Aspiring Coaches awarded with Level 1 certification
Posted by David Devincenzi-Clemens on 22 January 2017
Aspiring Coaches continue to develop with the Gibraltar Hockey Association.
On Friday 20th January, Michel Lessen landed on the rock to facilitate the latest course offered by the Gibraltar Hockey Association (GHA). Michel is a well-respected educator and member FIH Academy; he is also the National Coach for the Belgium U21 squad, having a breadth of experience in coaching over his career.
The Level 1 Coaching course was delivered by the GHA in partnership with the European Hockey Federation (EHF) and the FIH. This was the second successful coaching course in January, with the GHA really starting to make a continued investment in developing the quality of instruction being given by the coaching staff. Following on from the goalkeepers’ course a fortnight ago, this coaching course was offered to all GHA members sixteen and over.
The objective of the Level 1 Coaching Hockey qualification is to provide a benefit to learners through an introduction into the principles and practice of safe, ethical and effective management and coaching of Hockey sessions for adults and young people in an appropriate environment. The course started before Michel set foot on the rock, with online modules being successfully completed. The face to face elements of the course started on Friday evening, with participants based in the classroom learning about the basics of becoming a Hockey coach and Level 1 theories. The course has a minimum of eight hours of practical, supported by the classroom and online theoretical content.
Saturday was a long day with our coaches starting at 8am and finishing at 6pm. This day allowed the coaches to put theory into practice, developing their own coaching styles. The GHA invited it’s younger Youth members to participate in extra coaching sessions under the careful scrutiny of the Belgium coach. The coaches learnt how to become effective coaches, adapting to and making use of the weather conditions. Examples of this included using body position for help with voice projection, along with keeping the young players in the sun to keep warm whilst speaking to them. Small tips and tricks were conveyed throughout the day, with the coaches picking up excellent advice. During the course our aspiring coaches learned the basics of coaching with the help of Michel and Carl Ramagge.
Sunday was the last day, and another early start. Theory session in the morning including a review of the previous day’s practical sessions. This enabled the aspiring coaches to change and develop elements before their last practical coaching sessions. These practical sessions formed part of the assessment process with Michel assessing to ensure what they have been taught has been put into practice. It was then back to the classroom on Sunday afternoon for the final written assessment tasks.
The GHA is pleased to announce that all fifteen members successfully passed the Level 1 Coaching qualification. The GHA has an increased number of qualified coaches to help support in the development of hockey, not only at club or national level but at the grass roots level with the GHA’s Youth development. It is here that the GHA is looking to embrace the expertise of its newly qualified coaches, assisting in the Youth Development of its’ younger members and youth across Gibraltar. The newly qualified coaches will be able to seek advice from a GHA Level 2 coach as they start their new venture. This opportunity now means that the coaches can progress onto the Level 2 qualification or think about their umpiring qualification to better understand the rules of the game.
The GHA would like to thank Michel Lessen for the excellent teaching and instruction throughout the weekend. They would also like to thank the youth players and their parents for giving up their time to make this a real experience for the newly qualified coaches.
If you would like to get involved in Hockey in Gibraltar then please visit our website for more information www.gibraltarhockeyassociation.com