The First Coach

Having finished at Bath University on Friday I had a 2 hour trip home a change of bags and a 700 mile drive to Oban in Scotland. During this time I reflected on the awesome time I had at Bath. I suppose one of the enduring memories will be chatting with four world champions and them reflecting on what made their Judo.

Some of this is available a pod cast of an interview session with three of them. But what was surprising was the common ground, the supportive nature of their parents and EVERY one of them and several of the Olympians who where there as well all noted that their first instructors where instrumental in their development.

So if they say this was important why is it that beginner’s class in the west are not taught by the most experienced coaches? Why is there no specialised training and coach education courses aimed at coaching beginners? I teach beginners and always have, my first coaching jobs were helping with a “Try Judo” Course. I was helping a 5th Dan and learnt a lot. Even now my 14 week beginner’s course with the Army has 3 experienced coaches, a 5th 4th and 2nd Dan, running it with every lesson review and improved.
Our National Governing Bodies talk about retention and increasing the number of Judoka who move from school to club judo, we talk about increasing the number of lesson for beginners and getting people to try but we never talk about raising the standards of coaches for beginners’.

This week I have had lectures on Pedagogy, now I have had these as a teacher and through CPD at some of the private schools I teach at , but I have NEVER had such in depth discussion in an academic way about different stages of physical, emotional and psychological development. I will need to develop this into my coaching ensuring a level commensurate with the pupils being taught but surely an NGB should be doing this not leaving it to university courses?

Next time your club runs a beginners’ class put the most experienced coach in charge, see if it makes a difference,. Try and think like a new comer to the sport would these classes encourage you to carry on and is the coach inspirational, will they encourage kids or adults to be the best Judoka they can be?

I will expand these ideas next time and hope to look at the environment within your club – and your classes and how this may help or hinder some players and what we can do about it.
Speak soon.

Marc

Non Fomral Learning

I sit at a desk tonight as I type this, having spent two days at Bath University on the EJU Level 4 coshing course. This 3 year block route course is the only of its kind in Europe. An extensive course on coaching Judo at an Elite level.

http://www.bath.ac.uk/sports/foundation/judo/index.html

Over the past two days we have been discussing how coaches learn. I have been looking at a concept of non-formal learning – the discussion, experiences and reflective practices that allow a coach to develop, where there is no formal structure or aim.

Do you as a coach reflect and keep a diary or note book of what you do well and can improve?

I suppose that this Blog is a way of me expressing idea that I haven’t always formulated as part of my coaching philosophy. Any one reading this could consider it to be non formal learning – as long as you discuss the idea.

I find it interesting that many sports NGB’s don’t have a formal CPD programmes, the BJA in Britain definitely don’t. But they are a bit Jurassic in their approach. They don’t recognise discussion and reading a form of development, they are non formal learning if you start to act on the information and actively engage with the subject. However it is non-formal learning that they try and promote as part of their paid courses discussion groups, break out groups, work in pairs and think about ...etc.

Maybe I am bias as the BJA send their staff on the EJU level 4 and 5 courses but don’t allow coaches to carry the qualification on their coaching licence – as it is not recognised by the BJA, but they will acknowledge it for coaching revalidation.

Now when you have stopped laughing just ask yourself how good is your coaching, and when was the last time you consider what you do well and why it works or what you could improve on and how you could do that.

I personally have a couple of coaches who help mentor me and discuss classes and incidents. I find these inform feedback sessions and mentoring invaluable. I think every coach should be able to chat and develop ideas. Those discussions should be suitable to note down and put in your coaching portfolio.

Just a thought for the day

A bit of History and a Dream

Today I fulfilled a small dream.

I taught at the Budokwai in London.

http://www.thebudokwai.com/

The oldest Judo Club in Europe. I was fortunate enough to be on the coaching team for a training season for Boys attending the Headmasters Conference Independent Schools championship next week.

For those who have never been the Budokwai’s reception is full of photos of the great and good of British Judo from Palmer and Inman to Stevens and Jacks, form Sweeny to Adams they all have trained there.

Watching my boys look at the these and be more impressed by Guy Richie than Angelo Parissi, it made me realise how little they know about Judo in the UK. Now that may be my fault as a coach but how much do we teach our students about the history of Judo?

To me the Budokwai was a place my dad trained in the 1960’s and was iconic in my judo upbringing. It was hallowed ground, I wonder with modern training centres if there will be places like that in the future.?

So perhaps I will dig out old clip on You-tube of Starbrook or Jacks and recount their big wins. I am fortunate I have Jane Bridge as a tutor at Bath University but my students don’t know she was the first ever Female Judo World Champion in New York where she also won the Style Award. Perhaps we have Judo traditions on the mat but it might be time for me to start and let students know about the footsteps they are following in.

I hope 2012 in London will give 1000’s of young judo players an inspiration and the ability to say I remember when I saw....... today I added my own first ...the day i first bowed on as a guest coach at the Budokwai.

It is the small things that mean a lot.......hope you fill a small dream soon they make life feel sweet.

Institue of Professional Judo Coaches

Hi

It was Cat Stevens who sang “Times they are a Changing” and so it is in the world of Judo in the UK and probably the rest of Europe. With the 2012 London Olympics the government has stated that its Olympic Legacy is going to be grass roots with 1000’s of new qualified coaches.

The BJA are supporting the UKCC coaching levels for new coaches but not yet integrating old caches. The EJU now have some of the best Judo Coaching courses in the world – a level 4 and level 5 Based at Bath University. ( http://www.bath.ac.uk/sports/foundation/judo/index.html ) These courses are recognised by the rest of Europe but The BJA don’t recognise them and you can’t get them added to your coaching idea....there is something wrong with this picture. The BJA will say they are don’t meet UKCC standards and then they promptly introduce a club instructor award to fill a gap created by people finding the UKCC to expensive or too much of a commitment – amongst other reasons.

We have a situation where there are a number of private companies providing excellent taster seasons and basic beginners Judo in schools and after school clubs. Probably more children in Judo are taught this way a week than in regular BJA clubs!

The BJA cater for the membership and clubs often run by volunteers, but their is no pathway or guidance, coaching model or franchise for the Coach who wants to earn a living teaching judo, so we get the man in a van syndrome who wanders like a ronin for school to school location to location.

They have no NGB backing just a coaching qualification and a membership licence if they are BJA.

So here is the radical idea copying the model from football who have a Managers Association would anyone like to join...

The Institute of Professional Judo Coaches ( name may be changed).

An organisation whose sole purpose is to advise and for the assistance people who earn money coaching judo. It will have a code of conduct, a coaching qualification will be a prerequisite, and you must commit to a Continued Professional Development Programme for your and your judo....this would be more then attending a single 4 hr course and include reflection, sharing ideas, seminars and courses. But it would be done at your pace and your level of coaching.

The aim would also include:

· helping provide business models for coaches,
· support coaches in running a business
· sharing best practice.
· Devleoping a knowledge base for coaches
· Creating world class support material
· Assisting participation coaches with retention
· Advice and shared experience of School and LEA Judo
· Possible dispute resolution
· Provide coach education as deemed needed by coaches!
· Lobbying NGB’s and funding authorities on the needs of coaches

It would be independent of the NGB, but would work with them, and focus on Coaching issues and Judo coaching issues, it wouldn’t matter if you were running a club or an after school activity the aim would be best practice in Judo Coaching.

Perhaps it is too radical for the UK, but with perhaps the right 20 members to start with you will be responsible for over 15,000 participation mat hours a week. A figure that Any NGB or Funding Body can’t afford to ignore. If you got the academic coach education providers behind it you also start to create a knowledge base, and a base of participation that could be used for serious Judo participation studies.

In three phone calls I mentioned the idea and everyone was for it –as long as it promoted good coach education. Whether or not the NGB’s would like it that’s another story. Someone suggested treating like a Professional body with different levels of membership so club coaches could be associates, others said it could provide support and help like a Union.

Blue sky thinking? It is outside the box, is it too radical for the UK? The idea is now out there, let talk about it – your comments please.