Coach Development Update

United Kingdom Coaching Certificate

The development of the UKCC continues do grow with the challenge now moving to implementation of our own Coach Education department to administer the new syllabus. The administrative procedure at both Ravelston and at sportscotland is only now starting to catch up with the delivery of nine courses during the winter. In addition we will now begin to plan for next winter and the roll out of new courses including the ECB Club Coach Award,  consisting of 6 Development Workshops which will help coaches bridge the gap between UKCC level 2 and 3 and a further workshop to help candidates move from Coaching Assistant (UKCC 1) to Coach (UKCC 2). We are also hoping to deliver a UKCC 3 Award in Scotland in early 2008 in partnership with the ECC.

United Kingdom Coaching Framework

The emerging framework supported by Westminster and led by Sports Coach UK is undoubtedly the biggest advancement in the support for sports coaching in the UK. The aim of the framework is to give the United Kingdom a world leading coaching system by 2016. We will work with the ECB and our other UK partners in delivering the framework as best meets cricket�s needs. Cricket Scotland will continue to develop our Coach Development strategy over the coming months, with the commencement of a �Workforce� development audit which will be circulated to our clubs and coaches in the next few weeks. This audit will form the baseline for any future coach development plans.

Community Coaching Programme (SVQ Modern Apprenticeships)

We have been granted funding by Scottish Enterprise for 6 SVQ Modern Apprentices over the next two years who will complete SVQ Levels 2 and 3 in Community Cricket Coaching. The Scottish Qualifications Authority are currently loading the new cricket coaching units onto the educational framework (SCQF). We have also recently been granted SQA Approved Centre status which recognises us as an approved training provider. We are currently working closely in Partnership with Dawes Training to devise the training programme for apprentices and will be advertising for interested parties in the next month. It is envisaged that the system will work in a similar fashion to the Scottish Rugby model with Apprentices employment status hosted by Cricket Scotland with apprentices being based in clubs or local authorities delivering in local communities and being supported and mentored by the C.S Development team. The programme will be funded and supported by Scottish Enterprise and Cricket Scotland with a �2,500 per annum contribution from the host club/authority.

Coaches Association

We have recently completed negotiations with the ECBCA which will allow us to rationalise coaches association membership for Scottish coaches. This will feature the integration of Cricket Scotland Coaches Association membership into the membership of the ECBCA. As a result all existing and newly qualified coaches will be strongly encouraged to join the ECBCA which will then entitle them to automatic membership of the CSCA. We have been able to achieve this by negotiating a rebate on ECBCA membership which will give our association a working budget to provide �Scottish specific� workshops and services to our members. We would envisage the CSCA growing and becoming more independent with a greater volunteer coach involvement in administration and operation, similar to County Board CA�s in England.

Disclosure Checks for Coaches

We have finally managed to remove the anomaly that required Scottish coaches to be disclosed by CRB in England as a condition of ECBCA membership and to have a Disclosure Scotland check carried out to meet Scottish child protection legislation. We have reached agreement with ECB Compliance Department to accept Disclosure Scotland checks for all future ECBCA membership applications and renewals. We are also in the process of amending our Disclosure handling procedures to a central administration point within the office. This will hopefully simplify and improve the quality of the service we offer our coaches. This new system requires recruitment decisions on coaches being taken centrally by C.S and as a result Peter Steindl has reached agreement with Edinburgh Solicitor and Watson�s Wicket Keeper David McLean to head the new committee and become C.S Child Protection Officer.

Long Tem Player Development (LTPD)

We are currently nearing completion of our LTPD framework with sportscotland lead officer Clive Brewer finalising the detail of a condensed version for issue to our coaches. Many LTPD principles have already been implemented by C.S Team with many more to follow. This will have ongoing implications for competition structures and coaching in particular. We will put in place an ongoing programme to educate our coaches in the benefits of adopting long term development principals for their participants. We are currently investigating the possibility of a Clubs and Coaches Conference next winter to inform and educate the cricket community on how LTPD will become integral to the development system.

Andy Tennant � May 2007