Kick Start

All over Europe sports coaching is going through major changes towards a more unified approach across sports and countries. The changes induced by the International Olympic Committee filter through to each country's National Olympic Committee and finds it's way into recreational coaching all the way to the Dutch Canoe Union (NKB) kayaking disciplines and eventually to sea kayaking. If you are into the British Canoe Union (BCU) coaching scheme: same kind of changes! Over the last two years aspirant (sea) kayak coaches spent time suspended in the froth of the crashing waves of change. Many were swimming, some went missing for a while. Now the future is more clear, it is time for a renewed start. Re-enter and Roll! Thus Nico Middelkoop and I found ourselves confronted with very confused participants of our weekend: "How to start to become a kayak coach". Lots needed to be clarified. After each day I had a strange feeling that the participants left with renewed motivation while transferring their confusion to me. Removing the scaffolding of the whole new Dutch kayak coaching structure shows the inevitable signs of "still some work to be done". Hopefully the new coaching 'building' is strong enough to support all those enthusiastic aspirants. I have a feeling that I will be spending more time with more of them than I anticipated. All for a good cause. Thank you Nico for giving it a kick.

Above photo was made by Hans Heupink during a coach training workshop in December 2006; read about it on his blog.