Coaching
Leslie Culf - 9 June 2009
Coaching weekend Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th August 2009, 9.00am to 4.00pm.
The Spinal Injuries Unit
The Wheelchair Sports Club (Sports Hall)
Northern General Hospital
Herries Road
Sheffield
S5 7AU
Two coaches from British Blind Sport will be there on both dates to help VI archers and any coaches who would like to know how best to help VI archers that may like to join your clubs in the future.
Refreshments will be available all day on both dates from 10.30am to 3.30pm.
If you have any questions please contact Leslie Culf, 0114 246 5515.
23 May 2009
The NCAS Coaching Conference took place today. It was Yorkshire's turn to host, and Barnsley Archery Club acted as our excellent hosts for the day.
Kath Fitzpatrick welcomed 37 coaches to the conference. Every one of the five Northern Counties - Cheshire, Cumbria, Durham & Northumberland, Lancashire and Yorkshire - was well represented.
Tom Musgrove made a presentation that gave the attendees a better understanding of back tension ("Muscular Patterns Within a Closed Cyclic Sport - Archery Movements Explained").
Helen George gave a presentation on coaching archers with disabilities and medical conditions, drawing on her extensive experience with the GB Paralympic squad.
Beverley de Toeuf talked about archery injuries and their causes. After the excellent buffet lunch laid on by Jean Clarkson, Beverley continued with her presentation, switching the focus to the prevention of injuries through specific exercises.
Mick Fitzpatrick explained how a compound bow works, then showed us how to set up a bow and perform the initial tuning.
Kath Fitzpatrick discussed the coaching of compound archers and juniors, shooting down many misconceptions.
After a question and answer session, Kath wrapped up a very productive and informative event.
Kath Fitzpatrick - 20 April 2009
Saturday 23rd May from 10:00 till 4:00.
£30.00 including lunch.
At Barnsley Archery Club, Shaw Lane Sports Club, Barnsley, South Yorkshire.
Programme:
Understanding back pressure and the muscles that create it
Coaching disability; developing performance with disabled archers
Common archery injuries - avoidance and management
Compound bows - understanding bow set up and initial tuning
Coaching compounds
Coaching juniors
Panel discussion - a chance to have your coaching questions answered.
Speakers include:
Tom Musgrove, GNAS Senior Coach
Bev Detoeuf, GNAS Director M&D, fitness trainer
Kath Fitzpatrick, GNAS Senior Coach, RCO, Director-England
Helen George, GNAS Senior Coach, Paralympic team coach
YAA Coaching Group
All attendees will receive a pack of information handouts and slides to take away from the conference.
Lunch will be provided courtesy of YAA Coaching. Please advise of any dietary requirements.
Please note the venue has disabled access.
(Links to flyer and booking form removed)
Kath Fitzpatrick, CCO and RCO
26 March 2009
YAA Coaching has launched a new website:
YAA Coaching website
At present the site has limited information, but it will grow over time into a useful resource for Yorkshire's coaches and archers. We would be very interested in hearing your views on what the site should contain. Please send feedback to Tim Mason via yaa@phoenixbowmen.co.uk.
Grahame Cotterill - 4 March 2009
To all candidates from last year's and this year's Level 1 Coach Courses and any other members who need to complete a child protection course.
YAA Coaching has booked a course for Sunday 26 April 2009 at Scout Hut, Butterbowl Garth, Old Farnley, Leeds LS12 5BN.
Two sessions have been booked - 09:30 to 12:30 and 13:00 to 16:00. Priority will be given to last year's candidates. If demand exceeds places another course will be booked for later in the year.
To book a place please contact Grahame Cotterill and book before 3 April 2009.
Grahame Cotterill
grahamecotterill at hotmail.com
01422 201350
07796 640563
November 2008
Tom Musgrove was presented with the Jack Flinton Helping Hand Award at the National Coaching Conference, which took place from the 7th to the 9th of November 2008. The award of this annual trophy to Tom was announced at this year's Archery GB AGM following nomination by the Yorkshire Archery Association.
Tom's archery career began in 1954 with Harvester Archers in Doncaster. In 1956 he started to coach and rapidly progressed to a Regional and then National (now known as Senior) coach.
Tom has worked within the sport as a coach education tutor in Yorkshire and the East Midlands and as a coach, most notably working with the National Youth Squad. Tom is also largely responsible for the development of the Archery GB Leaders coaching award. In the early 1990s he was the first person to complete the Sports Coaching degree from the National Coaching Foundation (now sports coach UK).
Tom continues to work with archers of all standards from beginner to international level, and also happens to be a national table tennis coach! Kath Fitzpatrick, Archery GB Senior Coach and Northern Counties Regional Coaching Organiser said "I don't believe you could find anyone more committed to archery coaching than Tom - he still has a great enthusiasm for coaching and a thirst for learning to this day, he is a truly inspirational and a worthy recipient of this award".
Kath Fitzpatrick - 25 October 2008
Please note that we have had to cancel the Junior squad which was to be held on Saturday 25th October due to only three responses for attendance being received. As each squad session costs around £100 to deliver it seemed not to be cost effective for such a small number.
We will now be running a combined Junior/Youth squad with each group having its own programme as well as some joint activity. The next squad session is on Saturday 29th November. We hope to be in new premises at Barnsley by then, but all squad members will receive an email a week beforehand confirming the venue and requesting a response. Please reply - people often turn up who haven't replied but with costs rising we do need to be sensible about running things for small groups.
Please note Senior squad is continuing as usual an is not affected by these changes; the next meeting is on Sunday 30th November.
Kath Fitzpatrick
Kath Fitzpatrick - 20 October 2008
Sue Thomis gave a presentation in Barnsley to YAA coaches on Sunday the 19th of October. The subject was drugs in sport.
The Powerpoint presentation that was used is available to download. It may take a minute to launch, so please be patient:
Presentation on drugs in sport (Powerpoint, 808kb)
Kath Fitzpatrick - 7 September 2008
YAA coaching is recruiting for the Youth Development squad and can take new applications from interested juniors as several of last year's squad have moved up to the Performance group.
This squad is for juniors who are keen to improve and progress in archery, but who have not yet reached higher levels of shooting and may be quite novice. We usually suggest one season of competition, though if someone is keen and has shot for a year but not competed yet that's also fine.
The emphasis is on enjoying archery and developing good technique, preparing for competition and learning some basic goal setting and coping skills. There is also a lot of advice on equipment, understanding their own equipment and simple maintenance.
Applications are welcome from all bow styles. An application form can be accessed via the link below.
Squad application form 2008-2009 (Word format)
Squad dates 2008-2009
Applications to be returned to me please. All applicants will be invited to the next squad.
Kath Fitzpatrick
Kath Fitzpatrick - 23 August 2008
Below are the squad dates for this year and an application form that details the acceptance criteria:
| Development squad | Performance squad | Senior squad |
| 6 September | 13 September | 12 October |
| 25 October | 29 November | 30 November |
| 13 December joint squad Christmas fun shoot |
| 7 February | 28 February | 8 February |
| 7 March | | |
Squad application form 2008-2009 (Word format)
As YAA Coaching has not yet found anywhere to replace Wetherby for this year, one of our squad members suggested we ask clubs that squad member are from if they could host one session over the winter. It would make us a bit nomadic, but is better than cancelling the squads. If any club can offer one indoor session we would be grateful and could offer some payment towards use of facilities and equipment. For development squad a distance of less than 20 yards is OK - for performance and senior 20 yards is better.
Any offers of help, please let me know with preferred date.
We are still exploring alternatives. One good site in York is not available much this winter but we hope to look at it and book for next year if possible. We are also exploring the possibility of a school next to the Barnsley club ground. Any news will go directly to existing squad members and also on the YAA website.
Kath Fitzpatrick
Kath Fitzpatrick - 18 August 2008
Archery GB (which some do call The GNAS) has launched a coaching newsletter, Shooting Forward. For more details and to subscribe, go to the page below:
GNAS coaching page
Below is some information taken from the newsletter.
Shooting Forward is Archery GB's first online coaching magazine bringing you the latest news, coaching guidance and grass roots reporting. Within each edition of Shooting Forward you can expect to find regular features including C.A.S.E and Coaching Stars (see below) and club and coach development updates, in addition to the latest news and interesting interviews.
C.A.S.E
We believe that all coaches have a responsibility to share their coaching, ideas, techniques and methods with other coaches, and to seek better practice for themselves. In this vein, we introduce the 'Copy And Steal Everything' - CASE - guide to coaching!
To start with you copy and steal all the best coaching ideas that you can find. Then you share them with your coaching colleagues. Simple, and together we will improve our coaching skills!
Coaching Stars
It might be what they focus on or how they coach that makes the learning journey so dynamic and here's your chance to nominate your inspiring coach to be showcased in our regular feature 'Coaching Stars'. E-mail Hannah Bussey your 'Coaching Star' nomination along with the following information:
- Your nominated Coaching Stars' name, club, contact details and a photograph (jpeg format).
- A profile of who they coach and what makes their coaching so special.
- Your name and the name of anyone else who your nomination is on behalf of.
We'll contact the winning Coaching Star for a brief interview and inclusion in the next edition of Shooting Forward. Each featured Coaching Star will win an Archery GB key ring - what a bonus!
Kath Fitzpatrick - 11 August 2008
YAA have a new County Coach.
Michael Ward (University of York Archers) passed his County Coach exam yesterday at Lilleshall National Sports Centre, after a 2 day examination. Congratulations to Michael!

Examiner Pauline Pillans congratulates Michael

left to right - Michael Ward (YAA) with Senior Coach mentor Kath Fitzpatrick, Joyce Harrison (Cheshire) with Senior Coach mentor Martin Speakman

left to right - NCO Education, Bill McKay; Assessment manager Tom Musgrove; YAA County Coach Michael Ward & Senior Coach mentor Kath Fitzpatrick; Cheshire County Coach Joyce Harrison and Senior Coach mentor Martin Speakman; Examiner Pauline Pillans, Senior Coach; Peter SCT Trainee observer; Examiner Barry Molsom, Senior Coach
Kath Fitzpatrick - 6 August 2008
YAA Coaching is still looking for a venue for this winter - we have been exploring some avenues but as yet have nothing fixed. We are now getting rather anxious as our winter programme is due to start in September and as yet we have no venue. We would welcome any opportunities to look at somewhere so please give us a ring if you have any suggestions.
Dates are needed right through the winter, some Saturdays and some Sundays, and some full weekends.
Kath Fitzpatrick
tel. 01226 218518
email kath @ yaacoaching.co.uk
8 March 2008
Kath Fitzpatrick presented her report as County Coaching Officer to the YAA AGM today. Click on the link below to read it:
CCO report to YAA AGM 2008
Mary Hannan - 28 February 2008
I'm trying to put a data base together of any coaches interested in going into schools to provide archery coaching, normally after school, 4pm-ish. Possibly with their own training equipment.
Please contact me on email via mary.skeet @ btinternet.com, or phone 01405 765347.
Mary Hannan,
YAA Coaching Schools Liaison.
Kath Fitzpatrick - 2 February 2008
YAA Coaching held a clinic at Wetherby on the weekend of the 26th and 27th of January 2008. 12 archers from Yorkshire and Lancashire took part.
A page of photos, with more information about the weekend, has been created:
Coaching Clinic January 2008
Kath Fitzpatrick - 1 February 2008
Congratulations to Andy Arnold, who passed his County Coach assessment on the weekend of the 26th and 27th of January.
Tim Mason - 6 January 2007
15 new Coaches have graduated from the YAA Coach training course. The candidates spent seven full weekends in 2007 working on the course, plus a great deal of time working on practical coaching projects.
The successful candidates were:
Ben Jones, Merlin
Chris Jones, Merlin
Grahame Cotterill, Phoenix Bowmen
Gwen Smith, Barnsley AC
Ian Foster, Barnsley AC
Iain Smith, Barnsley AC
Louise Smith, Sheffield University
Malcolm Burgin, Dearne Valley AC
Marina Rose, Barnsley AC
Pam Hill, Dearne Valley AC
Peter Liley, Scarborough AC
Roger Greaves, Scarborough AC
Stephen Jones, Barnsley AC
Terry Ducker, Selby AC
Tim Mason, Phoenix Bowmen
The coaching staff on the course were Kath Fitzpatrick, Martin Holtby (senior coaches), Mick Fitzpatrick, Harry Drake, Jean Clarkson (County Coaches), Andy Arnold, Mary Hannan, Michael Ward and Chris Petchey (County candidates). Many thanks to the staff for their hard work and enthusiasm.
The assessors were Iain Wilson (Chairman), Rob Anderson, Barry Molsom, Tommy Miller, Colin Stopher and Richard Jones. Tim Swane was also present as a trainee assessor. Many thanks to them for their hard work and sacrifice.

This was the last ever Coach-level course in the country - it's being replaced by Level 2. The success rate on this course means that YAA Coaching has had a 100% record of passes at Coach level since 1990. We hope to continue this success rate with Level 2.
Kath Fitzpatrick - 14 August 2007
Congratulations to Martin Holtby, who passed his Senior Coach assessment at Lilleshall on the weekend of the 11th and 12th of August.
Kath Fitzpatrick - 29 January 2007
We are pleased to welcome 14 new Coaches and 1 new County Coach into the YAA Coaching organisation. On Sunday 28th of January at Wetherby the exam concluded after 16 months of hard work - with an excellent 100% pass result. The candidates worked very hard during the two day exam, which was rigorous - so we know they really made the grade! In fact, five were recommended to continue to County - so we have a County course starting shortly.
The successful candidates were (from left to right):
Sean Lockwood, Spen Valley
Steve Crabtree, Spen Valley
Michael Ward, York University
Mary Hannan, GNAS
Jean Clarkson - County Coach - Adel
Peter Welbourne, Chantry
Janet Wright, White Rose
Carl Morgan, Chantry
Angela Rowe, Spen Valley
Sabir Makda, GNAS
Julie Spence, Selby
Nigel Smethurst, White Rose
Barbara Phillips, Selby
Patrick Revell, Wyke Archers
Tony Juncar, Burton Constable.
The coaching staff on the course were Kath Fitzpatrick (senior coach), Mick Fitzpatrick, Martin Holtby, Harry Drake (County Coaches), Jean Clarkson (now County Coach) and Andy Arnold (County candidate). Many thanks to the staff for their hard work and enthusiasm.
The course is a little unusual in that:
5 of the 14 coach candidates were women - a high proportion
we had our second youngest candidate with Sean at 20 (the youngest was Stuart Kennaugh at 18)
it's the largest number in one go that I can remember - at least since 1988 when I first got involved in the training.
Thanks also to the exam team - I know it is hard work as I am also an examiner, and they gave candidates every chance to succeed. The examiners were Malcolm Penn, Barry Molsom, Iain Wilson, Helen George, Colin Stopher and Tom Williamson, assisted by two Senior coach candidates Tony Ferguson and Rob Anderson.
The next Coach level course will be the last in the country in this format, and starts February 24th - not much of a break for the staff! Level 1 is now full and starts in 2 weeks