Course Name: Event Group Coach
Environment: On-Track
Age Requirement: 18
Assessment: Yes – a short open book multiple-choice test at the end of every online module.
Pre-requisites: Athletics Coach, UKA Level 2-4 in anything apart from Children in Athletics
Once qualified will I require supervision: No
Looking ahead what’s next: CPD opportunities from the Home Country Federations
Alternatives: CiRF- if you wish to learn about coaching purely in an off-track environment. If you are no longer interested in obtaining further qualifications, you may be more interested in attending Continual Professional Development (CPD) Events.
Lunch: Not included. (We cannot guarantee that all venues have refreshment facilities so please bring lunch and a drink with you).
Overview
The Event Group Coach programme has been designed to provide licensed athletics coaches with a greater understanding and awareness of the issues involved in coaching athletes at the Event Group Development stage of the athlete development model (typically 14-18 years). Coaches who undertake this course will develop their technical knowledge and expertise across the individual events that make up event areas. There are currently four event group areas available; Sprints and Hurdles, Jumps, Throws and Endurance.
It’s important to note that candidates are not restricted to taking only one event group. We actively encourage candidates to get involved in coaching across event groups.
The Event Group Coach Award is made up of two component parts, an online learning component and a single integration day. Candidates embarking on this course must do so in the knowledge that the online learning component requires a significant time commitment.
The Event Group Coach has specific expertise in coaching young developing athletes. They will undertake the same role as an Athletics Coach but with a focus on developing young athletes for senior success.
Am I the right person for the course?
To be eligible for this course you must be 18 or over. This course has been designed as a sequel to the Athletics Coach Award; hence you must hold a valid Athletics Coach Award or equivalent (a minimum old UKA Level 2 in any discipline except Children in Athletics).
The programme has been designed for those working with athletes at the Event Group Development Stage (typically 14-18 years). To get the most out of this programme, all candidates must be actively involved with athletes in the Event Group Development stage.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion:
The Equality Act 2010 defines a disabled person as someone who has a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term negative affect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities and we are committed to eliminating discrimination and encouraging diversity and inclusion within our sport. To ensure the coach qualification process provides equality and fairness it is important that:
- We understand the nature of candidates’ disability, so the course tutor is aware and can make reasonable adjustments ahead of the course being undertake
- We support candidates with early interventions where candidates may not be engaging within the course.
Candidates must engage in tasks and activities throughout the course and demonstrate improvement following any discussions with course staff. Candidates not engaging within all aspects of the course are at risk of not gaining the qualification at the end of the process.
Course Structure
The course structure is summarised below:
- Online learning component
- A single integration day
This award consists of two main parts, an online learning component and a single integration day. The online learning component allows coaches to work through the programme at their own pace. A thorough understanding of the material is essential to be successful on this programme and so to ensure all material is understood candidates are required to take a short multiple-choice test at the end of each module. While the total number of modules varies among event groups there are roughly 25 in total. It is expected that the online learning component will take around 25-30 hours or 4-5 days of total study time to complete.
The single integration day allows coaches to come together to discuss how the information they have studied online can be integrated into a training plan for athletes at the event group stage of the athlete development pathway. There is no practical assessment as coaches are already qualified to coach unsupervised.
What topics are covered?
Below is a summary of the topics covered within the Event Group Coach programme:
1. Training organisation and decision-making
- Coaching Philosophy
- Classifying training methods
- Long term development of (Sprints and Hurdles, Jumpers, Throwers, Endurance)
- Training organisation strategies
- Designing training progressions
- Organising training
2. Event Group Specific Content
- Event Group specific concepts for (Sprints and Hurdles, Jumpers, Throwers, Endurance)
- Understanding the performance profiles for (Sprints and Hurdles, Jumpers, Throwers, Endurance)
- Event technical models for (Sprints and Hurdles, Jumpers, Throwers, Endurance)
- Teaching progressions for (Sprints and Hurdles, Jumpers, Throwers, Endurance)
- Specific training methods (CE and SDE) for (Sprints and Hurdles, Jumpers, Throwers, Endurance)
3. Physical Preparation
- Warm up and cool down
- GPE training methods
- SPE training methods
- Running drills
- Introduction to weight training
4. Fundamental underpinning science
- Adaptation
- The science of Strength and Conditioning
Resources
The online content contains all the resources necessary for this qualification which can be found in Athletics Hub, Online Courses.
Resources are available in enlarged print. Please contact your British Athletics Coach Education Coordinator for further details.
Book Now
Bookings for the Event Group online courses are taken through Athletics Hub. You can book onto them by following the below links:
Event Group Endurance
Event Group Sprints & Hurdles
Event Group Throws
Event Group Jumps
FAQS
If you still have more questions – have a look at our Event Group Coach FAQs below and hopefully you will find the answers to all your questions.