LEVEL ONE COMMUNITY ATHLETICS COACH PARTICIPANT’S MANUAL Level 1 Community Athletics Coach 1 CONTENTS Course Schedule (Indicative)..............................................................................................3 Level 1 Community Athletics Coach Competencies..........................................................4 Tips for the Community Coach.........................................................................................5 Safety for Athletic Events...................................................................................................6 Introduction Unit - Teaching Games for Understanding.................................................8 Unit One – Coach and Athlete Pathways......................................................................9 Unit Two - Intoduction to Training Beginners............................................................12 Unit Three – Warm Ups and Conditioning..................................................................16 Unit Four - Long Term Athlete Participation.............................................................21 Unit Five – Working Together........................................................................................26 Unit Six - Fundamental Movement Skills....................................................................29 Unit Seven - Session Planning.......................................................................................36 Group Learning Task 1 - Outline....................................................................................38 Session Plan Template.....................................................................................................39 Group Learning Task 2 - Outline....................................................................................40 Self Assessment Check List...........................................................................................41 Unit Eight - Coach Membership.....................................................................................42 Code of Conduct...............................................................................................................44 Multi-Class Athletics..........................................................................................................45 Level 1 Community Athletics Coach 2 COURSE COMPETENCIES LEVEL 1 COMMUNITY ATHLETICS COACH At the completion of the Level 1 Community Athletics Coach course it is expected that coaches will be able to demonstrate the following competencies: 1) Provide an environment for a club, squad or school level athlete that is inclusive, enjoyable, safe and fosters maximum participation. 2) Cater for the social and physical capabilities of individual participants. 3) Assess and manage the risks associated with athletics coaching. 4) Plan and organise a variety of activities that develop the fundamental movement skills of running, jumping and throwing. 5) Plan and implement a training session. 6) Reflect on a training session and be able to make appropriate modifications. 7) Demonstrate the key principles of effective communication methods and begin practicing effective and positive feedback. 8) Understand the structure of athletics in Australia so as to best support athletes’ involvement in the sport. 9) Understand the Athletics Coach Accreditation Framework within Australia. 10) Adhere to the requirements of the Accredited Athletics Coach, including registration, Member Protection and Coaches Code of Conduct. In addition, as an Accredited Athletics Coach you are expected to abide by the Child Protection, Member Protection and Coaching Code of Conduct requirements as described in the Coaching Declarations. Level 1 Community Athletics Coach 3 COMMUNITY COACH TIPS Every coach will bring their own personal style in communication, group management and organisation to their coaching. A number of coaching styles have been identified, e.g. the Authoritarian Coach, the Business-like Coach, the “Nice” Coach, the Intense Coach and the Easy Going Coach. Although there are advantages and disadvantages to all styles, all of these coaches can be successful. Coaches generally have a natural approach that will be a mixture of styles. Different coaching styles are appropriate for different situations and different participants; however there are some features that must always be present and which require no adaptation. The safety of participants should always be your primary consideration when coaching. You must be aware that you have a legal responsibility to provide a duty of care to the participants you are coaching and in doing so, provide an adequate level of direct supervision. The athletics activities described in the Community Athletics Coach course are designed to be exciting, enticing, accessible and engaging. You should always ensure that your coaching reflects these qualities. - Always consider whether the prescribed activity is safe and meets the needs of the individual participant. It may be necessary to modify equipment or an activity to ensure this. - Always ensure that a large number of participants can be active at the same time and that a variety of the fundamental movements of running, jumping and throwing are experienced by the participants. - Ensure that all participants experience some success and that modifications are made to the activities to cater for a range of abilities. - Ensure that experiential learning is a part of all activities and that activities are easy to organise and administer. - Instructions should be simple and as brief as is necessary to ensure participants are quickly engaged in the activity. Level 1 Community Athletics Coach 4 TRACK AND FIELD SAFETY SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS FOR TRACK AND FIELD EVENTS THE GOLDEN RULES OF SAFETY • Check that the environment is safe and free of hazards. • Ensure that the surface is safe and is an appropriate surface for the activities to be performed. • Check that there is a safe distance between groups of participants. • Ensure that the playing area is a safe distance away from walls and fixed objects. • Ensure that all equipment is appropriate, safe and working correctly. Be prepared to modify equipment and activities to reduce risk. • Ensure that there is always direct supervision of the participants. • Always provide clear instructions for the activity and use of equipment. • Ensure that all participants are wearing appropriate clothing and footwear. Jewellery should be removed and protected. RUNNING EVENTS • Instil good lane discipline into your athletes: - Warm up only in the outer lanes - Observe local ‘fast lane’ arrangements - When providing feedback ensure that you are not blocking the track - Always be considerate to the needs of other track users - On completion of a run, move out of the inside lanes. • For relays, place teams far enough apart to avoid collisions or interference. • Be conscious that grass and synthetic surfaces become slippery in wet conditions • The infield is generally the location for throws training. Instil a habit of not crossing the infield to get from one side of the track to the other. HURDLING • Hurdles must be set up to face in the correct direction and spaced correctly during events. • Athletes should never run over the hurdles from the incorrect direction. • Hurdles should be set at a height that is appropriate for the age and level of competency of the athlete. Level 1 Community Athletics Coach 5 SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS FOR TRACK AND FIELD EVENTS OUT OF STADIA RUNNING/TRAINING ROUTES • Where possible, avoid running on roads. • Check the conditions of a route prior to sending athletes out on a run. If the surface of the path you have chosen is too uneven, ankle and foot injuries can occur particularly as the athlete begins to fatigue. • For longer sessions, hard surfaces should be avoided to prevent stress injuries. • Athletes should run facing the oncoming traffic, even when running on the footpath. • Runners should wear light, bright or reflective clothing so they are visible to drivers. JUMPING • Run up areas must be dry and clear of foreign objects. • Athletes’ footwear should be appropriate for the conditions of the track. • Spikes are essential if there is any moisture in the take off area. • Sandpits need to be dug over with a spade and raked so the sand is soft to land on and clear of foreign objects. • Ensure other athletes do not walk across the runway when in use. • Check the High Jump run up and take off area to ensure the condition of the area is safe. • The high jump landing area should be secure and have no gaps between mats/bags. If the landing area is not large enough in either length, width or depth to provide a safe landing area for all athletes, then athletes should be restricted to the scissor kick action. • Where multiple mats are used a proper cover should encompass all landing areas so there are no gaps. • Elastic crossbars (flexi bars) used in training lessen the risk of injury and improve confidence. When using flexi bars ensure uprights are secured with sandbags or weights so they do not fall over if the athlete lands on the flexi bar. •The crossbar must sit on the upright stands so it is free to fall either backwards or forwards. It must never be locked in so it doesn’t fall as this will put the jumper at risk of injury. Level 1 Community Athletics Coach 6 SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS FOR TRACK AND FIELD EVENTS THROWING • Ensure all throwing areas are dry and clear of foreign objects. • If using a cage, ensure that it is safe and the cage doors