New Coaching structure

An update on the changing face of coach education. from Kevin Hay Regional Coach, for Western Counties
Education and training
ABAE Coach Education and Assessment programme - update, May 2008.
Getting into line with the National Standards for Coaching, Coach Education and Assessment
The ABAE Coach Education programme is being revised to bring it in line with the National Standards, both for Coaching and for Tutoring and Assessing Coach Education Courses. This is one of the objectives set out in the Whole Sport Plan and agreed with Sport England and SportsCoachUK (scUK). All National Governing Bodies of sport have undertaken this process.

The UK Coaching Framework
Amateur Boxing is now one of 29 key sports who have signed up to the new UK Coaching Framework (UKCF) and has been classified as a 'Delivery 1' sport. This means that Amateur Boxing, for the first time, has access to dedicated officer and financial support from the key agencies, such as Sport England, SkillsActiveUK and scUk in implementing the new Coaching Awards.
As part of the UKCF we are reviewing the content, assessment process and delivery mechanisms. We need to offer a high quality 'state of the art' service to the hundreds of volunteer coaches who are already in the system and to those new coaches we need if the vision for our sport set out in our development plans is to be realised.

Home Country Cooperation
The ABAE are also working in partnership with Scotland (ABS) and Wales (WABA), as part of the UKCF, to fulfil the criteria for inclusion in the UKCoaching Certificate (UKCC). scUK are currently revising the criteria for UKCC recognition and the ABAE, WABA and ABS will be following the new pathway specifications being mapped out.

The new Awards, Vocationally Related Qualifications (VRQ)

VRQ Level 1
Following consultation with the Coaching Commission and scUK, the ABAE Board and English Council agreed that the first priority for the new coaching system is a new VRQ Level 1 (Assistant Coach) Award. This new qualification will be delivered and assessed over 26 hours (2 weekends) and is the entry route into coaching the competitive sport. Candidates MUST be nominated by an affiliated Amateur Club.
VRQ Level 2
The new Full Coach qualification. (60 hours pre-course work, home study, tutoring and assessment) which has been developed at VRQ Level 2, is an essential requirement for running a club, identifying and developing talent and will be the bedrock of the ABAE's Coaching programme.
VRQ Level 3
The new Senior Coach Award has now been mapped against the National Standards and the content is being developed. This new award will focus on talent identification and medium term performance planning and periodisation. A new sport science base is being developed for all the ABAE's awards but a high level of knowledge and understanding of coaching theory, skill learning and development is vital at the Level 3. This award will also focus on more advanced conditioning techniques specific to Amateur Boxing. Potential Level 3 Coaches will be identified at regional level and invited to apply for training and accreditation.
VRQ Level 4
The new Advanced Coach Award is still in preparation. The national standards for coach education at this level have not yet been finalised and so the mapping which has been done at Levels 1, 2 and 3 has not yet been possible.
The ABAE Coaching Resource Pack
As part of the revision of the ABAE Coaching Awards we are producing a comprehensive pack of resource materials, including a DVD, covering skill learning, conditioning and coaching practice. The support materials will be provided for every new applicant and ABAE Coaches who are accredited and on the ABAE Coaching Database.

Units of the resource pack which have already been developed are:
Statement of Ethics and Equity adopted by the ABAE
Safety in Amateur Boxing - the research evidence and good practice
The Role of the Coach in Amateur Boxing
Planning and Practice in coaching, gym management, and competition
Effective Communication - getting the message across
Teaching the Punches and Defences related to age and ability levels
Generic Principles of Training applied to Amateur Boxing
Conditioning for Amateur Boxing (Resistance Training, Gym Work, Running, warm-ups and cool down procedures and static and developmental stretches)
Nutrition and Hydration
Coaching Children
Long Term Athlete Development, the basic principles.
Amateur Boxing in context - community development and the education sector
The ABAE Incentive Award Scheme

The ABAE Coaching system
These elements will be the core of the Resource Pack. More will be added, especially to cover periodisation and long term performance planning, the bio-mechanics of boxing, advanced conditioning techniques, tactical planning for competition, decision making in the bout and the application of the ABAE's athlete development model.
Qualified Coach Educators
One of the most important areas of the UK Coaching Framework is the formal training and accreditation of those who educate and assess coaches. Within the next 2 years the ABAE will move towards the establishment of a National Coach Educator and Assessor 'Faculty' consisting of coaches who have been accredited through the Certificate in Tutoring Sport (CTS) and Introduction to Assessment Practice in Sport (IAPS). In the interim all accredited ABAE Coaches graded at Levels 3 and 4 will be offered the opportunity to apply for a place on CTS and IAPS accreditation courses. Priority will be given to existing p/t Regional Coaches.
The existing system and moving from the 'old' to the 'new' Award structure
While the process of developing the new awards and accrediting the coach educators is continuing, the existing coach education system will remain in effect. This will mean that the Full Coach qualification (Parts 1 and 2) will continue to be delivered at regional level and Senior and Advanced Coaches will be trained and assessed on a national basis.
Those coaches who hold ABAE qualifications which are up to date and who are on the ABAE coaching database will be offered a 'bridge' into the new system which will consist of a one day 'refresher' workshop delivered in regions where they will be provided with the new ABAE Coaching Resource Pack.
Timelines
The new Award structure will be implemented gradually during 2008 and 9.
The new Level 1 Course syllabus will be confirmed by the Coaching Commission on June 7th 2008 and rolled out in the autumn of this year. The first Pilot of the new course will take place in London in late August 2008 and will be led by English National Coach, Mick Gannon.
All new candidates for Assistant Coach grading will be trained to the National Standard for Coaching, VRQ Level 1, as part of the UK Coaching Framework from November 2008 onwards and the new VRQ Level 2 (Full Coach) syllabus will be piloted in November 2008 and implemented from March 2009.
Further updates on the roll out of the new ABAE Coaching Awards will be available on the website as information becomes available.For more information visit SportsCoach UK