Amber Valley sports coaches achieve Derbyshire Coach Mark
A group of Amber Valley sports coaches are among the first in the county to achieve the Derbyshire Coach Mark.
The pilot accreditation scheme is designed to assist schools in ensuring that the coaches they use are quality assured, operating to a set standard and offering a high quality coaching experience for all young people.
In order to achieve the Derbyshire Coach Mark coaches must attend a number of workshops including those on safeguarding children, coaching disabled performers and FUNdamentals, as well as having a current CRB disclosure and a relevant Governing Body qualification.
A priority within the Derbyshire Coach Mark is that the coaches are also observed against UK Coaching Certificate competencies in line with how to coach skills such as inclusion of all participants, communication and evaluation.
Achieving the Derbyshire Coach Mark is Craig Statham and Sarah Bingham from Amber Valley Borough Council, as well as freelance coaches Angela Doodson and Ken Hardy.
Each were presented with a certificate, as well as Derbyshire Coach Mark branded bags, folders, ID badges and lanyards, during a presentation at Waingroves Primary School in Ripley.
Angela Doodson runs her own dance school, Angela School of Dance, and coaches at John Flamsteed secondary school and Kilburn Infant School.
She said: “The development phase of the Derbyshire Coach Mark has been a long process but a very positive one and a big learning curve for all of us.
“It is good that Derbyshire as a whole county is working together on this so that we have a system of positive and consistent delivery throughout schools and after school clubs.”
Ken Hardy, who runs Lane1 Coaching (Little Adults Need Exercise), and coaches at various schools in Amber Valley including Aldercar Community Language College, added: “I used to be an aerobics instructor and there were a lot of people who used to go around who were not fully qualified.
“But with the Derbyshire Coach Mark you have an ID that is recognised by schools and is policed so it will prevent non-qualified coaches from going into schools.”
Sarah Bingham is the Club, Coach & Volunteer Development Officer at Amber Valley Borough Council’s Sports Development unit and also a volunteer coach.
She said: “The Coach Mark is of benefit both in my job and outside in my spare time in terms of going to coach in schools when I need to.
“It’s great to have the accreditation and the Coach Mark card. It’s quite a competitive business with lots of external coaching agencies which say they have the right qualifications and schools have to take their word for it.
“The Coach Mark will let schools know that kids are safe and well looked after.”
Derbyshire Coach Mark is currently a pilot project within Amber Valley and Bolsover, with 50 coaches involved who are employed by a variety of organisations including Local Authorities, National Governing Bodies and Coach Agencies.
It will be rolled out in phases across Derbyshire, with a further two or three districts due to come on board in July 2008.
Paul Halfpenny from Bolsover District Council has also achieved the Derbyshire Coach Mark and another 15 coaches will do so shortly, with many of the coaches already achieving the Provisional Standard.
Derbyshire Sport Coach and Volunteer Development Officer Andrea Stone said: “The Coach Mark aims to ensure that young people across the county are receiving a consistently high level of sports coaching, whichever school they attend.
“I congratulate all the coaches who have achieved the Derbyshire Coach Mark while it is still in its pilot phase.”
12 observers have received one and a half day’s observer training delivered by Sports Coach UK and Rugby Football Union to ensure they understood the process, had appropriate observer and questioning skills, and to ensure consistency across all observations.
Schools have received information about the Derbyshire Coach Mark and minimum standards when employing/deploying coaches, with good practice guidance and frequently asked questions sheet.
£9,000 has been secured to support 20 coaches achieve a level 2 or level 3 coach qualifications and to support 40 attendances on minimum operating standards workshops.