The Official
Website of the
International
Sailing Federation

After 5 days of training, ISAF and the South African Sailing Federation are pleased to announce that all of the coaches trained on the Level 2 Technical Course for Coaches have qualified.

The Level 2 Coaches will now be working with Rob Holden, National Training Manager for South African Sailing to run Level 1 Coach Training Courses in their regions, to help train the entry level coaches of the future, ahead of the roll out of a brand new National Sail Training Scheme in early 2011.

The Coaches on the course took part in practical and theoretical workshops designed to develop their ability to train other coaches. Topics included Increasing Participation, the use of powerboats in a teaching environment, child protection, lesson plans and risk assessment, modern equipment and its benefits in developing sailing, the plan-do-review cycle and how and why we learn.

Rob M'Crystal, President of South African Sailing, first Vice President of the African Sailing Confederation (ASCON) and member of the ISAF Development and Youth Committee commented:

"The structure, focus, professionalism and united passion from all of the regional South African coaches that I have seen on this course is something that has been missing from South African Sailing. I never once imagined that we could come so far so soon and am amazed at the standard of what has been delivered here this week"

A course participant from the South African department of Sport and Recreation, Itumeleng Mudau, said: "I have gained an enormous amount of knowledge during this very professionally presented course. I will be sure to use some of the course elements in the Scientific Support Programme we run for Talent Identification and Development".

With day three of the course having focussed on the specific areas of planning and creating the platform for learning though fun, a group of local youngsters were invited to the Mossel Bay Yacht and Boat Club to be coached by the new Trainee Level 2 Coaches.

After the hour and a half long water-based session one of the young sailors said of her experience: "Boy the wind blew but luckily we had a good driver in our boat and we stayed dry. These guys helping us out today were great fun and I will come back sailing for sure".

South African Sailing has provisionally applied for ISAF Recognized Training Accreditation for early 2011 and the coaches from the SAS recognized Training Schools present on the course will be running Level 1 Coach Courses at their centres throughout the period leading up to the Official ISAF Visit. If you are interested or know anyone who may wish to be trained as a Coach in South Africa then please get in contact with the National Sail Training Manager Rob Holden here.


For more information on how your MNA could also host a technical course for coaches and Olympic Solidarity Funding go to the training pages of our website www.sailing.org/training/courses.

The ISAF Connect to Sailing initiative is playing a huge part of all ISAF Training and Development programmes. For more info on how you could connect to sailing and what it can offer your MNA go to www.sailing.org/connecttosailing/introduction

The Mossel Bay Tourism Industry is also working hard to build links with the SAS National Training Scheme and Martin Hatchuel has produced a great video of the course. Click here.

Attached Image: The successful Level 2 Coaches after the Course at Mossel Bay Yacht and Boat Club.
Back row left to right - Rich Percy (ISAF Trainer), Peter Clayton, Rob Holden (SAS National Training Manager)
Middle row left to right - Belinda Hayward, Paul Allardice, David Mealin
Front row left to right - Dan Jaspers (ISAF Training and Development Manager), Itumeleng Mudau, Evelyn Osborne, Elfie Holden, Gregg Dobson.
Image credit: ISAF