COACHING: Cycle Speedway Specific Coaching Course postponed

The Level 2 Cycle Speedway specific coaching course due to be held on 21st April has had to be cancelled due to a very low number of candidates.

It will be rescheduled for October this year.

British Cycling’s Cycle Speedway commissioner for coaching commented: “This is very disappointing and worrying. British Cycling’s insurance only covers coaches who are discipline specific qualified or have recently qualified as a level 2 coach.

“Newly qualified level 2 coaches are granted a twelve month “provisional licence”, which enables them to coach in the Cycle Speedway environment. During this time the coach is expected to gain discipline specific status.

“In this time of litigation and ambulance chasers, imagine the consequences of a major injury, or god forbid, a fatality. The clubs registered volunteers could be faced with major legal costs or even devastating compensation claims.

“Some of the sports so called leading clubs do not have qualified coaching personnel.
There is a cycle speedway coaching workgroup in place consisting of Stuart Raven (South West and Wales), Phil Clarke (South East and Eastern), John Burston (North and Scotland) and Bob Prince (Midlands). These guys are there to offer help and advice concerning all coaching matters.

“Patricia Quirke of British Cycling coach and education has been very pro – active in helping the sport increase its fully qualified coaches from just 6 to 23 in just over three years. We as a sport need to keep this momentum going in order for all our clubs, and the sport, to prosper from best practice.”

“If you need help or advice on any coaching matters, talk to your regional coaching
representative.”

The blue print for a successful club centres around a good coaching structure and putting local activity at the forefront of a club’s activities. Not to mention the consequences should something go drastically wrong.