Sustainable Club Coaching – Maroc example

As part of the SOA’s initiative to help kick start orienteering in the spring of 2021, some development funding was set aside specifically to support projects that would help restart club coaching. Maroc successfully applied for funding to help create a more sustainable club coaching programme, through developing resources to simplify and reduce the work involved in setting up a full club training session. The coaching resources have now been made available for other clubs to use and adapt to help develop their own club coaching programme.

Maroc coaching coordinator, Katja Neumann, said “We asked Jon Musgrave to write 12 detailed session plans and coaching plans covering TD1 – TD5 levels and describing technical training exercises that progressively teach the targeted techniques. Based on the topics of the coaching plans, MAROC developed a club coaching plan and since August monthly sessions have been held based on the session plan templates, with further sessions scheduled for the New Year. The August and September sessions were led by two trainee coaches working towards their level 1 coach qualification, with mentoring support provided by Jon.”

“We hope that the provision of prepared session plans and a coaching programme, will help encourage more members to become involved in coaching, ensure good quality, varied and interesting coaching, and also ensure that members have an opportunity to progressively build technique.”

The sessions cover a range of skills and techniques, adapted to suit different technical levels and age groups. For the most part white / yellow standard training involves basics of learning map setting and symbols, whilst the focus for orange level and above is on learning and practising different elements of compass work, distance estimation, route choice, contour interpretation and relocation. The plans have been made available by Maroc, so that other clubs can now pick them up and use them as a basis for planning their own club training programme. Although the different sessions were designed for use in specific Deeside areas, they could be easily adapted for use elsewhere.

The skills and techniques align very closely with those captured by the SOA Star Award scheme and a document is in preparation to demonstrate how these map across. This will help to ensure that the Star Award scheme can be easily integrated with club training to offer a skills based incentive scheme, especially for young beginner orienteers.