Quote:
Originally Posted by Thunk  I'm seriously gobsmacked at the lack of formal coaching ( or 'instruction' if you prefer) in this sport. We make people do a beginners course, and thereafter make the required smiley faces and welcoming noises when they turn up at the club, but that's not enough. People learn quite a lot on a beginners course, and one of the biggest things they learn is how much they don't know. It's OK for them to do the course and then shoot with club equipment for a while after, but they can see the standard of experienced archers, racking up good scores at 90 and 100 metres. What they don't see is any structured way to get from where they are to where they want to be. Is it any surprise that they become despondent and give up?
We need GNAS-sanctioned 'improvers' courses, and people should finish their beginners course knowing that in the ordinary course of events they will have a place on a course to take them up a level in about three months time. We need four or five levels like this, so that the courses are seen as 'stepping stones' to the ultimate goal.
There will of course be those who don't want to be competitive and are happy just plugging away at short-distance targets. That's fine, but the onus should be on them to decline a place on a course rather than for their competitive-minded brethren to go looking for one.
Or am I asking for the moon? |
Ok I'll draw examples from two clubs i've visited recently in my area.
Club A: Small membership, a group of people in charge who like to do all the work and moan when no-one else turns up (despite not telling anyone) Now i helped at this beginners course and i was appalled, over the course i would say they got some instruction on day 1, with the rest of the duration just being watched by the club members who were just chatting amongst themselves. After 6 sessions they were still all shooting at 10m and not particularly well.
After this new members generally receive no instruction unless club coaches are pestered. I had two people asking if they could join my uni club as i seemed to be the only person prepared to do some teaching.
Unsurprisingly i don't think they even took on a single member from that course and if i'd have paid £25 for it I'd have been disappointed!
Club B: Huge membership, enough so that my and a few uni friends could barely fit in. I was amazed at the organization on the day, with targets set out at 18/25m with appropriate faces based on the tournaments individuals were going to. I was just getting back in to shooting after a break and within minutes one of the club coaches had given me some advice and asked if I'd like to come to the Sunday coaching session. A range of people from all levels were at the sunday session getting personal advice and some demo's on string making etc.
Now i don't think that the membership at these clubs could be unrelated to the way they were run. I'm not saying that all clubs who struggle are like club A, but people should be proactive in taking care of their beginners. If they are struggling and getting depressed at lack of results, they'll just stop turning up one week. Obviously as with any sport some people get hooked at the start and realise it isnt for them afterall, but I really think it helps if there is good communication between the organisers, coaches and members. Don't do things behind closed doors, DO use email and other forms of communication to keep in touch, make sure you know how all your beginners are getting on!