October 2021
In this blog.. Updates on training of coaches and instructors, other workforce development/CPD, performance, club development and centre inspections, and some dates for your diary.
October has been busy again but with more to see on the ground in terms of actual courses delivered. Congratulations to Chris Penny - our new race coach tutor who will join James Farrell, so each can support clubs with Racing development, and run RYA Dinghy Race Coach Courses. A double course was held on 15-16 October and 10 were qualified as Dinghy Race Coach Level 2. Similar qualifications are available for Keelboat (3 days), and Windsurf, and for Race Coach L3, but you may need to travel.
A Dinghy Instructor course takes place on 25-29 October and is filled, but has only been possible due to a visiting Trainer, with our own team providing Pre Assessment and Moderation. There are many listed as interested in attending such a course, but few are completely ready, being age 16 or over, with Pre Assessment in the last 12 months, and having Power L2, First Aid, Safe and Fun, and RYA membership.
We are keen to run a Senior Dinghy Instructor course on 2 weekends in November, but we will need 2 Trainers for 2 weekends to make this happen, and 8 candidates who are completely ready. Several Aspiring Sail Trainers have shown interest in training towards attending a selection weekend early in 2022. This is a demanding process but could lead to more Trainers enabling delivery of local courses.
Opportunities for Race Management training are starting again for the winter with Race Officer, Mark Layer, Rules Adviser and similar training available at clubs and online. Please do talk to us if these are of interest.
Our CPD and club development offering has been less popular, with an OnBoard development day having to be postponed until early 2022 due to a low uptake. We do have resources to deliver through our Club Experience project enabled by Sport NI, and the first session on creating Club Development Plans brought good engagement and discussion. Other topics available cover areas such as Coaching Children and supporting parents, as well as retention and developing Club and Team culture. The Focus Club programme for 2022 is open for applications HERE, and clubs can also apply for OnBoard and Pathway club status as mentioned in the September blog. RYA is looking at the Discover Sailing options for 2022, and the Get Wet NI programme is gathering feedback for 2021.
Youth Performance programmes are gathering momentum as Topper and ILCA selection weekends were well attended and training dates extend from November to May 2022. For further details see the RYANI Performance Manager.
RTC inspections have gathered momentum and we appreciate the cooperation from Principals to get these arranged while some improvements to the process are being considered for future years.
These inspections are not just for RYA purposes but should prove useful to centres, and to organisations such as the MCA who have oversight.
RYANI is looking forwards with ideas for development of all our disciplines through the next few years, but with shorter term Sport NI funding and RYA strategy it is difficult to finalise detail. It is an exciting time for us and a good time for Mary Martin to re join from her Maternity absence as I step back from covering the Development Officer post.
In doing so I would like to thank James Ogg as retiring Chair of the RYANI Development Committee, the team of Trainers and Inspectors, and all those in clubs and centres I have been able to meet.
See you on the water, hopefully!
Gordon Reid
Save the Date:
25 October RYANI AGM online.
8 November 19:30-21:30 RYA Affiliated Clubs Conference online. Register now
18 November CPD: Positive Engagement with Parents. Online session. Register now
22 January NI Affiliated Clubs Conference. Register now
9 February National Training Conference for Principals, Senior Instructors etc. online
20 February NI Instructor and Race Coach Training Day.