COACHING OPPORTUNITIES
IN DORSET & WILTSHIRE 2008/9
Coaches Wanted DW School of Rugby Click
For many years D&W has run County teams from U13 through to the full senior county side. The ‘Twin Counties’ can claim significant success with a number of players going through the system leading to selection for a variety of representative honours.
As well as a solid Club structure, D&W draws on players from the strong rugby playing schools based in the two Counties.
The RFU has embarked on a major initiative to improve the quality of coaches operating in the game. This includes a complete overhaul of its coaching awards, the appointment of Coach Development Officers and use of RFU Toolkit money to subsidise course fees for specific targets, i.e. players coming to the end of their playing careers.
The mantra is that good coaches help players develop at every level, some of which go on to highest representative international honours.
The D&W Coach Development Committee has a detailed action plan that is geared to assisting new, emerging and experienced coaches to be even better and contribute to the development of players at Club, school, college and County level.
This leaflet gives an overview of what coaching opportunities exist and what you would need to get involved should you be inclined.
Andy Smith – Chair Coach Development Committee
Where Could You Become Involved?
a) CB Schools of Rugby Coach
The RFU have agreed to establish Schools of Rugby in England. There will be one in Dorset and one in Wiltshire. The role of the coaches appointed to the SOR’s is to deliver an agreed skills programme to those players that have been identified as having the potential to go on to get top playing honours.
Level 2 is the minimum coaching requirement and additional training in specialist coaching will be provided to those coaches who are invited to join the SoR’s. The schools are a joint venture between the CBs, RFU Academies and RFU Coaching Department and offer a unique opportunity to work with gifted and talented young players and develop your own coaching skills. There will be a set curriculum for players and a training programme for coaches.
b) Lead or Assistant County Coach
DW supports a mixture of development days and fixtures for u13, u14, u15, u16, u17, u18, u20 and Seniors XV. The u16 and u18 play within a Regional and National framework that is geared to identifying and developing players to go on to play for England at that level.
All other teams play a mixture of friendly and inter-county matches.
As Lead Coach you would be responsible for the effective delivery of coaching to the players and ensuring that the players get ‘added value’ from attending County sessions. In addition you will be responsible for developing coaches in your team. Lead Coaches will be required to plan the coaching framework and ensure that the assistant coaches deliver the agreed programme to the required standards.
Assistant Coaches will provide support to the Lead Coach and use the opportunity to develop further as a coach. You will be expected to deliver elements of the coaching programme as directed by the Lead Coach.
A key area of development is to regularly attend coach education events to ensure that the coaching remains up to date, effective, imaginative and enjoyable for you and the players.
c) RFU Resource Coaches
The idea is to have specialist coach resources available to clubs at a local level – i.e. within Dorset & Wiltshire. The RFU is in the process of recruiting Resource Coaches in each of the following: scrum, lineout, defence, back attack, continuity and kicking.
These people would be available to go to clubs and schools to provide specialist training and advice. Training would be provided for the Resource Coaches as part of the implementation plan.
To be considered as a Resource Coaches you would need to be qualified to Level 3 and be a good Coach Educator and identified by your D&W Coaching Committee, RDO and verified by the Coach Development Officer.
d) Coach Mentors
The opportunity in D&W is for suitably experienced coaches to be attached to a County age group to provide support and feedback to each of the coaches in that age group. The Coach Mentors would then formally feedback to those coaches and subsequently to the Coach Committee to enable that committee to develop tailored ongoing CPD and other support to the County Coaches as required. This would also assist in identifying coaches to move into other coaching areas to support initiatives such as those identified in this leaflet.
e) RFU Coach Educators [Tutors]
The importance of good coaching cannot be overstated. In order to achieve that objective those new to coaching and those that are developing their coaching portfolio need to receive top class support.
The RFU runs a whole range of courses from TAG up to Level 5 and needs Tutors to staff those programmes.
Being a Tutor can help coaches become better coaches. Once again the RFU provides comprehensive coach educator training to those that get on the programme.
In addition, those that are already Tutors/Coach Educators have the opportunity to become RFU Trainers – these people train the Coach Educators.
Potential coach educators would be identified and invited to attend appropriate training, soif you are interested contact any of those named at the end of this document.
f) Cluster Coaching
Geography makes access and travel time a significant factor in the Twin Counties.
Providing coach education opportunities in the established Cluster groups make sense. Organised by the CCC’s within each Cluster, a programme of say four sessions per season is agreed and resourced from within the Cluster. Where external coaches are required/desired, this can be accommodated either directly with the coaches, or via the Coach Development Committee.
g) Coaching Events
In addition to all the above there is a huge programme of coaching events going on in Dorset & Wilts. Some is organised in partnership with Bath Academy; the Coach Development Officers and RDO’s put on other events; Bristol Academy have a programme as do some schools. The Coaching Committee is working on a programme of coaching events for the in addition to the Annual Coach Development Day traditionally held at North Dorset RFC at the end of the season.
If you want to know more about any of these initiatives contact one of those named below:
Andy Smith – Chair Coach Development Committee; Hamish Morton – D&W RDO
Si Culley – D&W RDO
Coaches Wanted DW School of Rugby
