Coaching Provision

Club coaching is dependent upon the number, qualifications and event range of coaches.

1. Coaches will be led by the Coaching Secretary who is a serving member of the Committee.
   
   
2. Groups will be determined by a consideration of coaching factors: age, maturity, level of ability, experience, the event or skills being coached and the option of alternative groups.
   
   
3. Training groups are based on our principles of equity and recognise the social as well as the physical benefits of training.
   
   
4. Group size will be determined by a combination of factors:
   UKA recommended coach athlete ratio of 1 to 12.
   The Coaching Secretary and coach’s judgement on whether he or she can provide each athlete with an enjoyable experience, the opportunity to make measured progress and to ensure the safety of each athlete in the group.
   
   
5. Coaches who are coaching on behalf of the club must coach in line with club policy and equality requirements. Although they are voluntary coaches this does not mean that they can choose not to coach an athlete without good reason.
   
   
6. An athlete could be excluded from a group if they are unwilling to compete for the club or breach the ethos and behavioural expectations of the club.
   
   
7. In addition to coaching athletic skills coaches must teach track and field etiquette and disciplines. With large groups it is the coach’s responsibility to employ organisational techniques to ensure the safety of all users of the track.
   
   
8. Coaches will encourage and expect athletes they coach to compete for the club.
   
   
9. The club aims to provide coaches for all events, but this may not be practically achievable.
   
   
10. The club coaching committee will explore ways of meeting coaching shortfall.
    
    
11. If a coach becomes unavailable the coaching committee should attempt to resolve any difficulties this may cause. This may be in the form of cancelling the group training session, redistributing the athletes with other coaches or using a qualified assistant coach without a regular group.
    
    
12. The club coaches are unpaid volunteers. The club recognises and values the goodwill and dedicated commitment of its coaches. Where possible the club will try to find funding for the cost of coaching courses on the understanding that the coach will, when qualified, train athletes at the club.
    
    
13. All coaches associated with Thurrock Harriers AC are required to be licensed by UK Athletics or engaged in the process of gaining their licences by following a suitable course of training.
    
    
14. Club coaches will work closely with the Coaching Secretary and parents to ensure that athletes are placed in the best groups for their needs.
    
    
15. Any dispute regarding coaching, athlete behaviour, parent/athlete dissatisfaction will result in a meeting with parties concerned including the Coaching Secretary. The outcome of the meeting will be recorded in Committee minutes.

Particular Provision for Junior Members 

The club believes in a policy which fosters the wellbeing and personal development of all children and provides for the acquisition of a wide range of skills in an atmosphere that they will enjoy ensuring their progress as athletes who remain in the sport and the club into adulthood having become as good as they can be:

1. Our coaching policy recognises that athletics is just one of a range of activities and opportunities which children should be encouraged to explore.
2. The coaching policy follows England Athletics policy to promote multi discipline athletics up to and including U15. Normally children in the introductory U11 groups will be coached in club versions of EA 365 FUNdamental and multi discipline activities moving to event specific training groups when old enough and ready enough for competition. U11 athletes are not fully paid members and will be reviewed before progressing to a full training group in the Spring of Primary year 6.
   Progression occurs as a result of the athlete’s level of commitment, athletic ability and space in a coaching group.
3. The Club encourages the multi- disciplinary approach. Ideally, the Club wishes to provide flexibility for U15’s and U17’s so that children would be able to join specialist rather than multi-disciplinary coaching groups if they so wished, but this is dependent on the availability of specialist coaches.
4. All young athletes are entitled to coaching and must be under the direction of the coach at all times up to the age of 18. Consequently. young applicants to the club should not be enrolled unless there are spaces in an appropriate coaching group.
5. The coaching policy is implemented through our Coaching Structure the details of which are shown below.

Coaching Structure

Disciplines and Coaches at Thurrock Harriers