For many coaches the BCU UKCC Level 1 Certificate in Coaching Paddlesport is the first step on the coaching pathway. The qulaification introduces the fundamentals of safe, ethical and effective coaching.  Candidates are trained to coach basic skills to paddlers in any type of paddlesprt craft in a flat-water environment.  A range of coaching tips, tricks games and activities are built into the course, along with time spent developing technical and tactical understanding of these skills. The Level 1 Coach can plan, deliver, and review short coaching sessions; normally with the support of a more qualified coach. They can work with paddlers at any stage of development; receiving specific training to coach paddlers in their first year of activity and to run taster sessions.

For more information on Level 1 please visit Info for Level 1 Candidates.

The BCU UKCC Level 2 Certificate in caoching paddlesport is the second step on the coaching pathway.  Like level 1, this non-discipline specific award is relevant to coaches who wish to coach any paddlesport discipline, including those who might work with competitveand non-competitive paddlers.  The award develops the foundation coaching concepts taught at Level 1, moving into the skills required for developing performance through progressive coaching.  The qualification also covers the issues to enable coaches to work independently using a sheltered water environment. Level 2 Coaches will work with paddlers predominantly in their first 3 years of paddling activity. The Level 2 Coach is able to offer guidance and support to the Level 1 Coach.

To find out more about Level 2 please visit Info for Level 2 Candidates.

 The BCU UKCC Level 3 Coach award is for those who wish to become a discipline-specialist coach who can plan, implement and analyse long-term coaching programmes.  It is an appropriate level of qualification for those who are in charge of paddlesport activities in a club/centre or as a working professional.  It is available in the main paddlesport disciplines.

To find out more about Level 3 please visit Info for Level 3 Candidates.

The BCU Moderate Water Endorsment enables BCU UKCC Level 2 coaches to take their coaching abilities into specific moderate water environments.  This award is available for those who wish to coach sea kayaking, surf kayaking, open canoeing, touring and white water kayaking.  It focuses on the application of current coaching knowledge in the moderate water environment and covers topics such as:

• how to coach discipline-specific skills and tactics
• physiological and psychological considerations for the discipline
• establishing a safe coaching environment
• developing paddlers' performance

To find out more about MWE please see Moderate and Advanced Endorsments

The BCU Advanced Water Endorsment enables BCU UKCC Level 2 coaches with Moderate Water Endorsment to take their coaching abilities into specific advanced water environments.  This award is available for those who wish to coach sea kayaking, surf kayaking, open canoeing, touring and white water kayaking.  It focuses on the application of current coaching knowledge in the advanced water environment and covers topics such as:

• how to coach discipline-specific skills and tactics
• physiological and psychological considerations for the discipline
• establishing a safe coaching environment
• developing paddlers' performance

To find out more about AWE please visit Moderate and Advanced Endorsments

 More to follow

Level 5 Assessment dates:

 2012

• 14/15th April  Scotland - all disciplines
• 16/17th June  N Wales  - sea
• 13/14th Oct  S Wales  - sea & surf
• 27/28th Oct  Devon  - kayak & canoe
• 17/18th Nov   - Scotland all disciplines

 2013

• Feb    N Wales  TBC
   

For more information on Level 5, contact the SCA Level 5 Coordinator - Gordon Brown

• Assessment Protocol

This 3-hour module is aimed at Level 1 and 2 coaches.  It is designed to introduce competition and recreational coaches to the key concepts of fitness – training, nutrition and physiology. It is intended as a standalone module such that paddlers and coaches can attend with no prior knowledge of sports science should be able to attend and access all the delivered material.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:
By the end of this workshop participants should be able to:

• Provide the details of a normal balanced diet
• Explain the links between diet and performance
• Discuss conditioning training for their paddlesport discipline(s)
• Identify the benefits of strength training for canoe and kayak
• Describe the reasons behind planning for and regularly monitoring fitness programmes for
• paddlers

Module syllabus

This 3-hour module is aimed at Level 1 and 2 coaches.  It aims to introduce coaches to the role of mental skills in paddlesport development and performance and to relate the area of mental skills training to coaching and paddler development and provide some working definitions.

• Introduce the concept of mental skills training to coaches in the paddlesport environment
• Introduce the basic concepts of imagery training
• Introduce the basic concepts of concentration training and styles
• Introduce the basic concepts of optimal arousal and arousal control strategies

Module Syllabus 

 This 3-hour module is aimed at Level 1 and 2 coaches wishing to develop their ability to improve a performers' development.  This module intends to develop a vocabulary in coaches to understand how to articulate a threephase breakdown of the performers needs. Firstly the accurate breakdown of the type of paddling in focus, secondly complete a performance profile of a paddler and thirdly to the construction of a development plan to move the paddler accurately forward in the desired context. This ambition is not a narrow one and might be based purely on a desire to be a ‘better’ paddler physically, skilfully or mentally or it may have competitive intentions. For instance it could be based on a future holiday trip for which fitness is an issue, a first attempt at a slalom event or the Exe decent or it may be that the jump to the next class of water needs a stronger mental attitude, which at the moment is lacking. The detail will be closely aligned to chapters 2 and 18 of the coaching handbook.

Module Syllabus

 This 3-hour module is aimed at Level 1 and 2 coaches wishing to develop their mentoring skills, so they can help with the development of other coaches.  The module intends to equip coaches with a definition of modern mentoring. Identifying its principles, elements of best practice and the vocabulary which current mentor education embraces.

Module Syllabus

This 3-hour module is aimed at Level 1 and 2 coaches.  This module is designed to introduce Paddlesport coaches to the key concepts of coaching in the outdoors.

Module Syllabus

This 3-hour module is aimed at Level 1 and 2 coaches.  This module has been introduced in recognition of the hundreds of thousands of young people who are instructed by BCU coaches every year and the importance of providing the best support and help to meet their needs. It is designed to help coaches who may work with young people aiming at Olympic success or those providing someone’s very first experience in paddlesport. It aims to help coaches deliver sessions in a way that meet young paddlers needs, so that they want to come back for more and that they help young paddlers to be the best they can be, whatever their ability or aspirations.

Module Syllabus

This 3-hour practical workshop has been developed for paddling or non-paddling coaches working with paddlers in their first few years of paddling activity. The workshop can be tailored to suit coaches from Level 1 through to Level 5 from any discipline.

This workshop aims to help ensure that paddlers develop quality skills during their formative years by expanding coaches:

• understanding about what is required to add quality to performance
• observation skills
• ability to use appropriate games, activities and practices to develop performance

Module Syllabus

 This 6 hour module is primarily aimed at BCU UKCC Level 3 Candidates but anyone with an interest may attend.

By the end of this module participants should be able to:

• Reflect and develop upon understanding of performance and arousal
• Discuss application of control stratagies such as attentional focus and imagery
• Explore factors and influences of personal motivation and how coaches can influence the motivational climate
• Investigate how personal thought can influence behaviour

The aim of the module is to modify attendees’ perceptions of people with disabilities; their attitude towards this sector of the population, and; to consider how they may adjust their coaching / approach to be more inclusive. The following learning outcomes are considered to fulfil this aim.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:
• Understand how disabled people may view themselves in society and those factors that may prevent them from fully participating in paddle sport.
• Establish basic communications skills with people with disabilities
• Apply existing coaching skills to meet the needs of participants with disabilities
• Select equipment and make minor modifications to it, so as to make paddle sport more inclusive
• Describe the Health and Safety issues when working with people with disabilities
• Use appropriate terminology
• List the range of disabilities that may be encountered
• Describe how the Equality Act (2010) affects paddle sport organisations
 

Module Syllabus

This module is designed to introduce methods and concepts that are aimed at learning how to optimize efficiency and effectiveness when preparing for a performance. The module follows on from the BCU Foundation Modules; ‘Fitness for Paddlesport’ and Performance Planning for Paddlesport Coaches’. It explores physiological concepts and how they apply to paddlesport, the relationship between how our body creates energy for exercise and diet, and looking at how this may change for different population groups (child to the elite). Participants on the course will cover methods of profiling and look at how all of the above are linked and can be put into planning. Finally, there are some take away tasks to put the new knowledge into action giving plenty of food for thought!

 Part 1 primarily looked at optimizing performance through nutrition, Part 2 focuses on activity and the person doing the activity, linking how we create energy for exercise with activity. This module begins with learning about our body and understanding how it works introducing the concept of proprioception, it then moves on to analyzing the different methods of conditioning looking at relevant examples. Warm ups, cool downs, and stretching are all discussed, explained and critiqued as to when to use and not use. Scenarios of common injuries are given and more importantly the prevention of them. All of these concepts are then discussed as to how they fit into a medium or yearly plan to meet various goals.

The BCU Racing support module is designed to assist coaches to gain more knowledge about this specialist discipline.  The course introduces and develops an understanding of the basic techniques and coaching stratagies for the development of racing.
 

The BCU Slalom support module is designed to assist coaches to gain more knowledge about this specialist discipline.  The course introduces and develops an understanding of the basic techniques and coaching stratagies for the development of slalom.

 This course builds on the skills learned in Part 1.

 Coming soon!