Coach Award

Course Description

What is the Coach Award?

The Coach Award is designed for people whose core function is to coach paddlers who want to gain/improve paddlesport skills within the discipline chosen.

As a coach you will be able to plan, deliver and review progressive sessions safely, effectively and independently.

The Coach Award is discipline specific and currently available in 22 disciplines, the individual awards are accessible via the links below: 

Why be a Coach?

Gaining a Coach Award can have a huge impact on your professional and personal life. Be it exploring coaching to further develop your ability to help others, or a quest for a sense of purpose, become a coach and make a difference!.

Coaching is rewarding and satisfying

Therefore coaches gain satisfaction helping people develop and achieve their goals. For instance working with people who are eager to learn and gain clarity give coaches a real sense of purpose. This in turn can create a strong sense of self-worth, inner happiness and satisfaction.

Coaching accelerates your own personal and professional development

As people learn from each other, you will learn at a rapid pace too! Being a coach invigorates both you and the people you coach.

Coaching expands your network and community

Whether running your own company, working for an organisation or volunteering for your local club your success as a coach will depend on your ability to develop personal and professional networks. Your networks will quickly widen and provide you with opportunities to engage with paddlers.

Flexibility to live and work where you want

As coaching can take place anywhere in the world, anywhere we paddle, consequently it opens up exciting opportunities to work, travel and explore. Coaching happens all the time, you could be full time, part time or sessional, allowing flexibility to work around your life and priorities.

We chose to offer the British Canoeing Awarding Body Coach Award (BCAB) as it is:

• Widely recognised.
• Modular approach helps you develop at your own pace.
• BCAB is an OfQual regulated Awarding Organisation.
• Designed for our paddling community.
• The Coach Award is available in 22 disciplines allowing you to develop in the area of our sport that interests you.
• Find out more about British Canoeing Awarding Body here
• The BCAB Coach Award is endorsed by CIMSPA, aligned with their Professional Standards and is eligible for 20 Paddle UK CPD points and 10 CIMSPA CPD Points

Click the links to the discipline specific pages, or explore these generic pages for more information!

Qualification pathway:

The Coach Award pathway consists of Core Coach training, where you will explore different approaches to coaching, understanding and enabling learning and some core coaching skills. This can be done as a 2 day practical course or online modular course.

The 2 day 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 to help coaches coach some typical athletes/learners relevant to you/your discipline.

This is concluded by a separate assessment (typically 1 day).

If you feel you already have the relevant skills and knowledge to bypass the training, you can apply for Accredited Prior Learning. This allows you to access the qualification pathway at the most appropriate point to you. You can complete the short form on your membership portal.

Age:

16+ at the time of assessment, 18+ for advanced water options.

Registration

Before you progress to assessment, you will need to complete your registration.

What is Registration?

Anyone wishing to pursue a Coaching or Leadership Qualification is required to centrally register with the appropriate National Association (Paddle UK, Canoe Wales, Paddle Scotland, Paddle Northern Ireland). Registration is the process by which you confirm your intention to study towards a particular qualification. It includes:

• Checking of previous qualifications
• Completing and signing the Registration Form
• Medical Declaration (if required)
• Setting up and providing access to course resources and the coach award eLearning (where applicable)
• Acceptance of the terms and conditions of study and helps you understand your rights
• whilst undertaking the qualification and how your data will be used.

Once you are registered you become a learner with the National Association and we are able to contact you with relevant information and updates to your course of study, help you find a course and local support or mentoring.

When and where does registration take place?

We would recommend that you register as early in your development journey as possible to access all of the support and learning resources. As a bare minimum and to support your learning we would recommend registering at least four weeks before your assessment. It is worth noting that access to the (mandatory) coach award eLearning is only granted on registration, to get the most from the support offered by the eLearning you should consider registering as soon as possible. it is also worth noting that you are required to 'check in' prior to assessment, this is only possible if your have completed your eLearning and have all other prerequisites in place. Registration is an online process through your Paddle UK membership portal. Registration is separate from booking a place on a course; the latter is done directly with the Course Provider. It is worth noting that many Course Providers want to see evidence of Registration at the point of booking.

• Join Paddle UK here: Paddle UK Membership (On the Water)
• Don't forget to register!

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