And now for  Coaching

 1  Alex Murdoch  states  “ 8  Regional Coaches  in place for the first time in twenty years with work programme  changes planned”
 The Regional Club Coach Programme is of course welcomed  as part of the government  initiative to improve coaching but in the first year the  main benefit seems only to be with about 25 clubs . Is the focus on too few clubs and players?  In some regions , it might be right but in other larger ones with  progressive clubs  all over the region , surely not ?

2   Alex Murdoch states “  Coaching and Coach support is critical “
  If coaching education  was truly a priority,  why have the Regional Coaches  not already qualified as tutors in their first year   and been involved in running courses rather than the exercise  apparently being planned  now? 
 Why have the much needed and extremely important ETTA  courses for those potential coaches who do not want to  undertake the higher level ,costly and time consuming   UKCC courses been so slow in implementation ? Those involved in trying to develop  schools and club participation through Junior Leagues and Competition Managers Programme have been crying out for  such assistance  for what seems a   long time and  there appears even now to be a lack of trained available tutors  well after launch?  Is the course sufficiently practical ?
 Such people will be needed to support and perhaps replace those current coaches unwilling to upgrade to UKCC – a very serious problem in 2011 and onwards.  All in all,  coaches I have talked  to did not feel there is as  much encouragement  or support given to coaching as there could have been  and  there have been problems with courses  because of organisation , location  or numbers.
 
3    Alex  Murdoch states that  “£200K planned for 2009/10  via part time coaches and support for schools”
 How much of an increase is this ?  I hope it is  more but  my understanding from our County Sports Partnership – current partners with the ETTA   in the funding of our  local Community  Sports Coach – is that all funding for such posts is now the responsibility of the NGB  . If so, then will there really be more Community Sports Coaches  and / or longer hours for those in post –or is it just a transfer of funding and not actually a  development ?
In his Manifesto, Alan calls for a Coaching Review  to find a more productive way forward .

Mike Smith
Deputy Chairman candidate  in support of Alan Ransome