Congratulations to Jonathan, NEW Performance Slalom Coach

Paddles Up Training would like to congratulate Jonathan for becoming a Performance Slalom Coach! We hear from Jonathan who talks us through his journey .

I must admit my initial motivation to engage with the Performance Coach award was that I was told I had to!  I have recently qualified to run the Slalom Coach Award training, and it’s now a requirement to hold the Performance Coach Award to deliver these courses.  Given that I have been paddling since 1975 and coaching slalom since 1990,  working  with everyone from raw beginners to Olympic medallists, I understood I had a legitimate case to accredit my prior learning.  But I was curious to learn more about the Performance Coach process, so I decided to bite the bullet and commit.

I’m so glad I did.

The sessions with my mentor Mike Chandler were excellent – a valuable opportunity to pause and reflect on challenging questions, that deepened my understanding of coaching.  The weekend seminar was fun too; it was useful to get to know coaches from a range of non-competitive disciplines.  We had much in common and intriguing differences, working with different paddlers in a range of environments.  The coach development touch points were helpful, allowing me to update my knowledge on strength and conditioning, physiology, and new coaching methods.  Finally, the assessment day was challenging – despite coaching for years, it feels different knowing you’re under the eye of a very experienced coach. And again,  this helped me to keep learning and refining my coaching craft.

The Performance Coach Award makes lots of demands and relies on you steering your own learning.  Don’t expect to be spoon-fed or to follow a set curriculum. There’s a heavy emphasis on coaching theory and reflective practice that won’t suit everyone’s learning style and much relies on the quality of your chosen mentor. But if you bring an open mind, you’ll find great benefit. It’s never too late to learn.

Become a Performance Coach

The Performance Coach is aimed at experienced coaches who want to get better at coaching the paddlers they work with, and for those who seek recognition that their delivery meets enhanced levels of sophistication. Becoming a Performance Coach can have a huge impact on your professional and personal life. Be it exploring coaching to further develop your ability to help others, to support your coaching career or a quest for a sense of purpose.

There are 21 pathways available, covering all of our disciplines and involvements. Find out more and start your Performance Coach journey today.