Coaching – Congratulations and Opportunities

Congratulations to Morag McLuckie (Moravian Orienteering Club) and Katja Neumann (MAR Orienteering Club) who have both successfully completed the Scottish Certification in Coaching Orienteering (SCCO) Lead Coach qualification. They are the first candidates to successfully complete this new course which is the advanced level of the Scottish Orienteering Coach Education Pathway. Both agree that it was an incredibly valuable and rewarding experience, if a little demanding! We are delighted to have them as part of the Scottish Orienteering team of coaches and look forward to hearing more about their coaching experiences.

Reflecting on her coaching journey, Morag commented: “I found the Lead coach course both very interesting and useful.  It made me consider aspects of coaching that I had never thought about before and helped me develop my own coaching skills, as well as how to support other coaches on their “coaching journeys”.  I have definitely gained in confidence leading coaching sessions during the two years I have spent working through this qualification. I wouldn’t have imagined that I could successfully lead a coaching session with a total of 50 Juniors (ranging from TD1 – TD5), coaches & parent helpers.  However, this is what I did two weeks ago, during my final assessment for this qualification.  Thanks to the great support I received from my Assessor throughout the process, I did it!!“

Coaching is one of the most rewarding roles in orienteering – helping others at a range of levels to participate, achieve and excel in the sport and is fundamental to the growth and development of orienteering. Coaches are required throughout the entire orienteering pathway, from helping beginners with their first experience of orienteering, through developing club orienteers, to coaching elite athletes at international competitions. There is a role for everyone!

People start coaching from a variety of backgrounds with different motivations: participants; enthusiastic parents; teachers; outdoor learning instructors; young leaders. There is a route for everyone to help inspire and develop orienteers!

There are a range of different coaching courses and qualifications offered by Scottish Orienteering to allow coaches to learn new skills and build knowledge through a combination of courses and experience:-

• Coaching Foundation: An introduction to coaching and the skills required to assist a coach to deliver a successful coaching session. This is a non-assessed introductory course.
• Club Coach:  To provide the skills to plan and deliver a coaching session in a safe and inclusive manner.
• Senior Club Coach: Consolidates the skills of the Club Coach to develop linked and progressive high-quality coaching sessions.
• Lead Coach:  Enhances the skills from the Club Coach to enable you to lead sessions and develop squads, managing a team of coaches and developing the performance of athletes with progressive and structured coaching sessions.

The Club Coach and Lead Coach are qualifications are awarded by Qualifications Scotland as part of the Scottish Certificate in Coaching Orienteering. These qualifications are also aligned with the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA) coach qualification standards.  The Enhanced Club Coach qualification will align with the Orienteering Coach qualification offered by British Orienteering.

If you are interested in finding out more about coaching pathways and opportunities, or upcoming courses please contact judy@scottish-orienteering.org