Our sport is a mess
Re: Our sport is a mess
Dave I would love my daughter to get the chance to regularly train with you guys, we're willing to travel, but its midweek training we can't do just because of timing, traffic etc, which is why I suggest a few regional weekend training sessions which make it more feasible for people to come from further afield. I notice B & B are doing a training day followed by a competition day, later in the year, which is ideal for us, but shouldn't be up to the clubs to organise. I don't know the politics of who's in charge and holds the cash, but surely a series of 4 weekend training sessions between competitions, would creat that social experience, enthuse recreational paddlers and get the golden 8 competitions in. I'd be happy to do some training whilst I'm there so I could be a bit more use. In a sense creating regional clubs, they will always be harder to run because of lack of ownership and volunteer connection, however if clubs were paid to host them, either in cash or with coaching time etc. it should not be too onerus and maybe generate the enthusiasm to take back to local clubs. Its starting to work at our place, we now have hung 2 green and 2 red poles, and there are even whisperings of getting a couple of boats - we will prevail
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BaldockBabe
- Posts: 307
- Joined: Tue Mar 06, 2012 8:55 am
Re: Our sport is a mess
Niciss, I assume you are a member of a club but that club does not, currently, participate in slalom?
Just some useful info, there are opportunities in different regions to apply for grants etc for getting kit for clubs. As an Olympic sport it is even easier than it would be say, for general paddling. Baldock got funding from their local Heritage Foundation for new boats, I am pretty sure Proteus has had help in their area and Viking has also had help etc. Look for sporting grants available in the area and put in an application, you never know...
The Canoe England slalom committee also has fund available for clubs to access. Usually they will assist with 50% (up to £500) of a project cost. They have funded everything from winter lights, poles etc.
The main issue you will have, as we do in our area, is coaching. Having the kit is all fair and well but if you have no one to assist with coaching there is always going to be an issue. Unfortunately there is no magic wand for that (unless you are in Scotland and Wales). Whilst Canoe England sticks to the UKCC system and the slalom coaching module forms part of that there is going to be a barrier to volunteers willing to become coaches... That, I guess, is a whole different post...
Just some useful info, there are opportunities in different regions to apply for grants etc for getting kit for clubs. As an Olympic sport it is even easier than it would be say, for general paddling. Baldock got funding from their local Heritage Foundation for new boats, I am pretty sure Proteus has had help in their area and Viking has also had help etc. Look for sporting grants available in the area and put in an application, you never know...
The Canoe England slalom committee also has fund available for clubs to access. Usually they will assist with 50% (up to £500) of a project cost. They have funded everything from winter lights, poles etc.
The main issue you will have, as we do in our area, is coaching. Having the kit is all fair and well but if you have no one to assist with coaching there is always going to be an issue. Unfortunately there is no magic wand for that (unless you are in Scotland and Wales). Whilst Canoe England sticks to the UKCC system and the slalom coaching module forms part of that there is going to be a barrier to volunteers willing to become coaches... That, I guess, is a whole different post...
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Phil Stevo
- Posts: 64
- Joined: Mon Oct 10, 2005 4:14 pm
Re: Our sport is a mess
In Yorkshire we do have a regional committee but it is pretty informal. We are lucky in having Esther who does loads and John who has the role of regional coach.
Through the committee the clubs come together to run the Washburn slaloms.
We also run a series of training days through the winter with John focussing his energies on HPP and Tryweryn and Esther coordinating training day for the younger or less confident on the bigger stuff at Bingley, Matlock, Sowerby, Howsham and Tees Barrage. We put the dates in the diaries in the autumn and then see who turns up on the days and then sort out the coaching groups.
We also run week long training camps at Tully at Easter and in August. Although this is organised by the Yorkshire Region we take in waifs and strays from Hexham down to Nottingham.
I don't think you need to have a formal committee to get regional training going. Just find out who is interested and go for say the 2nd Sunday of the month with the venues and just organise yourselves on the day as that system works out pretty well for us.
Through the committee the clubs come together to run the Washburn slaloms.
We also run a series of training days through the winter with John focussing his energies on HPP and Tryweryn and Esther coordinating training day for the younger or less confident on the bigger stuff at Bingley, Matlock, Sowerby, Howsham and Tees Barrage. We put the dates in the diaries in the autumn and then see who turns up on the days and then sort out the coaching groups.
We also run week long training camps at Tully at Easter and in August. Although this is organised by the Yorkshire Region we take in waifs and strays from Hexham down to Nottingham.
I don't think you need to have a formal committee to get regional training going. Just find out who is interested and go for say the 2nd Sunday of the month with the venues and just organise yourselves on the day as that system works out pretty well for us.