COACH EDUCATION

Orienteering offers many valuable experiences and opportunities for competitive and recreational orienteering. Our sport requires people with the desire and motivation to make a real difference – by choosing to coach. Whether you are thinking about becoming a coach, or looking to build on your existing skills and expertise, British Orienteering offers a range of opportunities that will enhance knowledge and understanding at every level and may well improve your own orienteering.

Becoming a Coach

There are many routes into coaching; as an enthusiastic parent, as a participant, as a teacher, as a young leader or simply someone inspired to be that person to make a real and positive difference. Whichever way you come to orienteering, as a coach you will have the satisfaction and pride in knowing you have helped others to participate, achieve and excel.

There are a number of great starting points for your coaching career, for example;

• Helping one of your club coaches: Find out when they run sessions and go a long and offer to help.
• Children involved in coaching sessions: Don’t just drop them off, ask the coach if they want any help.
• UK Coaching Certificate Award Scheme: The scheme provides a structured pathway from being an Assistant Coach supporting a more qualified coach through to master coach. At Level 1 Assistant Coach, the award offers an introduction to the running and navigational skills required to introduce orienteering and support a more experienced coach. For many orienteers who have helped coaches informally the first step may be to go direct to Level 2 Coach which is the level at which you can coach independently. The level 2 coach is the mainstay of coaching at club sessions.

Coaching is at the heart of orienteering at every level from children and adults beginner participating in their first activity, through to preparing athletes for the World Orienteering Championships. Coaches are vital to the success of orienteering in the UK and are, in many ways, the people who will promote the benefits and enjoyment of taking part in orienteering.

The Coaching Pathway mirrors the participant development pathway but can be shown as:

We operate a programme of education, including formal qualifications that are part of the UK Coaching Certificate (UKCC). These qualifications sit on the National Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) with other professional and academic awards such as GCSEs, A levels and degree courses. Our courses are also recognised nationally and internationally and will enhance your CV.

Our UKCC courses, quality assured and awarded by 1^st4sport, operate across all orienteering disciplines for Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3. At Level 3, we operate a modular course which prepares experienced coaches for direct assessment. We will also offer bespoke workshops and courses for coaches looking to develop High Performance standards, focusing on skill/technique development and advanced planning, methodology, sports science knowledge and physical preparation. In addition to UKCC, we will be offering a range of continuous personal development (CPD) opportunities including courses and Add-On Modules that aim to deliver quality education opportunities to broaden knowledge and expertise.

(taken from British Orienteering)

NI Orienteering Coaching Strategy

A copy of NI Orienteering’s Coaching Strategy can be viewed by clicking below:

Coaching Strategy