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16/10/2007

Western Counties Coaching Workforce Continues to Grow

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The Western Counties ABA has just completed the first of two weekends of the October coach education programme at the Centre of excellence in Bristol. Like our June course we are oversubscribed and the "waiting list" for our next course in 2008 is getting dangerously close to "another oversubscribed course".

On this October course we welcome:

  • 30 Assistant Coach Candidates 
  • 16 Full Coach Candidates 
  • 12 Coach Refreshers  

The demand is going through the roof and Kevin Hay (our regional coach) is reviewing the option to hold an additional course in the spring of 2008. But this has to be sandwiched between monthly regional squad sessions for both males and females and a growing series of representative matches to provide a competitive outlet for the best boxers in the region. Western Counties box against the Royal Navy at Jury's in Bristol on 15th October having lost to Midland Counties 7bouts-4 last Saturday.

Kevin commenced work for the Western Counties in April of this year and, although a serving Chief Petty Officer in the Royal Navy, has devoted an inordinate amount of energy to waking up the region to the fact that it can, once more, become a major force in English boxing. Using his natural leadership skills he has built around him a team of coaches who, not only assist at squad weekends and events, but are now an integral part of the coach education delivery system.

Kevin's team:

  • Kevin Hay - Regional Coach
  • Les Brooking
  • Steve Gawron
  • Alan Brightman
  • Mike Etheridge
  • Gary Cave
  • Neil Partridge  

The Coach Education course material has been further developed by Kevin into a series of PowerPoint presentations which besides being an excellent method of presentation, can be downloaded into hard copy handouts for each candidate.

"Our clubs are the lifeblood of boxing" said Steve Brooks, the Association Secretary, "and we will move heaven and earth to ensure that they are supported by a system which can increase their qualified coaches and officials".

We'll send a round-up and some photographs after the final weekend at the end of the month.



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