Coach Education personnel are now all based at Red Hall in the Performance and Coaching Department.   First contact is Fiona Allen, who runs the coaching programme with Tom Allen,  Vinny Webb manages the department, supported by Haydn Walker.   They are there to help and hope to be able to have more staff in the future.  Both Fiona and Tom have done Level 1 and so have a good basic knowledge of what is involved.   Just to reiterate   Fiona, Tom and Haydn are only at the end of a telephone and everyone should feel free to contact them direct with any queries on 0113 237 5010, or  Fax 0113 237 5522,  or via e mail  fiona.allen@rfl.uk.com  

There will be more Club and Coach Development Officers working at grass roots level and the Coaching department will be looking to attend league/district meetings on a more regular basis.   A full programme will be sent out very soon.   About 500 coaches have already been qualified at the new level.

All coaches now completing courses will achieve a UK Coaching Certificate which is a recognised National Qualification via 1^st4Sport and acknowledges that the holder has achieved a certain level.  This qualification is permanent.   Coaches will also receive a licence which will last for three years.   Active coaches will need to complete short smaller courses (known as Continual Professional Development or CPD) e.g. Safe Guarding Children, Risk assessment etc, in order to keep their licence active and up to date.   There will be a full CPD programme available in 2008 at various service areas to deliver such courses.   14 new Coach Development Officers have been appointed across the country and they will start on 28 January.

Coaching courses have changed a great deal.  Basic skills and rules are still included  – but there is also an enhanced technical element plus various sciences i.e. physiology and psychology.  Safeguarding children, risk assessment etc.

Level 1 lasts for 2 days, often on a Saturday and a Sunday. Assessment takes place via multi choice paper as well as practically. This is the minimum requirement for people with limited experience of the game.  (Good to help parents with core skills) The cost is £120.00 but is subsidised by funding from the National Sports Foundation to £80.00. 

Level 2 consists of a 4 day course, 2 days together then a 4 week gap for practice then another 1 day course and another 4 weeks gap, then 1 final assessment day.  Cost is £170 but is again subsidised by funding so reduced to £100.00.  This course covers the standard 13 a side and is for people with experience of rugby league and principles of coaching.

Level 2 is probably the highest level our regional league coaches will need.   International coaches at amateur level may take Level 3 if they wish, but Level 2 will be sufficient.

All applicants are provided with a resource pack which will help them both during the course and also during their practical sessions.

The cost of these courses is the least expensive compared with other major sports.

Level 3 is for performance coaching and runs over 14 months. Cost is £800.00.  It can also be residential and the cost is then £950.00.

Level 4 is for professional coaches and lasts over a 2 year period.  This is a high performance course and deliveries of coaching sessions have to be measured, monitored and evaluated.

Included in the costs of courses are:

Actual delivery by a tutor who must be paid and must also receive expenses.

Hire of a venue

Resources including pre course work book,

Registrations and qualification fees

Provision of a portfolio for all candidates

All administration cost e.g. postage, processing etc

Development of the qualification

All these are essential if the courses are to be delivered well and produce what is needed.

In the 12 months so far, the department has:

Re printed the pre course workbook – it is now much more easy to use and colour coded.

The examination scripts are multiple choice

On-course-portfolios have been re designed.

Administration support and customer services have been revised for the better.

The contents can be used to help all coaches.

Rugby League is one of the top five sports with Sports Coach UK.  It is currently one of only a few sports which can deliver levels 1, 2 and 3.

There is a Bridging Pack available for current coaches to take them to Level 2.   This is in 2 stages: Stage 1, the coach applies for the CD Rom and Paperwork.   This is a home study version.  Evidence will be needed of work completed.   After this stage, the coach will attend the final assessment day (Stage 2) at one of the fourth days of a Level 2 Course.   Cost initially is £30 plus a further £70 at the next stage on the assessment day.   It takes about 2 – 3 months to complete the Bridging Pack course.

Club Mark will be being re visited by many clubs and it has been suggested that coach development may be part of the re-accreditation criteria.

Questions:

If a coach does not do one of the new courses, will his ‘licence’ currently extended to 30 June 2009 be withdrawn?   

Answer- Yes

Question:  Is it the same situation for currently held Senior Coach Qualifications?

Answer:            Yes

Question: Will other qualifications previously acquired help with the new coach qualifications? and will these qualifications reduce the cost?

Answer:            These will be looked at on an individual basis.

Question:          Is there time to pay the fee?

Answer:            No, all fees must be paid in full up front.

Comment:         Delegates should be aware that a day missed from a course will mean that the course will not be completed and therefore the delegate will fail.

Reply:   If for any reason a candidate cannot complete a course, arrangements may be made for him to attend, say the assessment day on another course.

Comment:         J Mannion as a coach education wished to tell delegates that the whole process is very enjoyable, much easier to follow,  is positive and very supportive and he urged all present to think positively about taking up the course.

The following questions have been asked at other venues.

Question:  Will this system now remain as it is, is it stable  – is the new process likely to change?

Answer:  No guarantee can be given, but the courses are matched to educational standards and are unlikely to change.  The standards are matched to Europe through to Level 4.  Our standards are not currently matched to Australia and New Zealand.

Question: Are the courses generic or only for rugby league?

Answer: The courses are recognised by all sports and are in many aspects generic, and if someone wanted to move to another sport their qualification would be recognised once the basics of the new sport had been learned and assessed.

Question:   Will coaches go on to a data base.

Answer: Yes, eventually.

Question: Where do Mini and Mod rugby fit in?

Answer:  At level 1 which is OK for coaches at the beginning of their career.  However, as a coach increases his contribution to coaching, it is hoped that a coach will move up to take on Level 2 and may be even 3.

Question: Do coaches have to enter at Level 1?

Answer:  There is a progression from 1 to 2. However, a coach does not have to have level 1 before taking level 2 but does ned some skills etc and some kind or previous coaching experience.  The RFL Website will help, as will Fiona or Tom at RFL.

Question:  Are the courses sports pecific?

Answer:The course includes techniques of coaching with practical sessions in RL skills. 

Question: Are the Educational Establishments at Higher and Further Education able to provide such courses? Is there Central Funding available to Educational Establishments?

Answer: At the moment no funding is available to help out with this, although some colleges may provide courses.

Question:  How can a current Senior Coach get on to a Level 3 Course?  How will a Level 3 improve coaching?

Answer:  At this level there is much more than the basic skills involved.   ‘Extras’ include physiology, psychology, LTAD,  Weight training programmes etc.

Comment:   Timing of courses during the summer months would be better for amateur coaches as they are involved with matches during the winter and are therefore not available at weekends.

The minutes of the November meeting were accepted, proposed Hindley, seconded Crosfields

.

Matters Arising.

None

Secretary:

Correspondence

Good comments received from Widnes St Maries re Langworthy Reds’ discipline and fair play, from both players and spectators.    Similar good comments received from Blackbrook re Newton Storm.   Thank you.

Sponsorship has been received for three years, thanks to Andy Abbott from Widnes Tigers.  Our sponsor (the first ever for this league) is now MILTON METALS LTD and this name should be used at all times when sending in match reports to the press.

N W C Cup Competition – it is 99% certain that the finals will be held on the same day – Easter Sunday 23 March.   The venue has yet to be confirmed.

After match refreshments.   If for any reason at all, the majority of your players cannot go back to the home club after a match, you should tell your opponents when your liaise during the week.   Home clubs rely on a raffle etc for income, and uneaten food is an unnecessary expenditure.

Showers   Some clubs do not have hot water in their showering facilities.   Please ensure that hot water is ALWAYS available for your opponents, especially in the cold wet winter weather.

Website    Although the website is set up by someone else, Hilary puts the information on.   During the Christmas holidays, time has been spent putting all the contacts on to the same page as the committee.   Delegates were asked to check their details and let Hilary know if they are incorrect.

Joe Mannion reported that there was a massive gap in the contact list.   This will be remedied as soon as possible.

Bolton Phoenix.   they have disbanded.

Apologies, paperwork has been left at home.   See below for the list of outstanding fines:

All of the above have been doubled and cheques made payable to N W C Youth 16 – 18 should be sent to Hilary Steel, 6A Orford Green, Orford, Warrington, WA2 6PA within 14 days or else fixtures will be cancelled.

Currently we have just over £7,000 in the bank.

Registrations

No more transfers after the end of February.

Fixtures

National Cup    Please ensure that the result is rung in to Hilary by 3.00p.m. at the latest on either 01925 489719 or 07779028944.  Teams playing aways, please remind opponents.

Ensure you use the BARLA team sheet and referee assessment sheet – both of which have been sent out with the draw.

Remember to let Hilary know as soon as you do if your matches are cancelled because of unfit pitches.  Liaison with David Lowe is then possible to move refs from one game to another if necessary.

A long discussion then took place regarding the ‘extra’ fixtures announced at the November meeting.    Because of recent wet weather many delegates thought that there would not be enough weekends for us to fit in all the Cup matches as well as the extra fixtures.  However, some teams have already spent money and time travelling to a third fixture.    Although many delegates thought that we should revert to the original number of fixtures, the committee will be discussing this issue at length.   In the meantime, all fixtures announced should be played.

One delegate thought that the N W C Cup Competition had been introduced too early this season.   This is an issue which can be addressed next season.

The referee for the Orrell St James v Golborne Parkside Under 18s game will be confirmed to Jean Ball by John Farrell.

Youth & Junior Council Meeting.   One will be held during January when the issue of Under 18s suspensions being served at open age will be discussed.    Delegates discussed this at length.  Hilary explained that the only rule written down is the one which says that no games of rugby league or union can be played by a suspended player.   At all times Hilary has liaised with the open age committee, other leagues and BARLA personnel re this issue.   At the moment, only regular under 18s players are allowed to use open age matches for suspension purposes.   Some delegates thought that an under 18s player should serve his suspensions with the team he was dismissed from and still be allowed to play open age, as this would not have an effect on the under 18s league.  However, this would be against the current rules.    Other delegates feel that a dismissed player should not be allowed to play for any other league or age group until the suspension has been served.  

Hilary is proposing to use this dual registration as the check as to whether a player can use open age matches against suspensions in the youth league, until something has been sorted out and put in writing from BARLA.

Suspensions for schools matches.   Those matches organised by the RFL i.e. Champion Schools Competition do count against suspensions.   Matches organised by schools between schools on a local level do not count towards suspensions.

Touchline Managers’ courses are available free of charge – presented by either Jackie or Hilary.  

The next discipline meetings will be at Rylands Recreation Club from 7.30 p.m. on Tuesday 22 January and 12 February.   If a player has been sent off and if he wishes to have a personal hearing, then Hilary must be notified as soon as possible in writing enclosing a cheque for £10.00.   Disciplinary meetings are always held on the first and third Tuesdays of the month at Rylands Recreation Club in Warrington unless notified otherwise.. 

If a player is dismissed, THE ONUS IS ON THE COACH OR SECRETARY, firstly to ensure they receive a copy of the dismissal report and secondly to ask for a personal appearance (if one is required)  in writing to League Secretary and accompannied by a cheque for £10.00.  

Date of next meeting: 

The next meeting will be on Wednesday 13 February 2008 at 8.30 p.m