Join The AAAsports Coach Education Programme!!

The Coach Education Programme is a scheme set up by the Head Coach, Andi Revell, for people who are eager and willing to be Coaches of Gymnastics and Trampolining. It is open to anyone in the Community and no prior experience is necessary. AAAsports will provide the British Gymnastics Coaching Courses and if you pass, you will be guaranteed work for at least 1 year!! Many candidates who joined the Coach Education Programme have gone on to work with AAAsports Full Time!

We spoke with AAAsports Coach, Dan Carr, who took part in the Coach Education Programme in 2015 to find out his thoughts.

How did you hear about the Coach Education Programme?
Gymnastics was something I had been interested in for a while. I was taking part in the University Trampoline and Gymnastics Team at the time and one of the Coaches there had mentioned it and advised me to apply. 

What Coaching Courses were you enrolled on?
In 2015, AAAsports put me through my Level 1 Gymnastics and Trampoline Qualifications. I was assigned a Mentor in both disciplines and worked closely with them to learn how to Coach the skills. In 2016, I was then enrolled on the Level 2 Trampoline Course which helped me to improve my technical knowledge, learn to Coach harder skills and enabled me to take up more work for AAAsports. 

How long did the Programme last for you?
The Level 1 Coaching Courses were all 3 days long, and the Level 2 was 4 days long. After these days, you are given a 3 month period to work with your Mentor. I attended the classes once a week, although if you wanted to do more, you could. We all had to complete a Log Book, which is like a record of what you have been doing, including Class Plans and Feedback from your Mentor. After the Assessment (which sounded really scary but wasn't), I was then given classes to Coach.

What do you think it takes to be a good Coach?
I think Candidates need to be enthusiastic! It is really important to AAAsports that all their classes are fun and engaging, whilst offering a challenging environment to help Members progress. Coaches need to be outgoing, approachable and eager to learn. They also need to have good time keeping skills and be reliable as it is vital all our Classes start on time and Members can build a rapport with their Key Coach!

How has the Coach Education Programme helped you?
Since passing my Level 1 Assessments, I have been offered around 10 hours Coaching per week. This increased once I passed my Level 2 as it allowed me to run Outreach Classes i.e., going into After School Clubs. I recently took part in the Level 3.1 Trampoline Coaching Course which was really exciting as the skills were a lot harder and it will allow me to help Members in my Class progress. 

I was also recently offered a Full Time Contract with AAAsports which has allowed me to help out at AAAHQ, learning what goes on behind the scenes!! The Coach Education Programme was an amazing opportunity and I really have no idea what I would be doing right now if I hadn't done it!

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​This is the 3rd Year AAAsports has ran the programme and helped create Trampoline and Gymnastics Coaches, ready to inspire the next generation of Gymnasts!

Successful candidates will be assigned a Mentor who will introduce them to the world of Coaching. Starting off small, Mentees will learn how to deliver Warm-Ups and Cool-Downs before moving onto skills and Class delivery. Your Mentor will be your go to person and will support you through the process. 

We asked Head Coach, Andi Revell to comment on the programme:

"This is a fantastic opportunity for Members of AAAsports or people in the Community to get involved, achieve qualifications and join our Team. We have had candidates from all different backgrounds; those who used to compete to a high standard, those who have tried Gymnastics at school and those who are just looking for a new adventure. 

We are the only Trampoline and Gymnastics provider that offers this type of Programme, especially on the scale that we do and so it is something we are immensely proud of. We want anyone with a passion for the Sport to be able to access Coaching and this Programme helps create these opportunities."

If this is something you are intrested in, or would like more information, email you CV or Questions to [email protected] before the closing date on Wednesday 31st May 2017!