National Coaching Update
Coaching Forums – BRAND NEW
After consultation with coaches around the country, it has been highlighted that an opportunity to meet up regularly and discuss Bowls Coaching would be a great way to develop our coaching network across Scotland. This would allow us all to share ideas, different games, and best practice in an informal setting.
To allow this conversation to happen and create a more connected network of coaches, we will be starting Online Coaching Forums. These will be open to anyone who is involved in Bowls Coaching, or anyone looking to start up Coaching at their clubs and wants some tips on where to start.
We have planned 4 Forums, which will all have one main theme and allow us to discuss that topic in detail. Please find the dates, times and links to sign up to these sessions below.
Mental Health Awareness for Coaches
2020 has been a challenge for everyone and while it is great to be getting back out on the green in 2021, some of us may be worried or anxious about returning to Coaching. This is absolutely normal after such a lifestyle change, and there are ways to help your players and coaches understand more about this important & complex topic.
sportscotland have pulled together an excellent Mental Health Awareness e-learning module which can help coaches understand the stresses and strains COVID-19 has put on us all. It will also widen coach’s knowledge and understanding of the impact of Mental Health and Wellbeing on their players, as well as allowing them time to think about their own Mental Health & Wellbeing.
This e-learning is totally free and anonymous, and can be accessed at the following link; https://sportscotland.info/mentalhealth/#/
Tutor Recruitment Update
After a successful Tutor Recruitment process, we are delighted to announce we have more than doubled our Tutor Workforce. With a mix of National and Regional Tutors this is the first big step to modernise our Coach Education offering and allow more coaches the opportunity to become qualified coaches.
While our 5 existing Tutors will continue to deliver courses across Scotland, the brand new additions to our Coach Education team are;
- Malcolm Higginbotham (Haddington BC) – National Tutor
- Paul Mellis – National Tutor
- Norman McGlinchy – National Tutor
- Ron Anderson (Auchterarder BC) – Regional Tutor
- Margaret Bingham (Cumnock BC) – Regional Tutor
- Iain Dorricot (Broughty BC) – Regional Tutor
- Ian Hepworth (Peterhead BC) – Regional Tutor
- Brian Logan (Laurieston BC) – Regional Tutor
These tutors will now be upskilled and then we will be deploying them across Scotland to deliver a wide range of IBCA & Level 1 Courses throughout 2021 and beyond.
We have recruited a wide range of experience and skills in our workforce and have even brought in some fresh perspective from outside the world of Bowls to develop us all on new and creative ways of coaching.
Unfortunately, we only received a very small number of female applicants for this role, so to ensure our sport includes more female leaders at all stages of Coach Education we will be launching a targeted recruitment process in the near future. We want to encourage as many of our fantastic role models to help us deliver our coach education offerings across Scotland. This will be with the aim to get some of those fantastic role models for Woman & Girls from across the country to help us deliver these Coach Education Courses.
Until then, if you are an experienced female coach and would like to know more about the role of a Bowls Scotland Tutor, please contact Adam Martin (details below) who can talk you through all aspects of the role before you consider applying.
Please get in touch with Bowls Scotland's Coach & Volunteer Manager, Adam Martin, via adammartin@bowlsscotland.com or 07591824874 if you have any further questions.