Applied Coaching Research Journal Research Journal 5 | Page 26
APPLIED COACHING RESEARCH JOURNAL 2020, Vol. 5
#CoachMate Connectors:
Kallam’s Story
Rus Smith
Former Senior Tutor Developer, StreetGames
Introduction
One of the most prominent themes in the
Coaching Plan for England (Sport England,
2016) is the aspiration to diversify the
coaching workforce and reduce the real
and perceived barriers to learning and
development. This has created an incentive to
develop alternative solutions to learning that
provide opportunities for those who may not
have been previously encouraged to develop
their potential as a coach. One such approach
is the development and delivery of the
#CoachMate Connectors programme supported
by StreetGames.
#CoachMate Connectors is aimed at supporting
the development of young coaches aged
16-25 who live and coach in areas of
recognised deprivation. Coaches were
identified for the programme via partner
projects of StreetGames which they were
either part of, or signposted to, as a
participant, referral or existing volunteer.
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The #CoachMate Connectors programme
evolved out of an earlier pilot developed and
delivered by StreetGames in 2017 and 2018,
and research published in a previous edition
of this journal (Smith and Leflay, 2018).
An evaluation of #CoachMate Connectors is
underway and is designed to measure the
impact of the programme on participating
coaches. This paper presents a summary of
the evaluation findings presented at the 2020
UK Coaching Applied Research Conference. It
includes a case study of one participant and
presents the implications for coaching, drawn
from the research.
Background
The #CoachMate Connectors programme has
engaged with over 20 coaches located across
England and Wales, from 2018 to date. Most
coaches on the programme were beginners,
working at a community level coaching
a range of sports, including Multi-sports,