Table Tennis England The Winning Edge Issue 8 | Page 10

THE WINNING EDGE 2018: YEAR OF THE COACH If 2017 seemed a busy one for table tennis coaches, highlighted by the launch of a new Level 3 qualification, 2018 is set to be downright revolutionary. The coaching pathway opposite gives an outline of some changes, while below, Aled Howell, Coaching and Education Manager, tells us what we can expect in 2018 and why. After the changes to and launch of the new Level 3 in 2017, can coaches expect more changes to the UKCC qualifications in 2018? Aled Howell: Yes! We are changing the whole pathway. We aren’t aiming to re-invent the wheel but aiming to offer a pathway where, regardless of the environment you coach, you can become the best coach you can be. Whether you coach within performance, participation or club environments, by working through the pathway we will provide you with the tools to become the best coach within your coaching environment. We are currently modifying UKCC Level 1 and UKCC Level 2. These changes will make our courses more accessible, attractive, modern and engaging. For example, our online learning service – Moodle – will see paperwork moving online, leading to time spent on courses being focused on the “how?” and “what?” to coach skills – the more practical elements of the course. We want coaches to be engaged within the course and sport to feel motivated to go out and coach following the course. How will those changes affect the status of existing qualifications? AH: It won’t – they are still the same qualification, the only alteration is in the content. If you’re a Level 1 coach now, you’re still a Level 1 coach. When coaches work their way through the pathway or seek CPD, even if they’re happy with the level they’re at, we want them to be looking and listening at what new ideas there are out there. Will you be expecting coaches to attend CPD to get up to speed with the changes in qualifications? AH: We want coaches to attend CPD to grow their knowledge. That can be through Table Tennis England or by looking beyond us. We want to create a mindset of continuous learning. Whether that’s at Level 1 or Level 4 we want coaches to continue to learn and grow. We are starting to create a number of CPD options within Table Tennis England and our external partners. Using specialist partners like UK Coaching and Higher Education institutions we are looking to create more and more CPD possibilities. We don’t want coaches to be stuck doing the same things. We want to create a growth mindset and creative thinking by giving you the freedom to search for answers and ways to improve, knowing that we’ll always be here to offer advice and guidance, even when you’re finding CPD beyond our sport. What’s wrong with just keeping everything as it is for a few years? AH: Things are constantly changing. Technology is changing, the sport is changing, ideas are changing. We need to keep up by updating the content of courses and how we deliver them. What we’re trying to deliver is engaging and accessible courses. For example, we’ve reduced the paperwork, moved content to online learning and made the resource into a coach diary with the aim of our coaches using the resource following the course. We know coaches want to get on with the learning, not wait for bureaucracy, so let’s streamline the qualification process and make it accessible to a wider range of potential coaches who can grow and improve the sport. What other changes will coaches notice over the next 12 months? AH: As you can see from the facing page, there haven’t been huge changes to the coaching pathway, but we want to give a clear outline of what the pathway is and how your journey through the pathway will progress. We want this to be for all coaches, from all different environments, empowering them to be the best they can be. We are planning new inclusivity courses in partnership with English Federation of Disability Sport (EFDS), which will allow table tennis coaches to develop the confidence and skills needed to deliver our sport to those with a disability. A new youth course is also on the long-term radar, as we combine the Young Official, Junior Umpires and TT Leadership awards to make them more engaging and accessible. And we’re also making changes to the Activators award, bringing it up to date and fitting it in with the BeTT project, Loop and Ping! Our aim as a Coach Education department is to catch up and to then be a step ahead of other sports. So keep in touch with us through the usual channels, keep your eyes peeled for the roll-out of all these projects in 2018 and let me know your thoughts on email – [email protected] WE