Coaching at Cheltenham & County Harriers
On a recent visit to Cheltenham & County Harriers, we caught up with three coaches to discover more about the success of the club and what they enjoy most about coaching.
The club has recently enjoyed success across all the different event groups, especially within their large junior section. This is creating a buzz of excitement as the coaches are thrilled with the progress the athletes are making and how it is motivating the other athletes.
Carolyn Franks coaches the throws group at the club and she said of her athletes,
“I’m over the moon with them at the moment because they’re going from success to success and we’re seeing some incredible results from them.”
Read more about the club’s success from our catch up with the club chair, Crispian Webb.
Read moreWhat is your favourite thing about coaching?
The joy of coaching comes from seeing the athletes progress and do well in both training and competition. This is clear across all the different events as the coaches at Cheltenham & County Harriers described.
“We’re all volunteers, so the payment that we get is the success of the athletes by them competing well and training well. It’s when they put the effort in and are successful on a regular basis.” Andy Beadle, Endurance Coach
Carolyn added how she loves to see the holistic development of her athletes beyond the sport itself.
“It's seeing the children grow. I can think of one young lady who is quite a shy flower, but she’s now beginning to blossom. And obviously every time they get PBs they’re just so thrilled and it’s wonderful to see.”
What is the biggest challenge you face coaching young athletes?
Coaching young athletes brings different challenges from coaching adults, therefore the coaches have to be able to adapt. The coaches at the club recognise this and implement strategies to overcome them, including sprints coach, Paul Oswald.
“I think the challenge is fitting into their busy lifestyles, as the kids have got lots going on with schoolwork, exams etc. My job is to make athletics a fun but rewarding activity that they can enjoy and forget about some of the other things that they have to worry about.”
It is not just schoolwork that competes for these young athletes’ time, but also other sports and commitments. Andy describes the challenge that these can provide,
“A lot of it is just managing their time, with regards to what events they do outside of this club and what other sports they do. Sometimes they have additional sports that might take ownership of more time. Injury is the main niggle that crops up outside of this sport, so we tend not to have athletes that get injured by endurance running it is instead by other sports that may compromise what they can do.”
What is your advice to someone new looking to start coaching?
All three coaches have benefited from speaking to other more experienced coaches as they began their journeys. They all agreed that this is their main recommendation for getting started and then continuing your learning once you have qualified.
“I’m still picking things up, so you don’t stop learning, maybe only one or two things but every time that’s making your wealth of knowledge that much greater.” Carolyn
This can be in a formal or informal setting. Paul himself, benefitted from having a mentor,
“Find someone to mentor you, I had a really good mentor when I got started. Just get involved, roll your sleeves up and have a go it is really good fun.” Paul
Andy explained how you can learn lots through this process, not only about the specific event you are coaching, but also about how to coach different age groups effectively.
“If anyone is wanting to be a coach, then they should always shadow someone in their own event. It is also important to shadow a coach in other events too to get a good all-round view of how young athletes should be coached. It isn’t just a case of doing a watered-down version of senior training.” Andy
If you want to start or progress with your coaching journey, why not try and talk to other coaches at your athletics club. They may be able to support you or signpost you to advice as you begin your coaching journey.