Coaching within Bedfordshire County Archery Association
We are very lucky in Bedfordshire that as well as the County Coaching Group, the county also has within its borders a centre that hosts regional and national initiatives to improve archers and help them along the Archery GB performance pathway. This page describes at a high level the initiatives that coaches are involved with at the various levels.
Clubs
Clubs within the county will provide beginner courses for those interested in archery and will then often provide follow on coaching for those that wish to proceed further. Across the county there is a variety of coaching available (covering different technical depth, different bow styles and different competition formats). Archers are encouraged to discuss the availability of coaching within a club with the club secretary as they decide which club to join. If the level of coaching desired is not available in the club you have chosen then you are welcome to contact the County (see below) to see if there are any other options available to you.
County
The County Coaching Group undertake many activities to support both coaches and archers within the county. As well as assisting with the initiatives described above the Coaching Group also provide the following
A contact point for anyone seeking details about how to improve their archery
Support for coaches by providing continuous professional development sessions, usually every two months
Support for the county team by providing monthly group sessions
Support for individual archers by attempting to match them with coaches who can help them develop
For more details on any of these matters please contact the County Coaching Office (Helen Horner).
Regional
The Southern Counties Archery Association (SCAS) started an initiative in 2014 to support junior archers seeking to bridge the gap between club coaching and the level of commitment expected when on the performance pathway. This takes the form of a monthly session where juniors are introduced to the training and practice techniques that will be used on the performance pathway but in a more relaxed and informal setting than the ATCs.
The sessions held in our area are open to all juniors from their beginner course onwards and are an excellent way to discover if the performance pathway is the right coaching approach for an individual at that time. Sessions are held most months and are run by Gaynor Hutchison at Aim4Sport. Further details can be found on their website.
National
The Archery GB Archery Training Centres (https://www.archerygb.org/shoot-compete/compete/performance-pathway/archery-training-centers/) are designed to allow archers from all backgrounds and ages to experience elite coaching and what it takes to become an elite archer. They are run by coaches on the Archery GB talent programme and is supported by local coaches providing coaching that is aligned with the performance pathway. This helps support those who are already on the pathway with additional coaching opportunities as well as raising up those who wish to take this approach to improving and realising their potential.
Coaching sessions are held most months and the centre for our area is run by Gaynor Hutchison at Aim4Sport. Further details can be found on their website.
For all Enquires to the county coaching group please contact coaching@archerybeds.com
