The Coaching Project was based on Physical Education with enterprise embedded in it. Through both Unit based written and practical work, it was designed to set up a coaching service delivered by a group of Year 9 and 10 students. The focus was on developing commitment, understanding, thinking skills, decision making, desire to improve, building confidence and developing both leadership and teamwork skills. Having acquired these skills, Swanlea students were then well equipped to coach the primary feeder schools.
The students involved in this project were:
· Emran Ali Y9
· Salman Y10
· Komrul Y10
· Rayhan Y10
· Tomal Y10
Prior to engaging in the practical side of the project, Swanlea students had to study 7 Units so that they could become familiar with Coaching terminologies.
UNIT 1 - Planning, preparing and assisting a simple sporting activity
UNIT 2 – Basic communication skills for leading sporting activity
UNIT 3 – principles and practice in delivering a basic health and fattiness
session
UNIT 4 - Understanding fair play in sport
UNIT 5 – Understanding the role of the sports official
UNIT 6 – Understanding the scope of the local sport and recreation activities
UNIT 7 - Demonstration of leadership skills in sport
Through the study of these 7 units, Swanlea students acquired skills of enquiry and communication, participation and responsive action. They developed confidence and an understanding of the notion of responsibility. Learning to develop good relationships with others involved in the same sport through mutual respect and tolerance for each other was another integral part of these units.
Having gained knowledge of various skills, the students then put all these into practice through organising and participating different tournaments.
Ian Thomas trained the Year 9 and 10 students in basic coaching skills such as warm-up, how to organise lessons so that these could be transferred to students in the lower years at Swanlea and the primary feeder pupils.
Towards the end of January 2005, the project participants organised a separate badminton tournament for Years 8, 9 ,10. During the tournaments, they umpired the games. Swanlea students competed against each other and found the games extremely enjoyable.
From 27th January 2005 Year 7 Tutor Classes received training in basketball from the Coaching Project participants. They taught them warm-up skills, dribbling, dodging, shooting, passing, running, high-jumping skills. They also explained to the younger students the importance of peripheral vision, good co-ordination, balance, agility, speed and power. In the ensuing days of the Basketball match, year 7 students were presented with medals and trophies during Assembly time by the Coaching pupils.
Salman organised a whole school football tournament. He spent time and effort in publicising the event and sold tickets for £5. for football games, students used the following skills: gility, dribbling, passing, left foot and right foot usage, goal keeping skills, flexibility, strength good reaction time and tackling skills.
The primary feeder schools came into Swanlea for an induction day undertaken by the Coaching project participants. They received a tour of the school and a presentation on the importance of health and safety in sport, rules and regulation s in sport and the need to warm-up before engaging in any sporting activity.
Enterprise in this instance was connected to the ideas of creativity, inspiration, imagination, motivation and enthusiasm. A huge range of enterprise sport activities and skills were learnt and developed by the students. Competition and risk taking were perhaps two of the most prominent enterprise skills which featured in this project. Good coordination, peripheral vision, reaction time, presentation, agility, power and influence proved to be imperative aspects of the development of this project. As part of learning to be a coach, clearly leadership skill was fundamental as it is in various enterprise environment.
This project gave students the opportunity to develop a strong knowledge base of coaching expertise. Through the 7 units they studied, pupils were able to build on and extend their knowledge and understanding of the importance of Physical exercises, activities and tasks. Simultaneously, the project allowed students to embark on new news skills and abilities required by the practical aspect of the course. Through leading and participating in the sporting games and tournaments, students were applying and reinforcing the theoretic aspects of the project studied in the various units.
Throughout the entire duration of the course, all participants had to establish an excellent form of communication which proved to be vital for successfully completing the project and liasing with the primary feeder pupils. Both internal and external forms of communications were utilised. Swanlea students had to promote the development of ideas to students in Years 5 and 6 and lead discussions on rules and regulations in the field of sport.
The badminton, basketball and football tournaments were all a great achievement for both Swanlea students and the school as a whole. Furthermore students in year 7 and Primary pupils were extremely satisfied with the quality of coaching they received from the leaders of the project and hope to build on their collaborative relationship beyond the completion of this project.