Background
The DCMS (Department for Culture, Media and Sport) have provided funding for Community Rugby Coaches in order to:
“Establish 3000 paid professional coaches working at local level to increase the number and range of high quality coaching opportunities by 2006, according to local and strategic need.”
The crucial contribution of coaching is not confined to elite athletes. Coaches at all levels must be valued whether in the school playground, the local club or at major international events. Coaches are people who motivate, encourage and inspire. Without them most performers would fail to reach their full potential. Coaching is central to the development of sport at every level.
Northumberland Rugby Union identified this as an opportunity to fill the void left following the change of role fulfilled by the RFU Rugby Development Officer (RDO) after the transition from Youth Development Officer (YDO) to RDO. Match funding was provided by the Youth Charitable Trust, DCMS, Falcons Community Foundation, Alnwick RFC, The Duchess's Community High School and RFU to employ 5 part time CRCs each working around a cluster of clubs. They have become the new YDO.
The crucial contribution of coaching is not confined to elite athletes. Coaches at all levels must be valued whether in the school playground, the local club or at major international events. Coaches are people who motivate, encourage and inspire. Without them most performers would fail to reach their full potential. Coaching is central to the development of sport at every level.
Northumberland CRC Team
The CRC team has been operating for 6 months across Northumberland. The key roles for a community rugby coach are predominantly:
· Focus on delivery to young people
· Schools, clubs, HE, FE or a combination of any
· FUNdamentals/Learning to Train elements or equivalent development phases of the NGB player pathway
· Retention agenda e.g. school to club links
· The focus of the coach is on the delivery of coaching, post holders are not sports development officers.
· Preparation for coaching sessions/coaching courses/mentoring
· Evaluation post delivery
In total the CRC posts are delivering 60 hours per week of coaching to young people across Northumberland and in the first six months delivered 1500 hours of coaching to 8340 young people, 3026 females and 724 black and ethnic minority young people. 25% of these sessions took place at local clubs.
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