BCUNA Updates

These are policies that relate to BCU members in North America. E-mail if you have any questions.
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Previous updates

2007 BCUNA Updates

2006 BCUNA Updates

2005 BCUNA Updates

2004 BCUNA Updates

Roll out of New Star Awards and New Coaching Awards in North America

Introduction

The purpose of this document is to outline the proposals for the roll out of new BCU Star Awards and new BCU Coaching Awards in North America. It is presented with the following principles in mind;

  1. That at this time the administration of BCU Awards in North America is via BCUNA and includes the USA, Canada and Mexico.
  2. That the administration of BCU Awards in North America will continued to be provided via the existing BCU North American Administrations officer and RCO Network.
  3. That opportunities for re-training will be offered to coaches and assessors within the old style schemes as per the opportunities provided in the UK
  4. That program content and assessment criteria for the new Star Awards and the new Coaching Awards will be the same for awards offered to candidates in North America.
  5. That the roll out of new Star and Coaching awards will only be offered via North American coaches once they have received and successfully completed the required training.
  6. That BCU UK trainers as directed by the UK Director of Coaching and in conjunction with the BCU NA administrator will provide the required event support to facilitate the required re-training.
  7. That the introduction of the new Star and Coaching awards in North America be seen as an opportunity to assist BCUNA achieve a greater degree of self sufficiency.

Timeline for the introduction of New Awards.

The timeline below is a suggested timeline for implementation of both the new star awards and the new coaching awards In North America. The proposal is based around using known events as fixed points within the overall period October 2007- 2008.

These events are;

  • Sea Kayak Georgia Symposium - October 2007
  • Sweetwater Florida Symposium - February 2008
  • West Coast Symposium - March/April 2008
  • North East Coast Symposium - June/July 2008
  • Sea Kayak Georgia Symposium - October 2008

NB - That said the dates on the diagrammatic timeline below may not be accurate at this stage and will need to be reviewed against the final dates for the events. The schematic however should give an indication as to the proposal.

A further program for 2009 will evolve as required to provide continued support.

Introduction of the New BCU Star Awards.

2007 sees the launch of the British Canoe Union’s new Performance Award scheme the new Star Awards and the Paddlepower Awards.

This new scheme provides a balanced progression for paddlers, supports them as they move through their sport and, most importantly, encourages them to go paddling. The scheme has developed around the needs of today’s paddlers, with direction from the findings of the BCU Paddlesport Review and the BCU Long Term Paddler Development Review. Basically, this new scheme is based on over 5 years worth of research and reflects current best practice as defined by paddlesport’s leading experts.

In North America the predominant interest is initially expected to be in respect of the Star Awards. Interest in the Paddlepower Awards should not preclude delivery however. Interest in delivery should be directed to the BCUNA Administrator.

The new Star Award scheme provides the support and encouragement paddlers need to get out and go paddling. The initial awards are generic, encouraging paddlers to experience the various disciplines of paddlesport available, with paddlers 'specializing' at the three Star Award.

The emphasis of these initial awards is to develop personal skills and gain independence, the Four Star and Five Star awards are leadership awards and enable paddlers to lead groups in appropriate conditions.

Introduction of the New Star Awards in North America

1. Star Award Info is now on BCU UK website and will be uploaded to the BCUNA website in early 2008.

Further Star Award info and update training will be available at the Sea Kayak Georgia event in October 2007. This will further support implementation in NA with optional 1-3 Star updates and ‘fundamentals’ workshops and a clear outline of overall assessment criteria / requirements.

A further opportunity to provide optional update workshops will be provided via the Sweetwater Florida event in February 2008.

2. The Star Award assessor re-training requirements will be as in UK.

While the will be no direct re-training requirement in respect of the 1 - 3 Star Awards, Coaches wishing to assess the new “generic” 2 Star Award will be required to hold the 2 Star Canoe award themselves as well as any current requirement.

The main re-training requirement will focus around the 4 Star Award. 4 Star assessors (and trainers) will be required to be current Level 4 A4.

Alternatively Level 3 coaches with 5 Star in a discipline will be able to access training and assessment to also become recognized assessors.

3. The new Star Awards themselves will officially go live in North America on January 1, 2008. North American coaches will be able to assess the new Star awards from January 1, 2008. So as to take advantage of opportunities for sharing experience / knowledge registered British coaches may offer Star Award assessments under the new scheme at recognized BCUNA events only prior to the January 1, 2008 date.

The reason for this is to ensure that the BCUNA Administrator, as now, is in a position to complete all aspects of administration. At this time all administration for Star Awards taken in North America will be processed via the BCUNA administrator.

4. Coaches who hold the appropriate recognized experience or pre-requisites to assess the new Star Awards, and who wish to undertake assessments from March 1, 2008 onwards will be required to register their intent with the BCUNA Administrator. The registration form for this purpose can be found on the BCUNA website.

5. Assessors wishing to offer New Star Award scheme 3, 4 and 5 Star awards in North America will be required from January 1, 2008 to register / notify for authorization the BCUNA administrator prior to running the course.

Introduction of New BCU Coaching courses in North America

With much said already re the new BCU Coaching scheme, the UKCC and with speculation re the introduction of the new BCU Coaching Awards in North America it is important to focus foremost on the fact that the new scheme provides at all levels, coach 1 - 5, an improved learning program that focus’s on developing coaching performance via an integrated delivery of how to coach and what to coach skills.

The program at each level will require increased delivery time with the traditional weekend or two day delivery increasing to four days at level 1 and 2 and time at level 3 yet to be determined. The new program will also embrace and introduce the wider principles of a varied paddler pathway and long term paddler and coach development.

While both of these developments will introduce new and perhaps challenging aspects to the delivery of coach education, particularly in North America, where most interest tends to be around single discipline activity, they will embrace the benefits of an approach that is coach centered with a generic 'coaching knowledge' core, supporting modules, linked Continued personal Development, transferability, modular delivery and flexibility at its heart.

The BCU remains committed to these developments for paddlers and coaches both in the UK and in North America, seeing them embody much needed opportunities to provide;

  1. Better opportunities for paddlers
  2. Better coaching for paddlers
  3. Better education for coaches
  4. Better ‘professional’ opportunities for coaches

Introducing the new BCU Coaching Scheme in North America.

As with UK assessors all existing ’assessors’ (A2 - A4) North American deliverers of the new BCU Coach learning program will need to re-train to the new style learning programs and will be re categorized as either training / assessment directors or tutors / assessors.

1. New BCU Coaching Awards Info will be on the BCU website from October onwards. The Sea Kayak Georgia event in October 2007 will provide an opportunity to provide attending coaches / paddlers a further update and further details on the intended roll out of new courses.

The Sweetwater Florida Symposium in February 2008 will provide a further update opportunity.

2. Only following re-training opportunities will current coach assessors be able to begin providing new coach education courses.

Initially and following an audit process current endorsed assessors will be given an opportunity and support to re train.

Existing North American coach assessors will be able to apply to re-train to deliver the new scheme awards via the following process A4’s will be able apply to become tutors / training Directors in the new scheme between November 28 and December 23, 2007. The Coach Educator Application can be downloaded from the BCUNA website from November 28, 2007.

Applications received will be audited during January 2008.

A3s and below will be able to apply to become tutors in the new scheme from January, 31 2008.

3. An initial re-training event for assessors whose applications are successful will be held at the Sweetwater Florida event in February 2008.

A further opportunity will be provided, if required, at the West Coast Event.

4. Following initial re-training ‘temporary’ Directors / Tutors will be required to observe and support initial Level 1 coach training assessments. Opportunities to do this will be available at the West and East coast Coach Event 2008 and the Sea Kayak Georgia Event in October 2008

5. During 2008 BCUNA (supported by BCU UK ) will be the providers of Level 1 coach courses via events held at the proposed West Coast / East Coast events and the Sea kayak Georgia symposium in October 2008.

The BCU Director of Coaching will ensure that each of the above events is run / supported by a BCU National Trainer. On completion of this initial Level 1 new course delivery BCU NA temporary deliverers will be assessed and authorized to deliver the new Level 1 and Level 2 courses.

Delivery roll out priority in North America for 2008 will be level 1.

1. Re-training for any existing A2/ A3’s will be offered later within 2008 /9. Details will be available from March 1, 2008.

2. Candidates wishing to undertake coach training will, as in the UK, be required to enter via the new level 1. Registration for the new level 1 will be available from March 1, 2008

3. Transfer opportunities for existing ‘old style’ level 1 and level 2 coaches will also be available at key events during 2008.

4. A new level 2 training course may be available in North America during the autumn of 2008. However full roll out is not anticipated until 2009. Await further details.

5. New Level 3 - It is not envisaged that the new level 3 will be available until 2009.

Overall Timeline View 2007- 2008