The Coaching Structure in Wales

To develop new and existing players in the sport of petanque coaching is essential, the existing system is ad-hoc and relies on external organisations to train our current coaches. The WPA has decided that it needs a proper coaching structure that is effective and adaptable for our members.

The WPA has reviewed the whole of the coaching structure in Wales, it has taken a little time and it may appear that nothing has changed, well on the surface anyway. All new and existing coaches will develop along a path of continued assessment and examination to develop a pool of effective, well-trained and qualified coaches within Wales.

The following WPA Coaching Grades have been decided:

• Club Coach
• National Coach
• International Coach

All coaches shall be CRB checked and will be expected to undertake and record all their coaching activities, including external coaching courses for their continued assessment.

To be an effective coach you need learn from a wide range of experiences both personal and related to petanque, to develop appropriate skills and apply this knowledge and skills effectively.

As a coach you need knowledge about the following:

• the technicalities and rules of your sport, the associated strategies and tactics, the competitive structures;
• training principles and fitness strategies, how to design, test and modify fitness sessions and programme's
• how people learn, execute, refine and maintain skills; how they can become even more consistent and capable of winning under pressure
• how to plan and structure coaching sessions for maximum enjoyment and improvement; how to organise groups and ensure safety, and how to handle the necessary administration
• how to develop and strengthen the mental factors such as concentration and confidence that influence performance
• the performers with respect to their goals, experiences, likes and dislikes, life outside sport, as well as their actual, developmental and training age especially if the performers are young people.

The Club Coach is the entry level of coaching and as such will not include all the objectives listed above; however, you will achieve these objectives as your coaching skills develop as you obtain each grade.

Any member wishing to become a WPA Coach, please download and complete the Coach Application Form and forward it to the National Coach, Tony Smith.

The WPA Coach Application form can be down loaded in pdf format by following this link.

Funding for Club and National Coach courses can be obtained from the Community Chest, which is a Sports Wales Initiative for community sport and physical recreation. Community Chest offers grants of up to £1,000 in any 12 month period.

For further information please access the Sport Wales website, grants section.

Club Coach

Module 1 – How and What to Coach

This requires the candidate to have an understanding and be able to demonstrate the main techniques of identifying the requirements of a coaching session.

The candidate must be able to demonstrate their ability to organise a coaching session by demonstrating their knowledge and understanding of the requirements needed to organise a practical session, to organise the coaching facility, of how to coach and to be able to coach using good observation skills.

Module 2 – Sport Leadership

This requires the candidate to have an understanding of and be able to demonstrate the main techniques of organising and undertaking a coaching session.

The candidate must be able to demonstrate their ability to organise a coaching session by demonstrating their knowledge and understanding of the requirements needed to select a venue and running the course to it’s conclusion.

Module 3 – Basic Coaching Skills

This requires the candidate to have an understanding of and be able to demonstrate the main techniques of undertaking a coaching session.

The candidate must be able to demonstrate their ability to undertake a coaching session by demonstrating their knowledge and understanding of the sport of pétanque and to be able to deliver this knowledge in a clear and friendly manner using good examples and to be able to give positive feedback.

Module 4 - Coach Assessment

This requires the candidate to have an understanding of and be able to demonstrate the main concepts of post-session analysis.

The candidate is required to identify the key areas of a successful session and maintain a continuous record of achievement. The candidate must also be able to demonstrate the ability to be reflective about the session and record these observations for continual improvement.

Useful Coaching Links