What our clients say...
"Very good, hard work during the day but rewarded with constructive feedback. Pre-course information great. Kneeling mats for clients were of a great help. The course has highlighted development points and helped part form a structure for improvement – pointed the way for better technical understanding." "Course very well delivered and coached, good atmosphere throughout and good knowledge. Received lots of information with ample opportunity for communication. Very good equipment and variety. A high level of information delivered to a high standard. Very good instruction with good clear reviews on all aspects. Highly recommended."

British Canoeing

Open Water Canoe Coach Assessment

Assessments don’t need to be difficult. On a Wild River coach assessment we will give you the opportunity to work with students who are keen to learn from you. We will bring students who are receptive to learning and open to the coaching you deliver.

As with all our courses this assessment will be run in a relaxed and open atmosphere.

Each candidate will be given a small group of students to teach. After a period of observation and analysis you can coach your students towards your agreed goal.

Preparation for Assessment

Whilst working with students in your development phase between discipline specific training and assessment we recommend that you keep a record of the learning. This could be via session plans and reviews or a simple logbook. It could also be documented and a different way that suits you.

We will also want to read your coaching episode in preparation for the professional discussion.

Two weeks prior to the assessment we will need:

Proof of pre-requisites check from British Canoeing.
A completed professional discussion task.
A record of your experience.

For candidates proceeding to assessment using coach training courses prior to January 2018 please see Appendix 1.

British Canoeing advice for coaches transferring to the new Coach Awards.

When you contact British Canoeing prior to assessment the check in will reflect your difference in pre-requisites.

Sample Programme

Meet for introductions and paperwork
Venue and equipment familiarisation
Briefing on the outline of the day and expectations
Introduction and allocation of students
Run coaching sessions
Lunch
Personal skill check
Rescue skill check
Debriefs

We promise that...

We will be supportive and do our best to make sure you are as relaxed as possible.
We will assess you at the correct standard as stated in the syllabus,
We will make sure you fully understand what you need to do.
We will make sure that the assessment environment is at the right standard, eg a grade 2 river for 4 star canoe assessments.
We will give you as much time as possible to show what you can do.
We will take you through the assessment process in short steps that are clear and simple.
If the assessment involves leadership or coaching of others we will do our best to bring real students for you to coach or lead.
Our decisions will be made based solely on performance and not with any bias of any sort.
We will give you a clear action plan for development at the end of the assessment.
All our assessment team are encouraged to smile and give you a hug when you need it.