Declan O'Leary

School Sport Coaching Project - Pilot Phase

Lessons for the future

Objectives of session

1. Consider the broad context facing school sport
   
2. Outline the School Sport Coaching Project, the issues faced by participants and the final recommendations
   
3. Outline the concept of the player-athlete pathway
   
4. Collate the response of the conference delegates to the project
   
5. Identify the issues facing school sport from the perspective of the Physical Education professional
   
6. Consider the role of the PE teacher in school sport

Context facing PE and school sport

• National Development Plan
  
• 'Celtic Tiger' Economy
  
• Changes in Irish society
  
• Changes in Irish Education
  
• Status of teachers
  
• Recent changes in Irish sport
  
• Irish Sports Council strategy - A New Era for Irish Sport
  
• New Code of Ethics and Good Practice in Children's Sport
  
• Whole-school planning
  
• New syllabus at Primary level
  
• New PE syllabus at Junior Cycle
  
• Proposals for PE at Senior Cycle and Leaving Certificate
  
• NCDP - Good coaching makes a difference
  
• School Sport Coaching Project
  
• Minister for Education - primary school scheme
  
• Others:

School Sport Coaching Project - Outline

1. The project was jointly initiated by the Minister for Education and Science and the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation.
Managed by the National Coaching and Training Centre on behalf of the Irish Sports Council.

2. A steering committee guided the project.

• Irish Sports Council
  
• Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation
  
• Department of Education and Science
  
• NCCA - Post-primary
  
• NCCA - Primary
  
• Physical Education Association of Ireland
  
• University of Limerick - PESS
  
• National Governing Bodies: Basketball, Gaelic Games, Rugby, Soccer
  
• National Coaching and Training Centre

3. Aim of the project: was to develop a training course that could be used to prepare people who coach young people in school sport (non-physical education teachers, National Governing Body personnel, sports coaches, FAS scheme workers, parents, etc.).

4. Underpinning the project was best practice in children's sport, based on the principles of growth and development and the needs of the child at each stage.

5. The project was piloted in 3 geographic regions - Cork, Dublin and New Ross.

Links - Physical Education Pilot Project at Junior Cycle and Irish Sports Council's Disadvantaged Areas Scheme.

6. Participants - primary school teachers, post-primary schoolteachers and NGB personnel/sports coaches - 74 people

7. The training course

• Physical, emotional and social needs of the child - underpinning PE and sport
  
• Development of fundamental motor skills - precursor to sport specific skills
  
• Code of Ethics and Good Practice
  
• Coaching skills
  
• School sport policies

7a. Teachers

• Skills/knowledge - coaching young people
  
• Developing confidence in practical setting
  
• NCDP Level 1 - GAA or Basketball

7b. Coaches

• Goals of the PE curriculum
  
• The whole-child approach

7c. Supported teachers and coaches in jointly working together.

7d. Context of school sport - school principals and PE teachers; policy and action plan to progress sport in the school.

8. Participants - complete requirements of the course by the end of 2000.
(Examples of course materials - delivery and assessment)
Outline the NCTC Player-athlete pathway

9. The evaluation of the course - participants expectations were met; benefit both teachers and coaches in working in school sport.

• Improve coaching skills
  
• Know more about children - fitness, motives, facilities/equipment, developmental stages-best practice
  
• Ethics and child protection
  
• Network - make contacts, links to NGBs, share expertise, what do others do?
  
• Wider sports specific knowledge
  
• Good practice-warm up and cool down
  
• Look at competitiveness
  
• Safety/insurance
  
• Motivating colleagues
  
• Support materials (free)

Main Outcomes

• A whole-child approach to coaching children was assimilated by participants.
• Development of a fundamental movement and motor skills base - specialised movement skills - sports specific skills.
• Improved their coaching skills using a skill development framework.
• Some cases links established between teachers and coaches resulting in ongoing co-operative programmes.
• Concept progressed of developing a policy for school sport in each of the schools.
• A full set of materials has been collated.
• A good consensus on best practice in children's sports exists in the steering committee.

Recommendations

Development of Policy

• A cross-sectoral group to develop policy/initiatives in sport for young people, with both a school and community emphasis.
• Consideration should be given to the need for a coaching qualification for external coaches to coach in school sport.
• Maximise synergy between school sport coaching in primary schools, the primary school curriculum and DES initiatives.
• That school sport and PE be included as an integral part of school policies in the context of the whole-school planning.
• That developments in school sport are part of a national strategy to maximise the exposure of school children to physical activity through physical education, sport and recreation activity.

Training

• Promote the course for primary teachers wishing to coach - in the main, NCDP Level 1 courses with an emphasis on coaching young people.
• Promote the course for secondary teachers wishing to coach - in the main, NCDP Level 1 courses (recognised in-service course).
• Revision of NCDP Introduction / Level 1 to maximise outcomes in the area of coaching young people and in line with the revised Code of Ethics.
• Development of a specific training component, linked to the NCDP ladder - specialise in Sport for Young People on completion of a level/qualification.
• Development of course and work-based materials to support the above.

School-Community

• That the promotion of school-community links become an integral part of the job specification of local sports development officers in the context of the ISC strategy 'A New Era for Sport'.
• That the role of the local sports development officers also include identifying the training needs for teachers and coaches at local level and the provision of courses link to the NCDP and other national initiatives.

10. Two questions for the delegates for consideration and feedback:

• What is the response to the project?
  
• What is the response to the pathway?

11. Issues: The following issues were identified by the participants facing school sport:

• The age profile of teachers
  
• Financial demands on teachers in tiger economy
  
• Dropout of teachers who used to support school sport
  
• Funding for school sport
  
• Recognition of sport in their schools and teachers who support sport
  
• Little planning for sport in their school
  
• Schools' need to be happy with external personnel entering schools
  
• No clear role for external people working in / supporting the school
  
• Currently school sport focuses on talented participants - external competition
  
• Issues of taking teams and same pupils to events
  
• How to increase the number of other participants not currently involved in sport or activity - internal involvement
  
• Early specialisation
  
• Need for practical multi-sport / skill pack could be of interest.
  
• More in-service training for primary and post-primary sectors.

12. Two questions for the delegates to consider:

• From the perspective of the Physical Education profession, what are the issues facing school sport?
• What is the role of the PE teacher in relation to development of policy, guiding best practice and contributing to the delivery of school sport?