This time of year is often a bit quiet in terms of work, so tends to become an opportunity for professional development. Before Christmas, I got my Four Star Canoe Leader award which enables me to lead people on moderate water (grade 1 & 2 rivers). However, what I’d really like to do is to actually coach people in this environment. To do this, I need to combine my new 4 Star with a Moderate Water Endorsement. Unfortunately, to get on an assessment, the level 2 coaching award I currently have isn’t good enough and I now need to convert it into the new UK Coaching Certificate scheme that the British Canoe Union have bought into. This all sounds very confusing and, trust me, it is!

So I found myself commuting over to Plas Dol Y Moch Outdoor Education Centre, just down the road from Blaenau Ffestiniog in North Wales for 4 days. The course was being hosted at the centre, but run by Leo Hoare of Getafix coaching. The course was a great balance of theory and practical coaching exercises, which I found very helpful. As an ex-teacher and sports coach, I realised that I have instinctively been using many of the relevant techniques, but not necessarily known it before. This is not to say that the course won’t change my coaching for the future. I have every expectation that it will, as I will now be able to use coaching techniques in a more informed and targeted manner. I certainly have a bit of practice to do over the next few months, but hope that I can get the assessment done some time in May.

Thanks to Leo, once again, for a great course. His experience and knowledge have always made for  fantastic courses.