We’ve recruited three inspirational National Trainers to deliver in-person, on-the-water sessions to refresh, inspire and energise your coaching (plus gain 15 CPD points without sitting through any more eLearnings!)

Who is it for?

Any Coach, Paddlesport Instructor or Leader – and any aspiring Coaches, Paddlesport Instructors and Leaders. It’s an amazing opportunity to learn from three of the top coaches in the country, plus get 15 CPD points. Whether you want to refresh skills, explore new ways of coaching, or stretch your coaching comfort zone, we’ve got some superb sessions for you.

It's also a great opportunity to meet other professional and volunteer coaches operating locally in a variety of disciplines.

Booking:

If you are not a member of Maidstone Canoe Club, please use Eventbrite to reserve your space: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/london-south-east-cpd-live-event-coach-update-registration-1697981360959

If you are a member of Maidstone Canoe Club, please book as usual.

Presenting Coaches:

Grahame Moss, https://www.southwaterwatersports.co.uk

Grahame has spent the last 23 years supporting leadership and coach development in both paddling and other outdoor sports. This breadth of experience gives him a deep understanding of cross-discipline coaching methodology and informs his approach.

Sarah Keight, https://www.skapades.co.uk

With a PGCE in Physical Education and top-level qualifications in a variety of paddlesport disciplines, Sarah brings a wealth of practical experience in coaching both adults and children. She’s usually to be found in South Wales so we’re excited to have her with us this weekend!

Shahid Wahab

Shahid Wahab is a National Trainer and qualified secondary school teacher with a range of expertise in paddlesports. He specialises coach education, whitewater kayaking / stand-up paddleboarding, and has a broad background coaching and leading in diverse environments. He brings a strong focus on translating coaching theory into effective, practical learning on the water.

Mike Shaw, https://www.londonkayakschool.com/

Mike is head coach at the London Kayak School and also coaches the GB Freestyle team. His 25 years of experience coaching paddlers from novice right up to national squad level, combined with his obvious passion and enthusiasm for all aspects of kayaking make him a valuable addition to our presenting team.

Available Sessions:

There will be multiple sessions running throughout the day both on and off the water. You'll have the opportunity to attend three sessions - session booking will open 3 weeks prior to the event and will be communicated by email.

• Coaching Canoeing: Ideas, games and challenges to develop a tandem canoe crew (On the water, with Sarah Keight)

Canoeing’s more fun with a partner! Tips and tricks for building happy, cohesive teams and avoiding the dreaded “divorce boat” moniker!

• From Instructing to Coaching – making the transition (On the water, with Grahame Moss)

A practical, on-the-water look at progressing from top-down, instructor-led sessions to more effective participant-centred learning.

• Coaching Young Paddlers Workshop (Dry session, with Shahid Wahab)

Young paddlers are undergoing enormous developmental changes, physically, socially and emotionally. As a full-time teacher and National Trainer, Shahid brings a wealth of knowledge and practical ideas for engaging fully with this occasionally-challenging cohort!

• Bridging the gap. Preparing your paddlers to make the leap from flat water - white water. (On the water, with Mike Shaw)

 We will explore the fundamental skills we can coach to set paddlers up for success in more dynamic environments. This session will include the highest leverage techniques and tactics. Focusing on skills such as stability, edging, power transfer, and rotation.

• SUP Coaching: Nailing the Fundamantals (On the water, with Shahid Wahab)

Some ideas to help novice SUPers get the fundamentals to be "good” rather than “good enough” 

• Giving super-effective feedback to support paddler learning (Dry session, with Sarah Keight)

Feedback after performance is at the heart of coaching. Sarah takes a deep look at what makes feedback really resonate with our students.

• FSRT / PSRC Multi-Craft Rescue Refresher (On the water, with Grahame Moss)

A wet – very wet – session refreshing rescue skills. Emptying a canoe from a kayak with zero effort? Check. Righting an entrapped kayaker from a SUP? Check. Rescues have changed significantly from the old FSRT (or Canoe Safety Certificate, for those a little older!) to account for modern craft and techniques. 

• Up your game! Games with Aims (On the water, with Mike Shaw)

In this session we will look at how we can use games with our paddles to hone their skills. Participants will come away with a range of engaging and developmental games that they can use across a broad spectrum of paddlers. Participants are encouraged to bring along their favourite games! We'll explore together as a group and break down the benefits and skill outcomes from these games. 

• Outdoor Education & Paddlesports (Dry session, with Grahame Moss)

Delving into how Outdoor Education theory is being embedded into the models and processes that we use within Paddlesport; this extends to using Paddlesport as a tool to develop confidence, motivation, and self-development 

• Coaching Canoeing: Developing the fundamentals with solo canoeists (On the water, with Sarah Keight)

Canoe specialist Sarah shares some games, activities and exercises to develop connectivity, power transfer, active posture and feel to help set paddlers up for their journey.

• Video Tools in coaching (On the water, with Shahid Wahab)

We all carry phones, but how often do we use them as part of our coaching? And how much should we use them? A practical, on-the-water session exploring how video tools can enhance our learner's experiences - and when they don't! 

• Getting connected. Outfitting kayaks for performance!  (On the water, with Mike Shaw)

Connectivity is the bedrock of performance kayaking. In this session we'll explore the simple steps we can take to set up and optimise our paddlers kayaks. Tips, tricks and easy outfitting options to get your paddlers well connected. We'll then look at how connectivity changes the performance of our craft. 

Schedule:

9am – 9:30am: Arrival & Coffee 

9:30am – 10am: Welcome, including PaddleUK Update 

10:30 - 12pm: session 1 (choose from three available)

12-1pm: lunch

1pm-2.30pm: session 2 (choose from three available)

3pm-4:30pm: session 3 (choose from three available)

5pm: Wrap-up and home

What to bring:

• Packed lunch
• Notebook & Pen (or phone / tablet / laptop), for taking notes
• If you’re planning to attend any on-the-water session, you’ll need your usual paddling kit. Club boats are available to hire (£5 / session) if you’re not bringing your own - please request this when booking your sessions. 

Early bird discount!

Bookings before September 22nd get £10 off!  £40 £30 for juniors, £50 £40 for adults.