimum of 6 days over 6 months, with their long-term students prior to the assessment. This is established via the logbook of coaching with their long-term students. It is essential that long-term students be at an intermediate to advanced level, at the time of the assessment. Candidates will be expected to have established a strong coaching relationship with their long-term students (i.e. clear understanding of learning styles and performance profile) and be able to provide action plans and review material that tracks development.
Home Nation Assessment Coordinators:
Each Home Nation has an Assessment Coordinator who is responsible for arranging assessment dates and can provide further clarity on the assessment process if required:
WCA: Sid Sinfield sid.sinfield@virgin.net
SCA: Gordon Brown info@skyakadventures.com
CANI: Oisin Hallissey oisin.hallissey@sportni.net
Canoe England: Lara Tipper lara.tipper@bcu.org.uk
What about UKCC developments?
The BCU are planning to develop a new Level 4 Award for the recreational disciplines after candidates coming through UKCC Level 3 are ready to progress. The new Level 4 Award will aim to develop advanced coaching skills for use in advanced environments, in much the same way that the current Level 5 Coach Award does. Developments in this area are not likely to impact on our Coaches for the next couple of years, with the new Level 4 Award unlikely to surpass the current Level 5 for many years yet.
Coaches who are working in an advanced environment and wish to progress their coaching skills/qualification before the end of 2010 should look to the current Level 5 scheme for suitability.