Coaching Matters

Issue 3

 

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Issue 3 Contents

 

Welcome to Coaching Matters ........................................................................ 3

Oxfordshire Sports Partnership Coaching Conference “The Way Forward”... 4

Mentoring Module Courses ............................................................................. 5

Licence to Skill................................................................................................. 6

Calling Squash Coaches to Didcot................................................................ 11

Learn from the World’s Best Experts at TotalSquash.com ........................... 11

England Women’s International .................................................................... 12

OFA Roadshow ............................................................................................. 12

Swimming Apprenticeship Vacancies ........................................................... 13

Assistant County Development Officer Job Vacancy.................................... 13

Resources to help you Develop your Coaching ............................................ 14

The UK Coaching Summit............................................................................. 14

Partnership Check and Challenge Tool ........................................................ 15

Proposed Changes to Criminal Record Checks............................................ 15

Focus on Funding.......................................................................................... 17

In The Zone – Upcoming Workshops............................................................ 18

Other News.................................................................................................... 19

 

  

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Welcome to Coaching Matters - Oxfordshire’s Coaching Newsletter 

This newsletter is for you and will be packed with coaching hints and tips, articles from coaches and coach educators. It is your forum and your voice; we want to hear from you about your examples of good practice, projects that you are proud of and would like to share.

The newsletter will be produced quarterly at the end of October, January, March and June and the deadline for submitting articles will be the 24th of the month.

If you have any comments about Coaching Matters, or wish to share examples of good practice, please get in touch with Denise Brown, Coach Development Officer at dmbrown@oxford.gov.uk.

 

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Oxfordshire Sports Partnership Coaching Conference “The Way Forward”

Olympic Legend comes to Oxfordshire David Hemery, gold medallist in the 400m hurdles

at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico, is presenting a workshop at the forthcoming Coaching

Conference.

Following on from the success of our 2010 Coaching Conference, we are now preparing for

the 2011 Oxfordshire Sports Partnership Coaching Conference on Sunday 12th June at

Cokethorpe School, Witney. There is a packed and varied programme, with plenty of

choice for everyone, both generic and sport specific, and just to give you a taste…

The OFA are featuring Dick Bate and Pete Sturgess the FA’s elite Coaching Manager and

National Development Coach respectively.

England Netball are running an “Essentials Movement Skills” delivered by top coach Kat

Titmus.

RFU are running a Rugby Ready Course which is a pre-requisite to the UKCC Level 1.

UK Athletics are running Mentoring and Biomechanic workshops facilitated by athletics

legend David Hemery and expert in biomechanics Ros Shuttleworth.

ECB HOWZAT - Learn to use this fantastic coaching resource and maximise your coaching

potential, delivered by Gary Worgan, ECB regional training Manager.

Generic workshops - Should you need to update your minimum standards, both 1st Aid and

Safeguarding and Protecting Children workshops will be available.

Other workshops you can choose from include:

Fundamentals – Balance

TGFU – Teaching Games for Understanding

LTAD – Long Term Athlete Development

Mentoring – Mentoring in Sport

SAQ - Speed, Agility, Quickness

All this and LUNCH is included too!

“Success isn't something that just happens - success is learned, success is practiced

and then it is shared” (Sparky Adams)

For booking information and the full conference programme please visit our website by

clicking here

 

  

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Mentoring Module Courses

** FREE FOR ALL REGIONALLY AFFILIATED CLUB MEMBERS **

The Southern Region Gymnastics Association are pleased to announce that all four Mentoring

Module courses offered in 2011 will be FREE for ALL Southern Region affiliated club members!

This is a fantastic course, which allows you to train and explore the role of the mentor coach. All

UKCC courses require candidates to complete tasks with a mentor coach from their club. If you

want to be able to support any of your coaches through a UKCC course, why not attend our

Mentoring Module course! The Mentor coach is vital to any candidate's success!

Why not see these courses as an opportunity as a FREE mass training session for your club?

Mentoring Courses

18th June 2011 at Aylesbury Multicultural Centre, Buckinghamshire. Spaces still available and application deadline 18th May 2011

17th November 2011, Farnborough, Hampshire. Spaces still available and application deadline 14th October 2011

To access an application form please visit the Southern Region Website by clicking here

National Course: Level 4 Certificate in Coaching Women's Artistic (Senior Coach)

Dates: 27th, 28th & 29th May, 24th & 25th June & 3rd July 2011.

Venue: Heathrow Gymnastics Club, London. BG Members - £390

For more information please call the Coach Education department on 0845 1297129 ex: 2392

UKCC Level 1 Courses

Women's Artistic: 26th June, 10th and 17th July 2011. Assessment 2nd October 2011. Phoenix Gymnastics Club, Berkshire. 8 spaces booked and 4 available and application deadline 26th May 2011

Trampoline Gymnastics: 25th September, 15th and 22nd October 2011. Assessment 7th January 2012. Wantage Leisure Centre, Oxfordshire. 2 Booked and 10 Spaces available and application deadline 25th August 2011

Pre-School Gymnastics: 25th September, 16th and 17th October 2011. Assessment 12th February 2012. Phoenix Gymnastics Club, Berkshire. 12 Spaces available and application deadline 25th August 2011

UKCC Level 1 and UKCC Level 2 Trampoline Assessment Day 

Applications are now open for any coaches outstanding a UKCC Level 1 or UKCC Level 2 Trampoline assessment. Please take advantage of this one off opportunity. 

The assessment day will be taking place 29th May at Waingels College in Berkshire. 

An application form is now available on our Southern Region website and application deadline is 9th May 2011. For a list of courses please click here 

 

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Licence to Skill Rugby Football Union Coach Licensing Pilot Scheme

National Governing Bodies of Sport are developing their

coaching systems in the aim of creating a world class coaching

system.

The Rugby Football Union Coaching Department is committed to

supporting the development of coaches through the provision of a range of short courses that

will be delivered at a local level. This is supported by community coaches and a network of

coaching coordinators within each local club.

To support these activities the RFU has recently launched its coach licensing scheme in

Oxfordshire.

Ten reasons for a qualified rugby coach to get their license:

1. It is easy to complete and free

2. Recognition and quality assurance for you the coach, showing you commitment to

your coaching

3. Quality assurance for your club helping the club to promote itself

4. It helps you attend RFU coach development events with preferential access and

rates

5. It raises the standard of coaching: Better coaches, Better players

6. Access to the Coaching Edge magazine and exclusive online coaching website

(ideas for practices)

7. Increases your network opportunities to share your ideas and hear others

8. Saves money for your club, by retaining coaches

9. Coaches that are open to new ideas are normally the most effective and keep more

players in rugby and at your club

10. Access to an discount at the RFU shop

For more information contact your local Club Coaching Coordinator

Course and Licence application form and associated information is available on the RFU

coaching website

 

  

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Are we coaching children too early?

GARY TOWNSEND - Coach Development Officer for the RFU

What would happen if we didn’t allow children to participate in any ‘organised’ sport? They

could still come along to their local club, be given a ball, be observed and loosely supervised by

adults (in these days of health and safety), but generally they’d be allowed to get on with it.

Well it’s obvious - isn’t it? All hell would break loose, there would be anarchy. Nothing would be

organised, cheating would be rife and nothing would get done. Hang on a moment, though, isn’t

this exactly what children do in the school playground? There are no referees, no managers

and no coaches. All we see is kids having a great time, discovering for themselves new and

complex skills of evasion, team work, rules, spatial awareness – and, heaven forbid, some

tactics too.

Teaching. During my many years as a Physical Education teacher, I taught a variety of sports,

most of them, I suspect, badly. The one area in which I was confident was rugby. I used loads

of drills, had all the rugby videos and could organise the most complicated Auckland Grid in the

South West. My rugby sessions were pretty standard fare - warm up, skills/drills and a game to

finish. However, it was football and hockey that shaped my present style of coaching. These

were two sports with which I was not too confident. I am not a keen fan of either sport, but it

was on the curriculum, so I had no choice. After some feeble attempts at some skill practices

with the ‘lower ability’ groups, I decided to give myself what I perceived to be an easier life by

having mostly games. This would take the form of a ‘world’ series over the five or six weeks,

with the sides being picked at the first session and then staying in those teams throughout the

next few weeks. What I found surprised me:

The majority of children enjoyed the sessions and expressed that enjoyment.

The format encouraged a sense of ‘team’ and, perhaps even more importantly, a

sense of ‘worth’. Although they were not particularly able at the sport, the children

were in an environment in which their strengths were valued and could be expressed.

Their skill level, understanding of tactical play and confidence improved.

The level of non-participation decreased.

Many children who had been on the fringe of being selected for the ‘A’ group were

moved up to that group with new found confidence and tactical appreciation.

The approach helped not only the children, but also me, to understand and

appreciate more the tactical aspects of the game and the skills necessary to play the

game better.

The children were more receptive to a brief skills session the following week, based

on their understanding from the previous week that to play the game better their

passing required some work.

 

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The great thing for me was that they would often practise this themselves as I chased the

stragglers from the changing rooms.

It could be argued that these outcomes were achieved because the children were ‘streamed’.

That is a fair comment, but the point is that in the mainly drill-based rugby sessions, which were

also ‘streamed’, there was nowhere near the same level of success. That only changed when the

sessions changed to a more game-based emphasis.

Africa. In June 2005, I had the fortune to be invited to

Uganda as part of the charitable organisation Tag Rugby

Development Trust (TRDT), whose aim is to introduce tag

rugby to underprivileged children throughout the world.

TRDT are a great organisation who have performed

wonders in Uganda. They have a range of volunteers, from

fairly experienced coaches to people who have never

played nor been involved in rugby. This was their third visit

to Uganda and their second to this particular area. Their

programme basically entailed a one week programme of

coaching in primary schools (Year 6, where the age seems to range from nine to fourteen). Each

class had roughly between fifty and seventy children, with four or five coaches assigned to each

class. After six days of coaching, squads of ten were selected to participate in an eight-team

festival. TRDT do truly remarkable work, particularly as the youngsters’ English is not great.

On this particular ‘tour’ they had worked with four schools and a further four schools from the

previous year’s tour were invited to the festival, but they would not receive coaching.

Unfortunately, I was only able to attend the three days of their final week’s programme and, as a

consequence, had very little coaching input. However, I did make the following observations:

The children were being coached in a very drill-based way, with lines or ‘waves’ of

passing.

In a short period of time they had learnt to spread out, in the conventional way, and

passed the ball along the line.

The players’ basic skills were quite good and, due to their lifestyle, their athleticism and

evasive skills were excellent

In the festival, the schools who had been involved the previous year, but who had not

received subsequent coaching, were noticeably better.

It is this last observation that interested me most. The schools newly introduced to rugby played

well, and had adapted to the game remarkably quickly, but at times they played too laterally and

had a tendency to be tagged, stop and then pass - as they had been coached.

The schools that had been involved in the previous year’s festival were noticeably better, even

though the players had changed. The teachers had done well to keep the game going, but had

done this mainly through playing games, as they had little or no coaching experience and

 

  

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certainly no previous experience of rugby. The players were better simply because, for twelve

months, they had been allowed to play. They had sorted out that a short pass to someone

coming from depth and at an angle created havoc in the defence.

They had developed play to run between two defenders to take both of them out of the game

and had learned that passing whilst moving, rather than stopping to pass, is far more effective

for getting behind defenders. They had also developed a range of (uncoached) passes, such as

one handed, behind the back and overhead, all of which

were effective and which would probably have been

coached out of them as a definite ‘no-no’ in England. I

also witnessed a couple of players (both of whom were

about eleven years old) make a break, slow down to

draw the last defender and then execute a perfect pass

(left or right handed) to a support player running from

deep and wide. Many of them, and I had never seen this

before in England, took the tag and immediately

replaced it onto the belt whilst the attacker was still

moving. This is a really difficult thing to do and actually contravenes the rules of the game, but it

was fantastic to watch, as were their celebratory somersaults and flick-flacks, which were also

self-taught.

How had they gained these skills? How did they develop such understanding? They had been

allowed, by accident or design, to play and to discover for themselves. The teacher had given

them a forum (the game) and the players had been able to explore for themselves the options

available to them.

Summary. I am convinced that the Game Sense approach is the way forward, but I readily

admit that it also suits my style. I do see that technical and highly detailed coaching is essential

for those who aspire to be elite performers, but that detail does not inspire me, which is why I

do not aspire to be an elite coach. However, I will temper this with the view that we have a

tendency, in this country, to coach intricate and highly detailed technicalities to the detriment of

understanding, natural flair and intuition, which serves children so well but which, in far too

many cases, we coach out of them.

Children are brighter than we give them credit for. Unfettered, they will discover ways that work

and also make mistakes which are essential to their development and learning. With occasional

intervention, guidance and support they will become more self-confident, assured and most

importantly, able to adapt. We are confident enough to allow our own children to discover how

to crawl, stand, walk and run, We accept that they will stumble, trip, fall over, bang into things

but we are confident that this is a process they must follow in order to be confident and able.

They learn to go round, step over or duck under objects. Occasionally we might aid their

development by letting them use walking aids, removing obstacles, whilst we encourage and

congratulate them. I doubt that anyone has ever attempted to coach a young child how to walk

by explaining the intricate mechanics involved and then letting them have a go. However, there

appears to be a ‘need’ to follow this process when we coach sport. The key is having the

 

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confidence to allow players to explore, of being able to hold back and allow players to discover for

themselves, to step in only occasionally to ask questions, to raise awareness or offer guidance

and advice.

As an inexperienced and less confident coach, I sometimes felt that I should justify my existence

by actively and obviously ‘coaching’ through drills. It is also true to say that occasionally, when I

had not bothered to think about the session, or when I was tired, I did allow the children to ‘play a

game’ because it was easier for me. This should be exposed for the sham it is. Game sense

requires careful thought and planning (what and how). Objectives should be set, changed when

necessary and reviewed at the end of the session. There should be a large degree of flexibility

and observational and analytical skills must be tested to the full. Patience is a virtue. I would ask

only that you consider an approach which gives opportunity for players to explore and discover

solutions for themselves, to resist the temptation to give the answer, but work with them, when

circumstance dictates, to explore and discover a solution together. You might be surprised at the

result, not only at the solution, which may be different from the one anticipated, but at the rewards

to be gained by the process of obtaining that solution.

Challenge your players by challenging yourself.

“These views have largely been shaped by my own experiences, but credit must also be

afforded to Lynn Kidman and her book, Athlete Centred Coaching, which has enabled me

to order and rationalise my thought processes”

This article is a section from a longer journal publication. To read the full article click here

 

  

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Calling Squash Coaches to Didcot

Nexus Community and Didcot Squash Club are looking for

coaches to help deliver a holiday and term time coaching

programme aiming to get youngsters interested in squash

and progressing to teams.

If you think you can help us deliver this aim please contact

Carey James at: carey.james@nexuscommunity.org

For more information about the club, please visit their

website:

www.didcotsquash.talktalk.net

 

Learn from the World’s Best Experts at TotalSquash.com

TotalSquash.com, the most comprehensive and insightful online

resource to improve your game available is delighted to offer ESR

members 50% off the equivalent monthly rate for membership.

TotalSquash.com boasts a library of over 280 video clips, with new

content added weekly including technical and tactical video clips, player

interviews, technical articles, blogs, tips from the pros and their coaches.

It really is a comprehensive resource for all levels of player. Using

footage from The British Closed and the British Open amongst other

matches, the secrets of the pros are revealed and broken down for all to

learn from. With tips and advice from Nick Matthew, James Will-strop,

Peter Nicol and Jenny Duncalf amongst many others, you really couldn’t

learn from more informed or inspirational people.

There is also an extensive free content area and a free 1 month trial!

How to Claim:

Quote ESR25 when requested whilst joining, and 12 months membership will cost just £23.94

rather than £47.88 for 12 monthly payments of £3.99.

www.totalsquash.com

 

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England Women’s International Show your support, spread the word, England women are coming to town!!!

England women are coming to Oxford for their final friendly game before they compete in this

year’s Germany’s FIFA World Cup. This is fantastic for the county and a great opportunity to

raise awareness of the female game. To give the girls a good send off before their first group

game against Mexico, we are hoping for a crowd of over 5000 at the Kassam. Tickets are

cheap, and can be purchased via the group booking form attached or directly through Oxford

United’s e-ticket website above. Charter standard clubs can apply for up to 25 free tickets.

For more information click here

England v Sweden Tuesday 17th May, 7. 45pm, The Kassam Stadium, Oxford

Tickets: Free for Charter Standard Clubs, £5 adult / £2.50 concessions, group bookings

available. www.eticketing.co.uk/OxfordUnited

OFA Roadshow Oxfordshire FA are hitting the road in May to get your views on

how we should support football over the next 4 years. All

feedback will be entered into the new county planning process

which will ultimately dictate where we allocate our time and

resources until 2015. Make sure you have your say.

Each event will begin with a review of the progress made so far and lead into an interactive

discussion on the development of the game over the next 4 years. Light refreshments will be

provided at all three events.

Banbury United F.C Carterton F.C Oxford City F.C

7pm – 9pm

Wednesday 18th May 2011

7pm – 9pm

Monday 23rd May 2011

7pm – 9pm

Thursday 26th May 2011

If you would like more information or to attend and help shape the production of the new

strategy please contact OFA County Development Manager, Andy Earnshaw at:

Andrew.Earnshaw@OxfordshireFA.com or call 01993 778371.

 

  

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Swimming Apprenticeship Vacancies

The Institute of Swimming have joined forces with sports

management organisation Fusion Lifestyle to offer exciting

apprenticeship vacancies at sports centres across Kent,

Oxfordshire and Surrey.

The apprenticeship will provide young people looking for a way to start their career in leisure with

the skills and qualifications they need to succeed. With the flexibility to work in a range of

environments such as sales and reception, poolside and gym activities, the programme provides

full training including Levels 1 & 2 UKCC ASA Teaching Aquatics.

Successful applicants will work at a Fusion Lifestyle sport centres in Kent, Oxfordshire or Surrey

for 12 months and will receive an apprentice salary during that time. Upon completion of the

apprenticeship, a range of further employment and career prospects will be opened up, including

progression onto the Level 3 Fusion Lifestyle Apprenticeship.

The programme is just the latest in a range of IoS apprenticeships delivered in partnership with

major operators in the leisure industry which provide a proven route to fulfilling and life-long

careers. If you have an interest in aquatics and leisure and are looking for a way to start a

career, our industry apprenticeship programmes are a great way to get started.

For further details and to apply please click here

Assistant County Development Officer Job Vacancy BERKS, BUCKS & OXON GOLF PARTNERSHIP Invite applications for

the position of Assistant County Development Officer Click here for

details.

What makes a good golf coach….?

Good coaches ensure that individuals have positive experiences of the game of golf and are

therefore more likely to continue their involvement with the sport in the future.

High quality coaches are knowledgeable, competent and confident in their own abilities, as well

as adept at helping players to achieve their particular goals and aims.

With the introduction of the new golf coaching qualifications, we aim to ensure that all golf

coaches are appropriately trained and qualified to coach at their chosen level. For further

information or to apply to register on a course, send an email to our coach education team:

coaching@pga.org.uk

Alternatively, you can also contact your Regional Coaching Development Officer Samantha

Round, samantha@bbogolfpartnership.com, 07738234680.

 

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Resources to help you Develop your Coaching

Coaching Children Videos: Lights, Camera, Action

sports coach UK has produced a series of Coaching Children Videos which

have been uploaded to our YouTube channel sports coach UK TV. The clips

look at the craft of coaching from a children's coach perspective and are

themed on:

Why coach children? Planning and organising Coaching methods Observation, analysis and evaluation Coaching the whole child Creating the learning environment Communicating with children

The videos are designed with coaches, parents, clubs, governing body staff, and sport development

professionals in mind - and are suitable for any audience. Watch the videos here

Coachwise offer a full range of resources including books and DVD’s. Visit

www.1st4sport.com to see what is available.

The UK Coaching Summit The UK Coaching Summit 2011 is taking place on June 7-8 at the Europa

Hotel, Belfast.

What is the UK Coaching Summit?

The UK Coaching Summit is an annual meeting of all key stakeholders in coaching. The Summit

provides the opportunity to:

Review progress

Share best practice

Re-focus the common agenda

Publish key documents and develop understanding further

Who should be there?

CEOs/Chairs of an NGB; National Partner; Home Country Sports Council

Directors and Coaching Leads of County Sport Partnerships; Coaching Development

Managers; Voluntary Sector; Private Coaching Providers

Coaching Leads and Coach-education Leads at NGBs; HE/FE

Click here to book

 

  

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Partnership Check and Challenge Tool “Keeping children safe in sport and physical activity”

A free resource for any organisation working in partnership to provide sport

activities for children and young people.

The Partnership Check and Challenge Tool is a simple-to-use checklist to

ensure that children and young people are safe when taking part in sport and

physical activities. This resource:

outlines the key aspects of safeguarding and protecting children

and young people

outlines the safeguarding responsibilities of each partner organisation.

encourages partners to clarify and agree key safeguarding roles prior to the activities

commencing.

Partnership check and challenge tool

Proposed Changes to Criminal Record Checks

Implications for Coaching

sports coach UK is working with the Child Protection in Sport Unit (CPSU)

to understand the implications of the proposals put forward under the

Protection of Freedoms Bill 2010-11. The outcomes of this work will be

communicated in due course. The information below aims to provide some

answers and highlight where further clarity is still required.

Planned Changes

Criminal record checks in England and Wales will only be applied to people who work closely and

regularly with children and vulnerable adults, under proposals in the Bill. The Bill also proposes:

Portability of criminal record checks between jobs  

Merging the Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) and Independent Safeguarding Authority

(ISA)  

An end to the requirement for those working or volunteering with vulnerable groups to

register with the Vetting and Barring System and then be continuously monitored by the

ISA  

Stopping employers knowingly requesting CRB checks on individuals who are not

entitled to them  

The Bill is expected to become law by early 2012 with the proposed changes introduced gradually

 

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Implications for Coaches

CRB Checks Applied to Fewer People 

Clarification is required over the meaning of people who work closely and regularly with children

and vulnerable adults and who it would impact on. For example would those undertaking 'helper'

roles such as putting cones out or driving children to matches need to undergo a criminal records

check under the proposal? As a minimum standard of deployment, sports coach UK would still

recommend that lead coaches and assistant coaches have an enhanced criminal records check. 

Portability of Criminal Record Checks 

This could mean coaches who work for different employers will not have to undergo a criminal

record check for each employer, thereby cutting time and bureaucracy. More information on

this will follow!!

Proposed Changes to Criminal Record Checks: Implications for Coaching

sports coach UK is working with the CPSU to understand the implications of the proposals put

forward under the Protection of Freedoms Bill 2010-11. The outcomes of this work will be

communicated in due course

For more information click here

 

  

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Focus on Funding

Oxfordshire Netball Development Board Coaching Bursary

In order to progress the development of Netball in Oxfordshire the ONDB has

recognised the need for more coaches.

The ONDB has set aside a bursary for Oxfordshire members who want to

apply for funding to help pay for Level 1, 2 and 3 UKCC courses.

An up to date list of the UKCC Level 1, 2 and 3 are available from the England Netball website or

by clicking here

Rhonda Forbes-Smith (r.forbes-smith@tiscali.co.uk) is Oxfordshire’s Coaching Secretary. She

manages the coaching bursary, keeps track of coach development and also organises Coaching

Workshops where possible to maintain skill development and progress in coaching in

Oxfordshire.

Big Society Fund for Oxfordshire

The Big Society Fund, provided and administered by Oxfordshire County Council, is designed to

help communities get new ideas going. The overall vision for the Big Society is to create an

environment where it is easier for communities to do things for themselves about issues that

matter to them. The Big Society Fund in Oxfordshire is a part of this and is all about giving power

back to local people.

Not-for-profit voluntary and community organisations, schools, PTAs, parish and town councils

can apply for one-off funding to help provide needed services within Oxfordshire.

One-off grants can be used for different things, including, but not limited to buying equipment and

furniture, refurbishment or landscaping to make a space fit for purpose, and training costs for

volunteers. Applications can be made at any time between now and 29 February 2012. For more

information please click here.

Mars Refuel

The MARS Refuel Drink Fund is opening again to offer sports fanatics the chance to get their

hands on some funding. Applications for the £500 awards can be made online at

www.marsrefuel.com

The fund offers support with anything from equipment costs, to improving training grounds and

clubhouses. The fund is also open to individuals raising money for charity through sporting

activities, such as bike rides, mountain climbing and parachute jumps. The fund is accepting

applications from 1st

April

For further information on funding visit www.oxfordshiresport.org/funding

 

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In The Zone – Upcoming Workshops

Oxfordshire Sports Partnership runs a range of workshops for clubs, coaches and volunteers.

Some of the workshops running over the next few months are.

24.05.11 | Equity In Your Coaching - Witney

08.06.11 | Safeguarding and Protecting Children - Banbury

12.06.11 | Coaching Conference 2011 - 'The Way Forward'

The Oxfordshire Sports Partnership Coaching Conference 2011 will take place on Sunday 12th

June at Cokethorpe School, Witney. The conference brings together sports specific courses from

Football, Netball, Rugby, Athletics and Cricket and also cross sport courses such as First Aid,

Safeguarding Children, LTAD, Fundamentals and Mentoring in Sport.

15.06.11 | First Aid in Sport - Abingdon

05.07.11 | Managing Behaviour and Conflict in Sport

Whatever your role in sport, it is likely that at some time you are going to have to manage

someone’s behaviour or resolve a conflict situation whether between participants or other

volunteers. This workshop will help you identify the warning signs before problems arise, give you

strategies to deal with difficult behaviour or situations and give you the opportunity to practice

some strategies making you aware of the importance of tone of voice and body language. All

participants must be aged 16-25

12.07.11 | First Aid in Sport - Thame

21.07.11 | Managing Your Time and Achieving Your Goals

There are lots of pressures on your time: studying, working, playing sport and socialising… but

how much time do you waste that could be spent doing the things you want to do? This workshop

will help you learn to manage your time effectively so that you can get the most out of life whilst

staying on track to achieve your ambitions. All participants must be aged 16-25

27.07.11 | Making the Most of Your Experience From Sport

Everyone knows that volunteering is good for your CV but what does that mean and how do you

communicate the skills you have developed? This workshop will give you practical advice and

practice at identifying the skills developed through an involvement in sport and how you get them

into your CV and express them at interviews so that you stand out from the crowd. All participants

must be aged 16-25.

For prices, full schedule and to book, visit

www.oxfordshiresport.org/inthezone

 

  

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Other News

One Step Closer to an Olympic Dream…….

Tristan Hale, Sports Development Officer for the Oxfordshire Sports Partnership is another step closer to fulfilling his dream of being part of the Olympics in 2012. Great Britain will be hosting the Senior European Fencing Championships in July and Tristan has been selected as one of the eight British referees for the event. The Olympics will also require eight British referees and whilst they are not guaranteed to be the same people, the European Championships will give Tristan valuable experience of a high pressure championship. In June and July Tristan will also be refereeing the Veteran European Fencing Championships in France and the Pentathlon World Cup Final and Olympic Test Event in London.

Cricket without Boundaries

Graham Hurst, Sports Project Officer for the Oxfordshire Sports Partnership is travelling to Uganda in October 2011 to take part in a 2 week project with the UK charity Cricket Without Boundaries (CWB).

CWB is dedicated to helping, educating and developing local communities around the world through the spread and growth of cricket. Crucially, CWB also uses cricket as a tool in the fight against AIDS. CWB’s training sessions have at their heart discussion about the disease in terms of prevention, treatment and equality of treatment for those with and without the disease.

CWB is a fantastic charity that does amazing work in several countries in Africa. To read more about their work please visit the website - www.cricketwithoutboundaries.com.

Graham is aiming to raise £750 for the charity to help in the provision of the programme and to pay for AIDS awareness materials and essential cricket equipment that will remain in Uganda for the benefit of the local

Graham is planning on some fundraising activities over the summer and is hoping that not only can he count on your support with some sponsorship but also you may be able to help with some fundraising ideas.

He has approached both Lords and the Oval about providing raffle prizes (hopefully 1 day international tickets). If anyone has any ideas of people/businesses/friends to approach for prizes or any other events they think he could organise contact him ghurst@oxford.gov.uk.

Please support Graham’s fundraising by visiting www.justgiving.com/grahamhurst