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UK Coaching Framework
The ABAE have just entered into an exciting new phase of coach development in the UK as an integral part of the 'UK Coaching Framework'. This has now been endorsed by Government, will be led by sportscoachUK and all the Home Country Sports Councils, UKSport, SkillsActiveUK, SportsLeadersUK, the Youth Sports Trust and the national governing bodies of sport have signed up.
It offers a new vision for the integration of coach and player development pathways and will ensure that the right coach, with the right expertise, is available to guide and support all sports players - from children and adults starting out in sport through to those who compete at elite level.
The framework sets out 3 phases of implementation on which sportscoachUK will take a lead on behalf of government:
Building the foundations (2006-2008) - 3 years
Delivering the goals (2009-2012) - 7 years
Transforming the system (2010 - 2016) - 11 years
Five strategic areas have been set out in the framework
1. The UK coaching system (including the UK Coaching Model and coach and player development pathways)
2. Front line coaching (support to active and qualified coaches and coaching in education)
3. Support for coaches (including targeted development of coaches and continuing professional development (CPD))
4. A professionally regulated vocation (including registration, licensing profiling and recognition)
5. Research and development (who, where, when etc.),
The aspiration is to create the best coaching system in the world by 2016 and the ABAE, together with the Welsh and Scottish ABAs, is fully engaged with this process.
UKCC
The first step for the ABAE is to work with Wales and Scotland to create a programme of coach education and assessment which is based on the national standards and which will result in the adoption of a UK Coaching Certificate (UKCC) for boxing which is quality assured and tailored to the needs of the participants in our sport, from those taking part for fun and fitness through to those winning Olympic medals.
A UK Source Group will be established to take this work forward on which the ABAE will be fully represented. The ABAE representatives will be backed up by the re-constituted coaching commission where the coaching workforce of the ABAE will have the chance to make its voice heard.
Quality standards and levels of coaching
The UK Coaching Framework specifies that our coaches meet a quality standard which is nationally agreed and shared across all sports. This will mean that a Level 1, 2, 3 or 4 coach in boxing will operate in the same way and have the same level of competence and responsibility as in any other sport.
The ABAE coaching commission, to which new England Coach Mick Gannon will make a major contribution will be continuing work already begun to determine content and delivery systems for our new level 1, 2, 3 and 4 awards. The level 1 will be built around the work already done on the ABAE Tutor Award and the Level 2 will be the equivalent of the current ABAE 'Full Coach' award. This level 2 will be the main coaching award of the ABAE, the bedrock of club development. The Level 3 Award will be a 'Senior Coach' designation with responsibility for talent development and the new level 4 will be designated 'Master Coach' and be responsible for elite level performance in the international arena.
From 2008 all those who wish to coach the sport of boxing will need to have assured the ABAE that they are fit for purpose, having either gone through the new training programmes or undertaken Continuing Professional Development (CPD) to bring their knowledge and expertise up to speed with modern best practice. The first stage in this process is to introduce the 'Safeguarding Children' module which, apart from being a vital element of being a good coach is a condition of continuing financial support from our funding agencies. The regional coaches soon to be appointed by the ABAE will play a vital role in implementing the initial training and CPD programmes.
Tutoring and assessing coaches
Implementing the Framework will also ensure that those who tutor the courses for 'coaches in training', and those who assess them are qualified to a national standard. This is a vital part of the UKCC process and the ABAE is committed to taking this
work forward urgently and will provide funding as subsidy to coach tutors and assessors to attain the qualifications. The Certificate in Tutoring Sport (CTS) and Introduction to Assessment Practice in Sport (IAPS) are the benchmark qualifications adopted within the UK Coaching Framework to quality assure the tutoring and assessment workforce.
A volunteer workforce
The ABAE knows very well that our sport at club level is entirely built up on the contribution of volunteers. We will work to ensure that the impact of the UK Coaching Framework is a positive one and tailored to meet the needs of our sport. It's all about being better at what we do now and, as part of the 'family' of sports in the Framework, getting access to the financial and other support needed to take our sport on to the next level. These are exciting times for sport in the UK as we move towards the Olympics in 2012 and the ABAE is determined to be a part of the new structures set out in the UK Coaching Framework. The future of boxing depends on it!