PCC Coach Funding Policy

For PCC to properly fulfil its goals we require active and qualified coaches. To this end the club is willing to help fund the development of its members wishing to progress as club coaches at any and all levels and we have developed the following policy to advance this.
Funding will or will not be granted at the discretion of the committee.

As a general rule: members seeking club funding for coach training will need to, as a minimum, fulfil the following criteria.

Be an active club member for at least a year
Be a well rounded paddler in their skills or experiences up to the requisite level
Already contribute to the club in running some club events/sort club issues as well as attending club paddles.
To gain funding within the club: any member wishing to develop their coaching qualifications at any level will first need to contact the current club head coach and discuss their personal paddling objectives and long term goals as well as their skills, experience and time they are willing to commit.

Advice to Potential Club Coaches Seeking Funding

Although not hard and fast rules, anyone seeking club funding will also need to take the following into consideration. The committee will and if either party is not comfortable with any of the following we would recommend you seek funding elsewhere.

All Paignton canoe club coaches and indeed anyone who intends to run a club event is a representative of the club and by association the whole membership. As a club funded coach your actions, attitude and abilities will reflect on the whole club, you will represent us!

We ideally want coaches who are willing to stay with PCC for a long time and pass on their skills to others and help develop and run the club. This does not mean we will be unwilling to help out members who wish to develop a professional career in the industry. The club needs qualified coaches to run courses and the above criteria exists to allow coach funding to be beneficial to both the club and the coach.

We are a voluntary organisation. The club does not exist to make money for either itself or any of its members. The most important thing is to have people who attend/run all club events safely and because they enjoy what they are doing. This especially applies to club coaches.

Having said that the club needs money to function and the clubs current financial situation and indeed coaching needs will be taken into account before funding is granted.

Club coach training is ultimately for the benefit of the club as a whole as coaches are officially qualified to train and develop other paddlers (i.e the rest of the club) so as the club has limited finances: it is ‘coach training’ not ‘personal skill development’ that will be support funded.

As a BCU Canoe England affiliated organisation the club uses and accepts the guidelines for coaching and qualifications as laid down by BCU Canoe England. Whatever individual club members may feel about BCU Canoe England and its coaching and qualification system (good or bad): the club has neither the membership numbers; authority; connections; clout nor indeed inclination to attempt to instigate any change within BCU Canoe England.

It is of course understood people have jobs, families, responsibilities and other commitments and this will be taken into consideration etc.

All potential club coaches will be expected to predominantly organise their own courses and coach skills development. This is because if you cannot organise your own development how can you possibly organize the development of a group of total novices?

All potential club coaches will be expected to provide all relevant paperwork or copies of such (e.g course receipts and certificates), of coaching tests and courses taken, to the club before funding is given

Do not be afraid to ask for help, advice and guidance from anyone in the club. That is why the club exists. Good communication, honesty and openness is key: get to know the club and its members, please feel free to write, discuss and organise in the forum, Facebook and the newsletter. Don’t be a stranger!

If Granted Funding will take the following form:

Training Costs

Pcc will pay half of all coach training/course costs required to become a BCU qualified coach at any level. This will be done in 2 payments:

¼ of the total course cost upfront: after taking the course and proof presented to the treasurer (in the form of a copy of receipt or certificate)
¼ of the total course cost after the qualification is achieved and at least 1 club course is run to the appropriate level by the new coach. While this may not sound much it will add up as further qualifications are added, OR
¼ of the total course cost after club activities and/or helpful contributions, that the committee deem to be equivalent to running 1 course, are organised by the new coach.

Test Costs

Any coaching test that is taken and failed will not be funded in anyway by PCC.

Pcc will pay half the total costs of any tests taken and passed that are required to achieve the coaching qualification. This will be done in 2 payments as follows:

1/4 of the total test cost will be paid after a test is successfully taken and passed and proof presented to the treasurer (in the form of a copy of receipt or certificate)
¼ of the total test cost after the qualification is achieved and at least 1 club course is run to the appropriate level by the new coach, OR
¼ of the total test cost after club activities and/or helpful contributions, that the committee deem to be equivalent to running 1 course, are organised by the new coach

BCU Membership subsidy

Any PCC Coach that takes an active role in running or helping to run a PCC course will have their BCU membership fee for the following year paid for by PCC as long as they remain as club members.