Since September 2003, the 12 Member Bodies of the British Equestrian Federation (BEF) have been working together to consider the future of coaching (encompassing teaching, instructing and rider training) across all the disciplines and bodies of the Federation. In July 2004, this work culminated in the publication of the first-ever BEF Coaching Development Strategy, which unifies the Member Bodies of the Federation around eight key themes. This document can be viewed online at www.bef.co.uk/prog/fscoaching.htm.

Coaching
While the term 'coaching' is not used so often in equestrian sport and leisure, it is used widely across other sports and leisure activities and is beginning to be used more in equestrianism. It encompasses all methods of helping a rider, driver or vaulter or horse/rider partnership to improve and enjoy their activity and progression. The strategy recognises firstly that:
"The promotion of quality coaching is the privilege and responsibility of all organisations involved in our sport/industry."

For example, good coaches:
1) Plan and deliver high-quality programmes.
2) Keep participants involved and motivated.
3) Encourage new potential participants to start.
4) Put the participant at the centre of the process.
5) Provide opportunities and an environment that motivates, controls risk, engenders challenge, enjoyment and above all, achievement.
6) Grow participants' confidence and self esteem.
7) Help participants to improve.
8) Empower participants, supporting them to make choices and discover their own solutions.
9) Recognise and act upon the individual needs of participants according to their backgrounds, gender and ability.
10) Make sessions fun.
11) Are responsible about the safety and well-being of the participants, and operate within an established code of conduct.
12) Reflect on their own practice and always look for ways to improve their coaching ability.

The Joint Mission is two-fold:
1) 'To create the world's most respected sports coaching system that delivers coaches who are 'fit for purpose' in sufficient numbers at all levels and delivers the right coach to the right place at the right time for the needs of every rider at every stage of their development.'
2) 'To create the best coach support system of any sport anyther in pursuit of the above.'

To achieve this, the strategy focuses on:
Key Area 1: Federation members will collaborate and support each other within a unified long-term BEF Coaching Development Programme, and thereby interface more effectively with government and with international/national/regional sporting agencies.
Key Area 2: Will obtain robust coaching data against which to plan and market coaching in a more evidence-based way.
Key Area 3: Will establish a coherent and high quality Federation-wide coaching qualifications framework.
Key Area 4: Will enable existing and aspiring coaches to access appropriate new coaching qualifications and accreditations.
Key Area 5: Will ensure that improved qualification and education systems translate to improved service delivery to riders, drivers and vaulters on the ground.
Key Area 6; Will provide improved post-qualification professional development opportunities for coaches at all levels, within a coherent Federation-wide framework.
Key Area 7: Will improve marketing and promotion of high-quality coaching across the Federation; the raise the profile of high-quality coaches; and to improve support systems and recognition available to coaches.
Key Area 8: Will resource the demands of these changes, and will be flexible in constantly challenging and improving the strategy.

Recent Progress:
Operational Plans for Coaching: Most BEF Member Bodies (MBs)have now submitted their draft MB Operational Plan for Coaching, which links their proposed actions to the BEF Coaching Strategy.
Coaching Development Officers: All MBs have appointed an official Coaching Development Officer (CDO) for their organisation, or a Coaching Liaison Officer (CLO) linking directly or indirectly into their MB Board to aid decision-making and speed of progress in coaching across the Federation.
Long-Term Athlete (Rider) Development: Almost all MBs have responded to the BEF LTAD questionnaire towards the first draft of the forthcoming BEF LTAD document. In time, a Long-Term Equine Development model will also be produced.
Research: The Federation conducted its first 'demand-led' coaching research at Your Horse Live, to identify what riders value in their instruction/training/coaching.
UK Coaching Certificate: The BEF has attracted external funding from the UK Sport towards the development of the UK Coaching Certificate between now and December 2006.
Continuous Professional Development (CPD): MBs are now providing the BEF with details of their plans for Continuous Professional Development (CPD) of their instructors and trainers, so that we can have better sharing, co-ordination and promotion of CPD across the Federation.

UK Coaching Certificate Update
An area of particular interest is Key Area 3, where the Federation is working together towards the launch on 1 January 2007 of an updated and improved set of coaching qualifications and education that will achieve UK Coaching Certificate (UKCC) endorsement.

The UKCC is a Government/sport partnership initiative that will be implemented across all of sport (not just equestrianism) to:
1) Raise the profile of coaching across the whole of the UK.
2) Support good coaches to receive better recognition from the public, media, funding agents, sports participants, parents and Government for their expertise and for their contribution to sport.
3) Raise the standard of educational opportunties for initial and Continuous Professional Development.

In order to achieve the last point, the Member Bodies of the Federation have all come together to form the BEF Coaching Development Action Group (CDAG) to plan and progress the best way forward. The Federation is supported in this with the offer of a six-figure sum from Government and free advice to help achieve this to UKCC standards laid down by sportscoachUK and SkillsActive (the UKs lead development agencies for coaching across all sport).

This is an excellent opportunity for existing instructors/trainers (of specific equestrian discipline and of general riding instruction) and for people who aspire to become instructors/trainers/coaches. The Federation will work together across all disciplines to update and quality-assure its coach education opportunties and provide the required UKCC accreditation for new coaches/instructors/trainers that will be fully recognised by Government for the first time.

For existing instructors/trainers the initiative will offer a new range of Continuous Professional Development opportunities, designed by the industry, and with external funding support towards the design of these opportunities. These will all be non-academic, with the 'ability to deliver for riders' being more important than just having academic knowledge about a subject.

It also means that no-one is taking away any instructor/training qualification that any individual already has (BHSAI, ABRS ITA etc), and this is an optional system. There is no compulsion for instructors/trainers to engage with the UKCC, at least until 2012 (latest Government estimate) when it is fully established as a high quality system that offers recognised good practice. It also does not clash with other industry qualifications (eg Stable Management, Rider Stages) as the UKCC is only concerned with the coaching (teaching, instructing) area of the industry.

It simply means that the Member Bodies of the BEF are now working together with the UKCC to create a more streamlined and effective coaching system across the Federation that caters for all coaches' educational needs.

Finally, the BEF recognises that there are some UKCC questions that cannot be answered at present. As developments unfold, the BEF will publish regular updates for dissemination through the Member Bodies that make up the Federation. No change is not an option. Things can and must improve for the sake of the riding public and the BEF wants to create the best coaching system in the world for the leisure rider and across all competitive disciplines.

Source Material: Colin Wilson, BEF Director of Coaching