Grassroots coaches were treated to a highly educational and interactive CPD day on Tuesday 27 February at The Unicorn Trust, Gloucestershire.
With a focus on ‘How do you as a high performing coach manage the challenges a grassroots rider faces?’, the day saw Marie Ryan, Sally McGinn, Pauline Norton and Sam York giving sessions on a variety of coaching topics.
Marie’s session kick-started the day with a discussion focusing on how the coach needs to self-reflect/look after themselves, the importance of body language and feedback. Sally followed with a session on the adaptability of behaviours and mindsets and how they play a role in performance and in different coaching environments. Pauline concluded the morning sessions with a presentation on comparing and identifying behaviours of a high performing coach in grassroots riders’ participation and competitive environments, making sessions inclusive, creative and person-centred. Sam then demonstrated a skilful interactive session using minimal equipment across a range of riders to show exercises to support in a fun way.
British Eventing CEO Rosie Williams commented: “Quality coaching is essential for us to attract and retain membership as they are vital to the experience that a rider has of eventing. Some of these coaches will be asked to attend events as part of our ‘Here to Help’ campaign to offer simple tips and help to those members who need it on competition days.”
Justine Parker, Head of Training, said: “Today provided a range of considerations, research, underpinning theory and coaching skills required for high performing coaches operating in a grassroot environment. This is to ensure our coaching workforce is best able to support our grassroot participants. It was a hugely successful day providing an opportunity for knowledge sharing from our expert practitioners, but also the sharing of best practice and valuable lived experience from the coaching delegates whose engagement throughout the day ensured optimal learning for all.”
Marie Ryan added: “It was a great day of expanding learning around the qualities integral to high performing coaches and how these coaches are intrinsic to riders across all participation groups from grassroots to high performance in enabling them to thrive. The British Eventing membership comprises predominantly of riders at grassroots level, and the day helped to underpin the understanding of challenges they face and how high performing coaches are able to adapt to those needs.”
If you wish to find out more about British Eventing’s coaching structure and coach training, please visit https://www.britisheventing.com/train/coaches
