Become a coach - at what peril?

[JOKer]

I have just started my coaching course but have been teaching the beginners for 2 years now. We run beginners courses from October to March on Saturday mornings and so the only shooting I do is once a week indoors. This does affect the standard of my shooting due to the lack of practice I get, exaggerated even more this winter as I have been trying to change my technique to avoid straining my neck and shoulders.
With summer coming I will still be helping the newer archers on a Saturday whilst I shoot, but get at least one other day where I shoot with no coaching.
So yes my shooting is affected, but as others have said, it is good to see those I have coached getting better each year and enjoying the sport.
When they are not crashing their bike eh Dan!

[Duss]

Erika you are terribly right in making a distinction between the time required when coaching beginning archers as opposed to simply perfecting and fine-tuning other archers.

Moreover, the time spent shooting is very important. I have been told that shooting once per week is not enough to progress, and barely enough to maintain one's level. Twice is ok for maintaining one's level. Three times a week is better since then one can make progress. If time is short it would be better to shoot more often but cut on the time per session. Like one hour per session thrice a week instead of one three-hour stretch, for example.

[Furface]

When I trained as a Coach, I did find that it fed into my tendency to over-analyse my own shooting, and hindered my progress. However, I also learnt more about the mental side, which helps me cope with this tendency. So, swings and roundabouts there.
On the question of whether you have to shoot at a level to coach it, if that were true, then top archers would not have coaches. Coaching is as much about observation, analysis, and communication as personal shooting ability. Some of us find this easier than shooting!

[King Custard]

So - if i have the gist so far.....
basically three things:

I must not cut into my own shooting time, but keep coaching time seperate unless I'm coaching intermediates - (BTW that's where I see myself at best- intermediate.)- when I might get to shoot alongside them.

That taking the GNAS course is little more than a 'grounding' in archery coaching and an official recognition/title - but to be anything like a good/top coach, I have to put everything I know (and more) at the disposal of my students. Perhaps a p/t position with an archery shop would help?

That coaching may improve my own execution, if I don't get bogged down with over analysis.

Probably a couple of other points too - I'll re-read the thread to make sure.

Thanks guys and gals- keep 'em coming 'cos if I undertake to become a coach....being 'Just a coach' helping kids to get six on the boss -isn't enough.
I want more, the newbies want more, and this sport of ours deserves the best we can give back to it!

Seriously though - If I don't take the GNAS approach and improve upon it - is there a route to becoming a great coach otherwise?
Or should I just find one and emulate them?

[geoffretired]

Originally Posted by KingCustard

If I don't take the GNAS approach and improve upon it - is there a route to becoming a great coach otherwise?
Or should I just find one and emulate them

I have wondered that myself on many occasions. I don't think there is a fast track method within the GNAS system. I tried to find one but perhaps didn't try hard enough.But, how difficult should it have to be?

KC- I spend at least 10 hours per month running beginners courses and general coaching of intermediate archers. It's like providing any service you have to set limits or you would get no time to yourself.

I'm going for MB this year.(and I need loads of practice believe me!) so i'll be dropping out of the beginners courses (that leaves 3 coaches still in there) and concentrating on intermediates only (about 4 hours per month).

I won't be using 'too much coaching' as an excuse for poor performance though, as I've set my goal and I'm taking the steps necessary to realise it.

I admire coaches that have sacrificed their own shooting to help others and train other coaches (I met a few on my coaches course)....I'm just not ready for that step yet, the coach course does no harm to your archery but it may alter your 'view' of things

Good luck with whatever you decide

[Duss]

As far as analysing your own shooting is concerned, I would not consider it to be "too much" if the way you do it is more on the "better and faster understanding" sides.

Then you better you own analysis as a coach (depth of view) and you better your performance as an archer since you can adapt and correct better.

[madmac]

Originally Posted by Kae

I don't agree with the way the GNAS coaching course is organised, or how they have implemented it, or what they actually teach you.
This is not to belittle anyone else, but they are my personal opinions.


So, before I say anything, I am not a GNAS coach!

I do however spend a large proportion of my time coaching.

I think that in small clubs being a coach can be very difficult, as the lack of other coaches means that the onus to do everything relies heavily on you, and thus it can have a major impact on your shooting.
In larger clubs with more coaches, the ability to job share means that it doesn't.

Kae.

we are a very small club (20ish with not even half turning up all the time), as i have said before my Dad had to became a coach due to the council overreacting to the child protection policies and implmenting its own ACE awards. so we have one qualified coach and 4 archers who are good enough to coach .and it has impacted on our shooting and its becoming a chore to turn up so we just battle on .If you want to coach go for it

[Meddler]

It all depends on what you want to get out of your coaching / archery.

It is possible to keep the two of them going but you need to be able to be distinct about it. Maybe Coaches wearing a coaching uniform (or wearing a T-shirt which says, "I'm shooting - ask somebody else") is the way forward. This idea has been put forward in the National Source Group..

I don't think that people going on Coaching courses should be there to improve their own shooting (if it happens it is a bonus). They are there to help other people improve.

The old chestnut about Coaches not having to update their knowledge has arisen again - Coaches now need to get a number of CPD points to renew, and in order for that to happen, they need to at least work with more senior Coaches, attend conferences, and/or go on SportsCoach UK courses.

As a Coach you are providing a service to your archers. And those people in service industries know what dealing with customers can be like.

All Coaching qualifications are a stepping stone to the next level of coaching. At Level 1 you won't be taught everything you need to know, but you'll be pointed in the direction of the knowledge. Level 2 will give you more knowledge than you had at Level 1 and so on up the scale. A Level 4 Coach may even be at degree level.

As to fast tracking, the idea has been thought of. The concept of acceptance of prior accredited learning has been talked about - it's just how it's put in place.

For example, if someone has a Health & Safety qualification, or is a social worker, do they have an automatic right to a Coach badge? No. But they do have exemptions for particular modules, like H&S and Child Protection. They would still have to go through the relevant archery specific modules.

It has been mooted that you can also mix and match coaching Levels, ie you might be a level 3 Performance Coach and a Level 4 Development, so you can specialise in either Performance Coaching or Development Coaching. You don't necessarily have to do both, which is what happens under the "old" system (ie at Coach / County / Senior levels).

Whatever you do with regard to going into Coaching, do it with your eyes and ears open, and with your brain engaged.

Iain.

[geoffretired]

That is helpful, Meddler. I feel a little better about things now.Thanks.