Wednesday, 16 February 2022
On Monday 7 and Tuesday 8 February, British Equestrian hosted its first two-day seminar for delegates of its Youth Coaching Pathway Programme, plus other invited coaches working within the youth talent pathway for British Dressage, British Eventing and British Showjumping.
Held at the University of Warwick, the days were split into workshop sessions lead by leading experts, covering topics including the cognitive, psychological and physical development of the young athlete, how to optimise training environments, and adapting coaching strategies to best suit the youth athlete.
Emily Mumford and Eleeshia Bauwise from UK Sport joined delegates on the second day to discuss unconscious bias and the implications that it has on coaching practice.
“Coaches who work in the youth pathway not only play a pivotal role in developing the technical skills of those they coach, but they also have a key role in helping the young people they work with to develop as a person and performer as they develop into young adults,” explained David Hamer, British Equestrian’s Head of Performance Pathways. “Sport has a bigger role to play in this process than just skill acquisition.”
Funded by Sport England and developed in collaboration with British Equestrian’s Olympic and Paralympic member bodies, 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 wellbeing.
“Over that past few years, we have made positive steps forward in reviewing coaching practice and environments within the youth pathways,” continued David. “Our programme specifically focuses on using sport as an opportunity to support the development of 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.
“British Equestrian has supported the development of our Youth Pathway Coaches with funding from Sport England and today launched the next stage in this process by hosting the first annual British Equestrian Youth Coaching Pathway Seminar. This first seminar sets the scene for coaching workshops that will be rolled out in the next few months to upskill equestrian youth coaches so they can support youth riders in their sporting and life journey, during this crucial stage of human development.”
British Equestrian is planning to make the seminar an annual event, in addition to running some practical workshops over the coming months that will allow coaches to put the practical theory covered in the seminar into practice.