About T15 Coaches 

COURSE OPTIONS
Two courses are available:

• RYA Racing Instructor (previously known as T15 Coach-Red)
• T15 Freestyle Instructor

TO BE OR NOT TO BE...
You don’t have to be a T15 coach to assist at a Team15 club, but it helps.

It helps in terms of knowledge –

• What is the Team15 programme trying to achieve?
• What’s this ‘softly, softly’ approach all about and why’s it necessary?
• What skills should I deliver at my Team15 club?
• Where does Team15 fit in to the development pathway?

It helps in terms of personal coaching development. The two-day course takes you through the relevant coaching manual, with its easy to use session plans. The course explains the delivery of grassroots racing skills or freestyle skills, depending on the course taken and involves you in session delivery.

You could set up a new Team15 club - or assist at an existing one - simply by being an RYA windsurfing instructor and not taking the Racing Instructor course, but we would encourage you to take the course, especially if you are keen for your club to join in with the T15 inter-club challenges. The T15 Freestyle Instructor qualification will help develop your skills further. 

THE BENEFITS
As well as personal skills development and the knowledge gained, having the qualifications also allows you to introduce more variety into your Team15 club and be able to sign off more areas in the RYA Youth Windsurfing Logbook, which we suggest all coaches use as a structure to T15 sessions, delivered in a fun style with a few games thrown in for good measure.

PRE-REQUISITES
Both courses are an endorsement, building on your experience as a windsurfing instructor, so in order to take either course you must first be a minimum of a RYA Start Windsurfing Instructor with at least 2-3 courses under your belt.

REVALIDATION
Once you have the qualifications, since they are an endorsement, when you revalidate or upgrade your windsurfing instructor qualification, your Racing Instructor or T15 Freestyle Instructor qualifications automatically get revalidated at the same time.

IS THERE ANY OTHER WAY TO GAIN THE QUALIFICATION?
If you have personal competition experience at club or regional level – either through windsurfing or dinghy sailing – then it is possible to get signed off as a Racing Instructor when you take a Start Windsurfing Instructor Course or upgrade your skills by taking a higher level windsurfing instructor course. 

By taking this option you won't receive the same in-depth knowledge and personal skills development as you would by taking the two-day course, but the option is there should you wish to take it. Please refer to W33/2009 for details, or consult your Windsurfing Trainer.

Alternatively, if you have a lot of personal racing experience, then you could qualify as a Level 2 Club Racing Coach, without the need to be an RYA instructor. 'See also' for details.

COACHING ADULTS
One final point; not only are these qualifications suitable for coaching children, they are also suitable for coaching older teenagers and adults - introducing them to grassroots competition or freestyle skills. 

By organising training clinics and fun competitions, these are a great way to attract regular attendance and help improve sailing standards in a fun and social way. Perhaps such sessions and competitions could be introduced at your club or training centre in addition to running a Team15 club?