Oxfordshire coach CPD session
Working with ChildrenMarc Tamlyn
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Overview• Safety• Make it simple• Awards and progression• Realistic standards• Communication• Club structures
Safety• DBS checks are essential, as are qualified coaching andsuitable coaching ratios• Safeguarding course• OSCB course is cheap, regular and good• Max 1:12 with all age groups, if alone prefer 1:8• Can go as high as 1:20 with one coach and one suitableeducation professional
Safety• Establish rules early and often• Don't be afraid to exclude children temporarily• "Bows down sit down"• Make sure to explain WHY what they just did is a problem• Reassure and praise other children, especially those whohad bows in hand and followed a "FAST" correctly
Make it simple• Primary school age - 6-11 year olds• Start from 6 years old, or near there• Younger children struggle to have the concentration• Also can be too small physically - most 4-5 year oldsdon't have long enough arms to get even the shortestjelly bow to shoot straight
Equipment• Barebow• Low weight club bows• Encourage buying a quiver• Overlong arrows (3-4" out the front of the bow is goodinitially)• Bosses on floor where possible• Expect bouncers, so minimum 6m distance
Basics to teach• Shot routine, shot routine, shot routine• Feet!• Keep it simple - Set, up, draw, go
Common technicalmistakes• Rushing• Total absence of follow through ("Where's it gone?")• Bow hand positioning• Super deep hook• Reference
Expectations• Expect to repeat yourself• But don't be afraid to move on and come back to thingslater• Expect to repeat yourself
Expectations• High variance from session to session in the samechildren• Emotions are very likely!• A reasonable proportion will get bored after a few months
Awards• WA feather & awards are brilliant!• Measurable progression is very motivating• Progress awards are common in most sports and kids &parents LOVE them• School achievement assemblies• Certificates• Frustration!
Red Feather• 6m, 80cm face, targets can be on the ground• 12 arrows in 6+ out of 15• Feet correct• Arrows nocked correctly• Safety rules known
Gold Feather• 8m, 80cm face, targets can be on the ground• 12 arrows in 6+ out of 15• T-shape at full draw• No turtles• Basic etiquette
White arrow• 10m, 80cm face, targets should be at normal height• 115 from 15s (average 23 per end)• Set-setup movement• Understand proper scoring• "This is the first grown up badge, it's hard"• Serious achievement for U10s• ~ 250 Portsmouth
Keep it simple(r)• Secondary school children, 10-18 year olds• A hybrid of little kids archery and adults• Beginners and serious athletes• Wide range of maturity
Equipment• Move to recurve (or compound)• Low weight club bows initially but encourage buying theirown• 21" risers are amazing to make high quality 62" bows,ideal for 10-14yo
Injury risks• Low poundage and minimal resistance training, especiallybefore age 16• Core is super important!• Be cautious of poundage increases as they grow - don'tbe afraid to go down in weight• Bones, muscles, tendons
Technique• Build it slowly• Barebow (U14 only)• Sighted• Longrod & bow hand• Expansion & clickers• Full stab
Expectations• Varied interest levels• "Social" archers and "Competition" archers• Critical mass of children is important for social cohesion• Families often like to shoot together (but it isn't alwaysgood for them)• ALL THE HORMONES
Awards• WA awards continue to be fantastic up to about 14-16yo,then tend to lose interest (or want to be shooting grownup rounds)• Portsmouth/half portsmouth badges• Classifications• Roses & English crosses
White arrow• 10m, 80cm face, targets should be at normal height• 115 from 15s (average 23 per end)• Set-setup movement• Understand proper scoring• "This is the first grown up badge, it's hard"• ~ 250 Portsmouth
Black arrow• 14m, 80cm face• 115 from 15s• Good draw shape with low shoulder, no creeping• Bow anatomy• Checking arrows• ~340 Portsmouth
Blue arrow• 18m, 80cm face• 115 from 15s• Good string hand• Good reference• Knowledge of bow types• Can fix nocks• ~400 Portsmouth
Portsmouth scoresAge group Max distance 1st class JB JMBU12 girls 30m 210 315 370U12 boys 40m 210 315 405U14 girls 40m 250 370 450U14 boys 50m 340 430 490U16 girls 50m 340 430 490U16 boys 60m 440 500 540U18 girls 60m 430 500 535U18 boys 70m 490 540 570
Communication• Different styles and content of communication dependingon the people you're interacting with• Essential to keeping people involved with the sport
Parents• Keep them informed about what's happening• e.g. explain the awards schemes• Ask them to do things• Explain yourself - if they're trying to help and aren't,explain why and what they can do to be more helpful• Tell them if their kids are good!
Children• In coaching environments, be clear and concise• Repeat things where needed• Have patience• LISTEN
Non face-to-face• Be cautious, and don't initiate communication• Keep it about the sport only• Prefer recorded comms (i.e. not Snapchat)• Make sure parents are aware• Shared WhatsApp where parents are also included isgood for younger kids
Club structures• Archers love structure, juniors more so• Dedicated sessions are essential• Ensure sufficiently staffed so that parents aren't requiredto stay• Don't isolate the secondary age children out of adultenvironments
Club structures• Membership plus pay-per-session is perfectly reasonable• Equivalent cost of ~£5-7 per session is typical of primaryage sports clubs• Must be AGB members after 6 sessions, even at 6yo• They LOVE the card and magazines
Club structures• Book in for a term at once, most things are term time only• Special events for the summer• Professional, specialised coaching is important especiallyat primary age, don't be afraid to pay people
Competitions• Try and foster a team atmosphere - get them going to thesame events• Don't be afraid to "select a team", it prevents a lot of self-selection out of the process• Where possible, make sure a coach attends
Competitions• Indoors• Perris postal league (1/2 portsmouths)• CJAL• County indoors
Competitions• Outdoors• Range of Windsors for developing archers• Metrics & Bristols for 1st class to JMB• 60m cadet rounds for the very best