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Coach 2028 Performance Coach Programme

Coaches are instrumental to the success of our athletes at every stage of their journey.

This programme is a key learning opportunity on the Coach Development Pathway.

This bespoke coach development programme has been developed to support and mentor coaches on the performance pathway.

This would be suitable for an experienced coach who is working at the upper level of the England Talent Pathway and aiming to transition their athletes onto World Class Programmes.

Vision for the programme
  • To create a high quality ‘learning journey’ to accelerate and develop coaching skills to help you become a more effective coach.
Aims of the programme
  • To understand Coaching Culture and how the impact of coaches’ ethical leadership behaviour shape an athlete’s experience and performance.
  • To enhance your technical knowledge, skills and behaviours.
  • To learn and absorb England Talent Performance Coaching Principles into your daily coaching methods.
  • To create a ‘community’ to share examples of best coaching practice.
How you will learn
  • Over 14 months you will attend six workshops to include skills based learning and technical content.
  • You will be provided with a bursary to carry out a specific development opportunity that links with your individual development plan.

What you will learn from this programme

  • You will understand the key technical, physiological, psychological and sociological factors that are key to developing sporting talent.
  • You will learn the importance of personal and inter-personal skills associated with ethical coaching and creating, developing and sustaining effective coach/athlete relationships as your athletes transition from talented performer into a World Class Programme environment.
  • You will learn appropriate planning and goal setting skills including personalised training, competition and recovery plan to ensure your athletes are able to set appropriate short and long-term targets.
  • You will be able to confidently self-reflect and critically review your coaching practice and behaviour as this is an important component of the programme.
  • You will develop leadership, communication, listening and questioning skills.

Programme Structure

Getting to know yourself better… Spotlight

Spotlight is a powerful and intuitive profiling tool designed to measure performance preferences, it is not a measure of capability.

By developing a greater understanding of self, method, and mind, individuals can become more effective when working with others and enhance their performance under pressure.

Workshop Programme

Your learning programme will be a blend of technical knowledge and skills-based learning. These will be delivered through a mixture of tutorial sessions, presentations, case studies and action-based learning exercises, to make each workshop as interactive as possible.

Each workshop will include:

  • Development of non-technical coaching skills, self-awareness and reflective practice.
  • Knowledge and understanding in the technical, tactical, physical and psychological aspects of coaching athletes.
  • An opportunity to listen, reflect and discuss key philosophical coaching messages within the World Class and England Talent coaching environments.

The content in the workshops will support you as you enhance your abilities to perform effectively both inside and outside of the sporting environment.

The skills include

  • Coaching skills, behaviours and practice.
  • Leadership problem solving.
  • Personal effectiveness interpersonal skills reflective practice.

Programme Timings

DateActivity
Spring 2023Selection Process April 2023
360 Profile Completed
Workshop one
Introductory Workshop. Knowing me knowing you. Two days.
Summer 2023Workshop two
Day one: Leadership and communication.
Day two: Technical sport specific.
Autumn 2023Workshop three
To include spotlight leading change.
Workshop four
Creating a high performance learning environment. Two days.
Winter 2023/24Workshop five
Leading my team, making difficult decisions resilience.
Workshop six
Repeat of 360 summary of programme explanation of bursary.
Evening meal as graduation.
These are the three most impactful things for me personally and these are the three most impactful things to me as a coach.

 

Bursary Support

You will have further opportunity to enhance your learning and development by identifying a specific area you wish to explore or research further.

Each coach will have the opportunity to apply for a bursary to assist them with a specific opportunity they identify that links with their individual development plan. You will need to complete a contract stating the expected outcomes of the learning and you will be asked to share your experience either as a written report, video or presentation.

Community of learning

You will be encouraged to share your knowledge and experience with your peers on the programme to check, challenge and support your journey.

Pre and post workshop learning

You will be expected to undertake a short reflective piece of work after each workshop. A number of workshops will have preparation work assigned to them.

Criteria

Who is this programme suitable for?

  • Swim England Senior Coach qualified, Experienced Swimming Coaches who have consistently placed swimmers on the England Talent Pathway Programmes (phase 2 and 3) over the past three years.
  • Swim England qualified, experienced Water polo coach who has been a head or lead coach to a national squad, typically working with under 17, under 19 or senior groups.
  • Swim England qualified, experienced Artistic Swimming Coaches, working with athletes in their club, National Teams or High Performance Centre who are participating nationally or internationally.
  • Experienced Diving coaches who have placed divers on the Team Y Squad and working with athletes in their club towards competing at Junior Elites and Senior Nationals.
  • Coaches who have been actively involved in Coach development programmes such as Aspire, Inspire, Pathway Coach Programme and any UK Coaching Programmes.
  • Coaches who have the appetite, willingness and desire to learn and improve their competence in the art of coaching.

Duration

14 month learning programme: Dates of programme will be confirmed if you’re successful onto the course.

Costs

Each successful applicant will be expected to contribute £300 towards the programme.

Swim England will arrange and pay for all costs associated with accommodation and meals for each workshop. However you will be responsible for making your own travel arrangements and covering the costs of travel to each workshop.

Swim England are fully committed to providing an inclusive Coach 2028 Performance Coach Programme. Whilst we have set a cost of £300 for this programme, we ask that you contact us directly, in confidence, if this fee is presenting a barrier to your application.

How to apply

Don’t miss out on this fantastic development opportunity!

Up to 18 coaches will be selected for this programme and ideally we will be working towards 12 Swimming Coaches, two artistic Swimming Coaches, two diving Coaches and two Water Polo coaches.

Closing date for completed applications is end of Thursday 6 April 2023.

Further Information

Have a question about the programme? Get in touch with [email protected]

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