Coaching Courses.

The system for coaches gaining qualifications has changed again - there was a successful system in place for about twnety five years - there has now been three or four different systems in about six years! The original and best was (a) do the Assistant Club Coach Course; (b) do the Club Coach Course and (c) Do the senior coach course. It was simple, straightforward and worked well. They then split tha Assistant CC into Club Coach Level 1 and Club Coach Level 2: so you then had to do two courses to get what had been the basic award! Even after two courses you were still at the old ASSISTANT Club Coach! The most recent version has been inspired by an assortment of UK Governing Bodies and starts from the premiss that all sports (rugby, tennis, swimming, football, cycling, etc) all have elements on commone and so they should have almost identical training courses for coaches. The result is one that suits nobody - and as is the way, costs a fortune. I think from memory that it is £150 for Level 1 and£350 for Level 2: by the time you get to Level 4 (Senior Coach in oldspeak) it is four figures 1e £1000 plus. There is some considerable debate about the system on both sides of the Border.
What would I recommend to any new coach? Well (1) all coaches must have insurance and all coaches must have their enhanced disclosure check. Both can be done through the club if the committee set up the proper structures. It would also be worth enquiring what the club insurance is through UK Athletics: all affiliated clubs are insured and we would need to know how much.
(2) All coaches need input: the number of coaches who say 'I don't need to go to courses, do any reading, mix with other coaches because I have my own ideas' is big and is deluded. Not every coach knows everything and, as they say, why should the athlete be restricted by the coach's limitations? All coaches need to upgrade and add to their information and knowledge base. They also need to do some networking if they want to get their runners into the appropriate competitions.
So the club needs to be prepared to sub coaches to go to courses and coaches need to put some priority on attending courses, conferences at least three times a year. Three days from 365 is not a lot to ask.
Mind you, in the first place we need to recruit the coaches ...................... Who has been encouraging Donna, Paul, Mary Ann, etc in recent months? And idyou go ona course, don't keep it a secret - get into action - a paper qualification without some actual practical with a few athletes on a quiet track is useless.