Virtual Coaching Conference 2021

Introduction to Strength & Conditioning 

‘A practical session, exploring some of the key concepts of strength & conditioning. Followed by introducing some exercises suitable for club activities. Dress for action, a mat or towel is also recommended.’ 

Key note - Systematic Orienteering

Coaching and Covid – assessments and precautions

Different home nation governments/associated sports bodies have addressed requirements for continuation of sporting activities during the coronavirus pandemic in different ways.   

The starting point for this talk and discussion is the required approach to orienteering coaching in Scotland, where orienteering clubs must appoint a Covid officer and produce a Covid risk assessment for each activity.   

Holding Zoom discussions on how to comply with the requirements and how to deliver safe coaching sessions has been useful in SOA and participants are invited to join in the discussions this evening so that experiences can be shared widely. 

Safety for Coaches – a presentation of the SOA CPD package for coaches

Event safety training is required for Organisers and Planners (& Controllers) and many coaches are safety trained through their event roles.  But not all coaches have taken on event roles when they are first trained and yet they organise and plan coaching sessions.  This training is for people in this group and for anyone else looking for refresher training on safety in coaching sessions.  It addresses risk assessment (including dynamic risk assessment), area dependent hazards, the hierarchy of precautions, emergency plans and reporting. 

Junior Squad Coaching Practices and Experiences

This webinar focuses on online sessions and looking at ideas of how to do technical training online whilst we can’t get out into the forest. Also although we’ll be talking about junior squads it will all be adaptable to club groups as well.

Additional Support Needs in Orienteering Coaching 

Orienteering appeals to many youngsters with Additional Support Needs, notably those on the autistic spectrum, with the technical and individual nature of the sport being a particular attraction. It can offer massive developmental benefits, including confidence building and self-reliance, as well as being fun. As coaches, how can we ensure that we are meeting the needs of such youngsters and that they are gaining maximum benefit from the sport, particularly when coaching in a mixed group setting? The objective of this workshop is to share experiences of working with youngsters with ASN and to map out some simple tips for other coaches to assimilate. 

The focus of the workshop will be on learning difficulties and disabilities rather than any form of physical disability. Several coaches have been invited to outline some of their personal experiences of working with youngsters with ASN. We will then break out into groups to discuss this and give other participants an opportunity to share their experiences before feeding back to the full group. Workshop participants should be prepared to informally contribute ideas and experiences for discussion. 

Using Virtual Platforms for Coaching 

This session will explore the ways virtual tools and apps can be used for coaching. We will hear about some of the potential options available to support us to 'coach our way' through the current COVID19 climate - from using Zoom and Google and utilising other tools like polls for online sessions, plus practical experiences of using MapRunF and similar apps to set practical sessions as well as experiences of engaging juniors/talented athletes.

Natalie Weir Intro

Jane Mockford's session on using MapRun for bearings etc

Lynne Walker's MapRun progression experiences

Mark Nixon's intro to the 'runningwild' tool

Martyn Roome example Adapting MapRun map examples

Pete Maliphants handy report with content suggestions

Simulating Sweden 

We can’t always get to top quality terrain. So how do we bring Sweden (or Scotland) to our local wood? This practical session will present an exercise designed for YHOA juniors and give participants a chance to share their own ideas on physical simulation of elite orienteering experiences. 

What is a Coach? A look at what modern coaching entails  

• Who are the athletes 

• What are their needs 

• How can we help them 

• What are the needs of coaches 

Join our panellists to address these questions and to hear their thoughts on 'What is a Coach' 

• Lynne Walker - Coach Education and Development 

• Jen McKeown - Coaching Life skills, reaching potential and personal development 

• Mark Nixon - High Performance Coaching 

• Denise Martin - Extreme expeditions, team building and helping individuals reach their goals 

• Jon Musgrave - From Poacher to Gamekeeper