This article forms part of a series of reports which accompany the 2023-24 BF Annual Report.
In this report:
Coach learning, development and education continues to be delivered through a combination of BF led delivery and licensed education partners. 2023-24 saw the second BF Learning Week delivered with 26 sessions taking place. The uptake of coach learning opportunities continues to grow with 2 cohorts (20 people, 7 female) having attended the Advanced Coaching Programme. Overall attendance has remained steady however we have seen a continuing upward trend, (3% increase) of females accessing coach learning opportunities. Further modules and CPD content continue to be added to the BF Learning Platform with additional online learning opportunities for new and existing workforce.
Overview (metrics and KPIs)
BF’s second annual Learning Week increased the number of sessions available from 20 to 26 with 550 members accessing learning from a series of webinars on several subjects across coaching domains, community, development, and performance areas; the mental health and well-being of our coaches and coaching performance, was a central strand which ran throughout.
Sessions included:
Coaches’ feedback included a desire for more informal CPD opportunities which will be explored through the 2024-25 season with BF Learning Week 2024 focussing on coach analysis, talent development and athlete and coach performance under pressure.
Our work with other organisations such as UK Coaching and UK Sport offered a diverse range of learning opportunities including a mixture of seminars, communities of practices, conferences and 1-to-1 Zoom calls. Looking forward, the aim is to continue these opportunities using the annual online BF Learning Week to bring together and share learnings.
In 2024-25 we will continue to lead and partner with other combat sports and umbrella organisations to inform our learning offer.
UK Sport– Wheelchair Fencing (WCF) Coach Glen Golding and ADP Coach Richard Kruse completed the High-Performance Coach Apprenticeship (HiCAP), supported through this programme by BF’s Head of Performance Coaching and Coach Development.
UK Coaching – Six Coaches were involved in four UK Coaching Coach Development Programmes.
Combat Club, BF brought together 53 coaches from four combat sports. Fencing, GB and England Boxing, British Wrestling and British Judo convened our first bout of ‘fighting talk’ at the National Judo Centre in Walsall. The opportunity, considered as ‘innovative’ and ‘highly collaborative’ by UK Sport and UK Coaching alike, allowed for our coaches to exchange practice ideas on how to coach movement, fencers, judokas, boxers and wrestlers whilst exploring the notion of the 3 ‘Ps’: perceive, provoke, predict, before diving into coach motivation, mental health and well-being. The conversations grappled with how spheres of influence work and what factors make combat athletes tick. The intention for 2024-25 is for BF to lead the pulling together of a cogent Combat Club strategy for the LA28 Cycle and beyond.
Change Foundation ASD Pilot – Fencing 4 Change is a programme launched as a result of last year’s successful pilot, delivered in partnership with the Change Foundation that uses fencing to improve physical literacy and reduce the risk of social isolation for young people aged 11 – 16 with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
Continuing on from the successful pilot last year, the BF team has continued to mentor and support Change Foundation Coaches with their personal development. Towards the end of 2023-24, a CPD programme has been developed in partnership with colleagues from the Change Foundation to support and educate the wider BF workforce.
Looking ahead to 2024-25 we will be launching a CPD opportunity which is aimed at all coaches across the fencing landscape.
Domestic Training and Development
Focus in 2023-24 around the Wheelchair Fencing World Cup in Cardiff, provided an excellent opportunity for eight referees to begin their journey as an IWAS referee. Three successfully completed the training and BF is looking forward to continuing to support the remaining referees as they progress.
We continue to work with competition organisers across the UK to identify opportunities to run Level 3 referee theory and practical assessments.
Referee examinations and delegate information submitted by Home Nations for Level 1&2, and collated by BF for Level 3 & 4 in 2023-24 were:
Level 1*: these courses are held by Home Nations
Level 2*: One examination event, six passes
Level 3: Two examination events, six candidates
Level 4: One x examination events, six candidates
*Referee Level 1 &2 examinations are administered by the Home Nations and data is sent to BF, so not all data may be received or complete.
GBR Coaching
This year our GBR Pathway and personal coaches have continued to access learning and development in a variety of ways. The first cohort of the Advanced Coaching Programme (ACP) continued at a pace with opportunities to explore the importance of development plans, reflective practice, skill acquisition and having a deeper dive into the GBR Pathway and gaining valuable insights into the philosophy of the GBR Pathway Programme. Cohort two of the ACP began with coaches from across the Home Nations and from every level of the sport. The next cohort is due to begin in May 2025.
GBR coaches were amongst the cohort at Combat Club (see above) and this initiative was followed up with online sessions hosted by UK Coaching in which we explored coaching craft and coaching practice.
Foil – Support to our GBR Pathway Foil Coaches is being provided by the Coach Development Team and includes access to BF Learning Week 2023, Combat Club, ACP, and informal CPD sessions as well as 1:1 Mentoring support from external Coach Developers.
Epee – Support to our GBR Pathway Foil Coaches has been via Ian Lichfield, BF Learning Week 2023, Combat Club, ACP, informal CPD sessions and 1:1 Mentoring support from external and internal Coach Developers. Ian Lichfield and Lorraine Rose have been supported in their growth through access to the Leaders Performance Institute which has seen them expand their understanding of the sporting landscape bringing much needed diversity of thinking to our sport.
Sabre – Support to our GBR Pathway Sabre Coaches has been via the Coach Development Team and includes access to BF Learning Week 2023. ACP, UK Coaching CPD events, with Fran Whalley accessing learning in Boston USA and continued support from UK Coaching 1:1 Mentoring Support.
Key Stats
In 2024-25 this work will progress with:
BF would like to thank:
British Judo for hosting Combat Club & Advanced Coach Programme
Dr Jonathan Katz for his continued support of coaching and coach development
Click here for the full 2023-24 Annual Report.
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