News Letter August 14th 2022

Successfull Bid

I am pleased to announce that we have been successful in making a bid for a bursary from our national governing body, British Canoeing, The bursary scheme targets leadership and coaching. We will now be able to run some training courses at a subsidised rate.

Getting Into Coaching and Leadership

Leading trips and coaching new paddlers can be a very rewarding experience. Seeing new members from all walks of life make rapid progress, encouraging people to become safe, independent paddlers, and fostering a love for adventure and the natural environment give leaders and coaches a great sense of worth.

In the next 12 months we are planning to run Paddlesport Leader Award training and assessment for 6 active members.

Every club relies on volunteers, and I hope you will consider training to become part of the club coaching team.

You do not need to be an expert on ‘gnarly’ grade 5 whitewater to become a coach or leader! At the higher levels, most paddlers learn from challenging themselves in peer groups and possibly using professional coaches. For beginners and intermediate paddlers we need people who can coach or assist a coach at the Riverside Centre and possibly, but not necessarily, plan touring trips on sheltered water. The club can offer mentoring and guidance to support new coaches and leaders.

Is It For Me?

YES! If….

  • If you want to get into coaching and need to take the first step…or..
  • If you are already a Deva Club approved coach, but have no formal qualification, this is an opportunity for you to gain a British Canoeing qualification….or…
  • If you enjoy sharing your love of paddlesports with others…or..
  • If you have some personal skills and experience but feel you don’t know enough about safety and assessing risk.
  • It’s open to all paddlesport disciplines. Your preferred craft could be kayak, sea kayak, canoe, SUP, sit-on-top, or a mix of the above!

Need More Info?

We are hoping to get a group of about six to undergo training for British Canoeing’s Paddlesport Leader Award. For full details go to: https://paddlesuptraining.com/courses/paddlesport-leader-course/

Are there any prerequisites?

No- though for the award you do need to be a member of British Canoeing to qualify, and will need to hold a First Aid qualification if you don’t already have one.

What is the time commitment?

Training will be locally based taking 2 days, (probably over a weekend), and assessment will be either one or two days, depending on the provider. We aim to run both training and assessment during the next 12 months.

How much will it cost me?

As we will be employing a professional provider for the course and assessment, we are asking participants for £50 for the training week-end and £50 for an assessment week-end. This is heavily subsidised as you will be aware if you have done any courses or days with a professional coach. However, we do not wish to exclude any Deva member, so have word with Ray McCann or Simon Carver (treasurer) if your personal financial circumstances would prevent you from putting your name forward.

What’s the Catch?

There is none! You will have a great experience learning from a professional, and be able to help others start their journey into paddle sports. In return the club will expect you to put your new skills into practice by either coaching or helping at the Riverside, or planning and leading trips.

Next Steps…

Ray McCann (Deva Coaching Co-Ordinator) is in conversation with some local training providers to sort out dates. In the meantime, you can register an interest (without obligation) with Ray by sending an email to the club email address.