Clubs and Coaching Relationships Study
As described in our Sept 21, 2021 club meeting, we are going to conduct a “Clubs and Coaching Relationships” study. We want to examine the structure and procedures our clubs’ approach in utilizing skating coaches, and determine typical coaching relationships, employee/employer practices, contracts, job descriptions, etc. We also want to study the relationship from the coach’s perspective as well.
We are kicking off this study because club/coach relationships are the number one topic brought to us by clubs when they have questions or issues to deal with. Both the club’s expectations on coaches, and the coach’s expectations towards clubs are not always clear to either party.
Furthermore, and probably of the most concern is that clubs with many brand-new board members who have never dealt with club/coach relationships are very often totally unprepared to work with the club’s coaches.
We hope to deliver a report that outlines the most common practices in the club/coach relationship in the BC Coast Region. We are hoping to publish the report that can then be used by all stakeholders – both clubs and coaches.
Phase 1 of this study is research. We are reaching out to (approximately) 8 club board members, and 8 club coaches, and one synchro coach for a total of up to 20 study participants.
Our plan is to present the participants with a short, prepared article on the club/coach relationship. The participant will read the article, review/critique it, and then a short time later will participate in an online interview with one or more BC Coast Region board members.
Once all the interviews are complete, the BC Coast Region board will compile and analyze and prepare a report to reflect the discussions with the participants.
We are looking for club people who ideally have been in a club executive role for more than 3 years. We need club people who have dealt with coaches and coaching issues beyond being just the parent of a skater.
We are looking for coaches who have been full Provincial level 2 for 5 years or more. We hope that we can find some coaches who primarily teach Canskate or star, or primarily teach competitive skating, or teach synchronized skating.
There will be a stipend for coaches, and the BC Coast Region will award each club person’s club a $75 credit on a future BC Coast Region competition that the club can use as an award, or draw, or however they see fit.
If you are interested, please let us know. We’d like to have a list of club people and coaches filled by November 21 and begin the Phase 1 study at that point. Please contact us at bccoastregion@gmail.com.
The BC Coast Region may need to limit the participants to best meet the objectives of the Phase I study. If we get too few responses, we may have to delay the study or consider other alternatives. In any case we will let everyone know either way.
We do hope that you are interested in this study and will not only be interested in participating, but especially in the ultimate final report. The BC Coast Region board feels this can be a very valuable study for the clubs and coaches in the region