negativity in Threads

[John (OSF)]

I agree, that happens too many times, if somebody says something is wrong, they must include why it's wrong (in their opinion of course)

[not dead yet]

sp220 your quite correct about coaches having a go at one another. show me a coach that coaches a good archer. i must admit i only work with one person.
we do actually shoot together.

i have no confidence at the moment in the coaching system and most of my friends tell me to kick it into touch and get back to shooting.

which i would like to say is very much on the cards, my renewal is march 2009.
can't quite let go at the mo, tryin to sort/work things out.but it doesn't look good. cannot honestly see anymore than 3 / 4 coaches coaching any higher than bowman.

sorry
pete

[John (OSF)]

SHHHHHH we're not to talk about coaching anymore we're all great (band playing as the titanic went down springs to mind)

[Rainbow]

Originally Posted by sp220

Ill be honest.

I can't get involved in any debate at all to do with coaching - I am not a coach and I do not know the in's and out's of the debate. So I keep well away.

I have never, and will never profess to be a coach, it is not a skill I am likely every to posses. The abilities a good coach has are something that a person of my nature and temperament would probably not be suited to. Therefore I leave it to those who would be better suited to it, and respect those who would be good at it.

Saying that, I have done my best to help beggining archers, and help established archers progress. This has resulted in one or two refering to me, to others, as their coach. This is their oppinion, not mine, and frankly it flatters me that they would think so, as it certainly isn't a skill I have learned or have any qualifications in.

In those attempts to help others getting reasonably established in their shooting, it has made me realize the difficulty in coaching. It is most certainly not as simple as telling someone how and how not to shoot. It is very difficult, and I feel not a skill that could easily be taught.

I hear (only an observation here - not my viewpoint) time and time again, that while there are plenty of coaches around to coach "lower" level or intermediate archers and begginers, there are very very few around to take intermediate archers further... I personally think this is true...

The problem is, you may be able to teach someone how to instruct a begginer - but you cannot "teach" or by method of action "instruct" someone on how to coach an intermediate archer up to a higher level... it is not a skill that can be passed on so simply... It is not like teaching someone the recipe to a meal, or how to spell... (only examples)... it is something gained from time and experience...

And its only going to be normal that the number of coaches with that experience is thin on the ground if it takes so long to mature that skill and depth of knowledge... the production of 1 such coach may be years and years, and even then not successfull...

So I think what I'm actually trying to say, in my own small oppinion on this matter, is that perhaps nothing is "broken" with the system... perhaps it is not something that can even be fixed... it is simply that it takes so much time and experience to form such a coach that there may never be the quantity there would be in an archers paradise...

Perhaps it is simply an unfortunate truth. Who knows? not me thats for sure...

You can't mature wine any faster

The only way is to add antifreeze... and that makes it poisonous...

That makes alot of sense.

[Meddler]

Sam,

You've made some interesting comments in there about Coaches, and how to "grow" one.

Like you say - how many archers make it to GMB? approx 1-2%.

Look at it like a pyramid. There could probably be 10 County Coaches to every Senior Coach, and probably 10 Level 2 and Level 1 Coaches to every County Coach.

There are about 35 Senior Coaches, which would equate roughly to 350 County Coaches, 3500 L2 / L1 Coaches. Or to put it another way, 1 L2/L1 Coach per 10(-ish) archers.

Not everyone has the desire to start climbing the Coaching ladder. And when we get a good Coach we need to hang on to him/her, and provide a career pathway for them, just as we should have a performance pathway for archers.

[not dead yet]

sorry again chaps....

we've forgotten the bit that when you make senior coach you havn't got time to coach because your too busy doin assessments etc.

not many senior coaches actually coach on a regular basis do they.

pete

[not dead yet]

keep it comin sam, meant to come and see ya on the weekend..... your on a roll. seriously your getting the gist now

[Meddler]

Pete,

At the moment GNAS expects Senior/County Coaches to be jack-of-all-trades. They get involved in all areas of admin, training and assessment - which may leave little time for performance Coaching. I take your point - but there are some Senior Coaches out here who are doing Performance Coaching on a regular basis.

In the future, each Level (with the obvious omission of Level 1) will help train and assess the Level below, which should relieve some of the assessment burden on Senior Coaches..

There will also be a career pathway within Coaching which will see those who want to do Peformance Coaching do it. And those who want to be involved in the Training and Development of Coaches doing that. Level 4 Coaches could be Level 4 Development but be working at L3 Performance Coaching. I could go on, but people are starting to fall asleep...

[Shirley]

Originally Posted by not dead yet

sorry again chaps....

we've forgotten the bit that when you make senior coach you havn't got time to coach because your too busy doin assessments etc.

not many senior coaches actually coach on a regular basis do they.

pete

I am perhaps lucky in that I know 2 who do. maybe more in the indoor season rather than outdoors but still. One coached 3 juniors regularly (but now 1 is 18) and used to coach more and a senior. Of these, 2 juniors have represented GBR and another junior shot for England. This coach will always work with anyone at our club if they are free on a club evening. I work with another senior coach on a regular basis coaching juniors every week, I am a level 1.

[Barrythebow]

Originally Posted by Rainbow

Every one is uniquely individual and genes prove that so paople will always make there point heard and people will not agree with them so agree to disagree if you know what I mean everyone is entitled to their opinions and what some might see as sniping looked at from outside the box (lol) looks quite different.(that is my opinion)

This is very sensible advice
I have been involved with the archers rest forum. Claims to be 'the friendliest forum on the web!' Its certainly not hostile but my threads always seem to be ignored, so i'm off there