Bowls Scotland Tutor Q&A: Ian Hepworth
Our skilled team of Bowls Scotland Tutors help deliver our coach education courses all over Scotland. Some of the tutor workforce have taken part in a Q&A to tell us more about their role and what they love about bowls.
Ian Hepworth tells us more about his passion for coaching as well as the Professional Development Award in Sport Educator Tutoring which he recently completed with sportscotland.
Full Name: Ian Hepworth
Club: Peterhead Bowling Club.
1. Describe your role as a Bowls Scotland tutor…
My role as a Bowls Scotland Coach Educator, is to deliver consistent, fun, educational coaching courses whether it be to a new coach who will introduce a new bowler to the introductory skills to get them going a game or to a coach who is progressing up the coaching pathway and teaching more technical or tactical skills.
2. Why did you decide to become a tutor?
To improve the quality of coaching in Scotland. Coaching is an underrated skill that players don’t make use off. Plus, I wanted to give back to the sport that I have be involved with for 30 years. I also have a Facebook page where I provide information about my experience as a coach whether it be delivering courses, information I’ve found useful and my experience with as a coach with the Learning Disabilities International Series Team Scotland
3. What do you like best about coaching
Meeting people with a passion for bowls; all coaches come to courses to develop people in bowls. Also knowing what I’m teaching in the North is being taught exactly the same in the rest of Scotland. But secretly I like it when a player I have been involved with coaching at any level gets a trial for any of the Scotland teams!
4. What advice would you give to someone looking to try bowls?
First of all enjoy it and keep it fun. Then practice with a purpose. After that it’s your choice if you want to play for fun or competitively - but always have fun.
5. What is your favourite thing about bowls?
I’m a big advocate of para / disability bowls, so it has to be the inclusivity of the sport. It’s a sport for any one regardless of age / disability and its fun.
6.Tell us more about the Professional Development Award you recently qualified in…
Bowls Scotland gave me the opportunity to develop my coach educator skills by completing the Professional Development Award in Sport Educator Tutoring SCQF Level 7. This included units on Sport Education in Scotland, Sport Education facilitating, Enabling and evaluating learning and Sport Educating Preparing to support learning. The course itself was 6 months of very hard work, lots of assignments and delivering presentations along with planning sessions. The course had people from Scottish Disability Sport, Netball Scotland and Badminton Scotland on it, so it was good to share ideas on how we all deliver our courses. The great thing was that across sportscotland a consistency is being achieved and that these skills are transferable to other sports, the course will make me a better coach educator.
Bowls Scotland thanks Ian for the dedication he has put into achieving this qualification, it is fantastic to see coaches upskilling themselves and continuing to develop in their roles. To mark the last Q&A in this series, Adam Martin, Bowls Scotland’s Coach and Volunteer Manager highlighted the importance of Tutors for our sport.
“Our Coach Education Tutors have helped 100’s of new coaches gain the skills and experiences they need to help recruit more members into their clubs, as well as helping current players develop to reach their potential. These Tutors are key to helping grow the game and we will continue to recruit more Tutors to help increase our capacity to make sure everyone who wants to be a coach, can do so to the highest quality."
If you’ve been inspired by our Tutor Q&A’s you can register your interest in becoming a Bowls Scotland Tutor year-round, for more information on the role or for an informal discussion, please get in touch with Adam, via adammartin@bowlsscotland.com or 07591 825874.