Wednesday, 29 January 2020
The second cohort of 16 coaches from British Dressage, British Eventing and British Showjumping came together this week for the first workshops of the British Equestrian Federation (BEF) Youth Pathway Coaching Programme.
Funded by Sport England and developed in collaboration with the equestrian Olympic and Paralympic disciplines, the Youth Pathway Coaching Programme has been designed to give coaches currently working within the youth pathways more insight into holistic approaches to athlete development, which nurtures potential from a young age and promotes their health and well-being.
David Hamer, BEF’s Head of Performance Pathways said: “Over that past few years, we have made positive steps forward in reviewing coaching practice and environments within the youth pathways. Our programme specifically focuses on using sport as an opportunity to support the development of a young athlete's self-confidence and identity, as well as self-determination. This is vital in supporting young athletes through their life as well as their sporting career.”
David Hamer introduced the programme by giving a presentation on the implications of coaching ‘Generation Z’ and how young people of today have a hyper-connected view of the world, which impacts the way that we engage with them. This was followed by Sweden’s Eventing Team Coach, Fred Bergendorff, who delivered a keynote presentation on his coaching journey and how it has shaped his philosophy as a coach. The coaches then had sessions with their coach mentors Nicky Fuller, Jane Booth and Colin Wilson, who helped them to build their personal brand and identifying their coaching values.
British Dressage Youth Team selector, Leanne Wall was one of the coaches who were inducted on the programme.
Leanne commented: “The programme is an informative opportunity to mix with like-minded people to help understand the challenges youth riders and coaches face in today’s modern world. It’s important that coaches learn from leading experts and fellow high-performing colleagues through exchanging experiences and ideas, while exploring philosophies and values that underpin holistic development. Empowering and supporting coaches and those they teach is essential for facilitating riders to achieve their aspirations and beyond while ensuring longevity in the sport.”
The complete list of coaches inducted into the 2020/2021 BEF Youth Pathway Coaching Programme is:
Eventing
Showjumping
Dressage
Further information about the Youth Pathway Coaching Programme can be found here.