Thursday March 24, 2005 at 12:00am
As National Governing Body of Motorcycle Sport in the British Isles (except Northern Ireland) the ACU is constantly working to enable people to participate in both competitive and recreational motorcycle sport in a safe environment. As part of this work the ACU has engaged with Skills Active, the Sector Skills Council for Active Leisure and Learning, to develop a new qualification for coaches working in all areas of our sport. By using the existing National Standards laid down by Skills Active, the ACU`s new level 1 course mirrors what is required to gain a similar coaching qualification in many other sports. The new ACU Level 1 Coach Certificate will enable motorcycle coaches to secure appropriate insurance for their coaching and also give them an Industry Standard Qualification. Chairman of the ACU`s Training & Development Panel Dave Luscombe is very pleased with the new National Standard… “For many years motorcycling has lagged behind many other sports in terms of the skills and expertise of its coaches,” explained Luscombe. “I am confident that this new qualification will enable both new and existing coaches to raise their standards and unlock the potential of their students like never before” he continued. The first of these courses was held in mid February in South Devon at KTM Adventure Tours. 12 people attended the phase one of the Certification Course - a two day classroom course. These included 6 of KTM Adventure Tours coaches as well as KTM UK Managing Director Kevin Burk. To achieve full certification, coaches will be required to satisfactorily complete the initial two day coach seminar. This will teach legal responsibilities in terms of Duty of Care, Risk Management and Child Protection. Coaches will also learn about nutrition, hydration and fitness. The bulk of the two day course deals with the process of education and how people learn. In this section, coaches work closely with the ACU`s Head of Coaching Ashley Scott, to understand how to help their students realise their full potential, acknowledging that there is no such thing as a bad student, just an inflexible coach. KTM Adventure Tours Manager Jeff Philp was delighted with the course and the effect it had on his coaches, “If you are serious about coaching, this course is absolutely essential. It will challenge the way you think about coaching & clearly defines a new standard for motorcycle training & development in the 21st Century”. KTM MD Kevin Burk was also very positive about how the new National Standard will impact on the motorcycle industry, “I have really enjoyed being involved with this course and have learnt so much – even though I don`t coach,” said Kevin. “I am absolutely convinced that the impact on motorcycle sport will be significant as soon as newly qualified coaches start achieving results with their students. This is the way winners will be produced!” he continued. All future ACU Coach Courses will be held at the National Sports Centre at Lilleshall. The courses are fully residential and will cost £340 per person including VAT, accommodation and food. For Pictures to accompany this press release and more information on ACU Coach Qualifications please contact the Training & Development Division of the ACU on 01788 566419 Photo - The KTM team after training.