The Future of British Slalom??

[HaRVey]

From reading all the different posts regarding Open Divisions/Slalom Structure, I state:

The Slalom Committee do a lot of great things.

Changing the structure of Divisions is a 'Michael Gove fix'. It is something that can make you feel like you have done something you have certainly thought a lot about it, and it is something that isin your control, but the core issue has not been addressed, and the benefits/risk of changing is unknown.
In my opinion unless there is a significant benefit, don't change it at this point.

What the slalom committee does need to address:

Clubs
Clubs are not a priority on the BCU/Canoe England radar. They are seen as a liability. But clubs make our sport. Wales and Scotland are effectively running a stafford and stone club based model, in scotland and wales. And look at the fantastic success they are having with it. Look at the fantastic success stafford and stone have/are having.

Target: Put money, time and energy into moving the mental approach of the BCU/Canoe england forward, in terms of its view on clubs.
Create resources for non-slalom, based clubs which begin to get them/beginners interested in the sport.
Make sure the resources are checked so that they don't have spelling mistakes.
Ask Canoe Slalom UK, to host these resources which contain a basic set of information for all, new slalom paddlers, existing clubs to understand what they need to look for/how to take part.


Organisation:
Online Payment/Entry
80% of the events run for Canoe slalom are run by Clubs, they would almost all happily run online if there was a system in place. But you cannot ask 100 clubs to sort out there own individual solution.
Campbell W - gave a solution a year ago, nothing has happened as far as i can tell or see, but if BCU Slalom Committee/BCU were to organise/given instruction for using a host company/webpage such as http://www.entrycentral.com/index.php, almost all clubs would.


Training Gates:
If there are funds available for this, which there are, Ironbridge has recieved funds from England Slalom Committee in the past 12 months. Why not publicise that there is money available to all clubs who wish to make use of it, for training gate purposes. Local Paddlesport officers, BCU, Canoe England, Facebook/Twitter, GB Canoeing, could all publicise this information.


Media Training/Advice:
Why has an information pack not been prepared for media. It could have all of the most important details of our sport across the country. It could have contacts, and web pages. It could have highlighted exceptional paddlers, Olympic and world medallists, up and coming paddlers, and a blank section for LOCAL HERO's/UP and Coming paddlers.
It could be circulated to every single club, to every organiser, who can then add the local information bit and send it to the local press in that clubs area.
Or it can be given to those people doing media interviews/School Talks. Heaven knows Tim/Ettiene, Lizzie, Dave/Rich, are doing a fantastic job, as are Natalie and Campbell as sporting champions, but why are they having to do it all off their own back, all off their own determination to set up and take notes/information that they have collected themselves.
Surely, if the Slalom Committee gave them this central collection of information, we would all be spreading the same message.
And as with everything the more we spread the message the more success we will get, not only at interest level/media coverage, grass routes, returning paddlers, greater strength in depth, and ultimately a great pool of talent to choose our team members from. Such that CANOE ENGLAND couldn't abandon any paddlers after the age of 16, but had to support them, as the Scots and Welsh do, because they have so much talent coming through.

These issues are well above any ranking/divisional issues in my humble opinion.


Just my rambling's but thoughts on these aspects in support or contradicting me, gladly received.

[BaldockBabe]

I don't believe the proposal (or the revised one that has just appeared) comes from the slalom committee. It is from David Spencer.

Other than that I agree with your post - though think it should be approached from an England Committtee level not slalom.committee.

[davebrads]

Absolutely agree 100% with Robin on this. Clubs need to be seen as the future of the sport, and somehow or other someone or a group of people need to work to develop the sport in the club structure. Stafford and Stone are a great slalom club, and provide a good model, and we certainly can't ignore the success that is being achieved in Scotland and Wales. The big problem as I see it is that all the funding is channelled through the BCU to GB Canoeing and Canoe England who then use it to progress their own goals in developing individuals on a national basis. The body tasked with managing the sport is the Slalom Committee who, as far as I know, get no say on how this money is spent.

The BCU appear to have no interest in developing the sport of canoe slalom, yet they hold the purse strings. Somehow or other the Slalom Committee, who are answerable to the slalom community as a whole, need to have control.

ps. Canoe England are supporting athletes over the age of 16, at least at Manchester - I don't know if it works in other regions. But this is a model that can be extended. If a paddler has missed the selection criteria for the national squad, they should be able to access coaching and facilities at club and regional level to give them the opportunity to try again the following year. This will put greater pressure upon the squad paddlers (and coaches) to perform, which you would expect would raise the standard of our international paddlers. Certainly our current system seems to be failing in this regard, we appear to be falling further behind the major European nations than ever, and facing greater competition from countries further afield who have only recently started developing the sport.

[bankside]

Agree with HaRVey,
Don't forget just how important coaches and coach volunteers are in the process of attracting, retaining and developing paddlers.

But please, Michael Gove? That's a bit below the belt

[Simon W]

One thing that I think could be addressed is perhaps to have less focus on national divisions in the first place. While I think that this is good to have, I think it might perhaps lose site of the bigger picture, i.e. getting people involved in slalom in the first place.

If more clubs set up gates, be it on flat water or moving water, dependent on the facilities they have available, maybe they could be encouraged to run friendly competitions within their club on weekend days. Given how easy it is to set up gates, these do not have to be full length courses. Just a fun way of testing club members skills against one another. These could be simply against other club members, or maybe for some friendly competition one club could invite their nearest neighbours for a comp. These don't have to be big organisational efforts with trophies etc. Simply ways to breed familiarity with slalom, show people an appreciation for the skills and help their own skills improve, and to help naturalise the relationship between slalom and real river running for club members.

Such an informal system does not require specialist slalom coaches. It would be something at a truly grass roots level, a seed if you will.

Granted, this isn't as serious as a national rankings scheme, but it does tackle a few issues in that it is convenient, easy for club members to get to, gives them and the club as a whole a taste for the benefits of slalom, and will perhaps pique members interest to take it further and start entering the national divisions competitions.

[oldschool]

maybe they could be encouraged to run friendly competitions within their club on weekend days.

I think most bigger slalom clubs have regualr group training sessions during the week and at weekends. If your trying to go outside the club set up and look at regional type events then it starts becoming a lot less easy to organise.

Having said that regional events are one of the only ways to get slalom into non slalom/competitive based clubs.

However if your talking about keeping it club based but in a non slalom club try contacting the regional development coaches, who are usually up for new ways of helping get slalom going in their region.

[HaRVey]

I worry that my comments are all negative, and that is not my point, I am on here to move our sport forward.
So I'll stick my neck out, here is my next positive suggestion:

My suggested race calendar for next year 2013

2/3 March -
Tryweryn Prem Qualification
Tryweryn Prem Semi Finals/Finals + Div 1

16/17 March
SheppertonDouble Div 1


30/31 March
Grandtully - Prem 2
Prem 3

6/7 April
Grantully Double Div 1 + Pan celtic


3/4 May
HPP - Prem 4 Qualification
Prem Semi Finals/Finals + Div 1

17/18May
HPP Double Div 1 + Inter Regionals/Panceltic


1/2 June
Tryweryn Prem 5
Div 1

15/16 June
Washburn Div 1 Double


6/7 July
Cardiff Prem 6
Cardiff Div 1


24/25 August
Grandtully Double Div 1

31Aug/ 1 Sept
Hpp McConkey Prem 7 Qualifcation
Prem SemiFinals /Finals + Div 1


28/29 Sept
Teeside - Prem Qualification 8
Prem Semi Finals /Finals + Div 1

5/6 Oct
Llandysul Double Div 1


26/27 Oct
Serpents Tail Double Div 1

3/4 Nov
Lee Valley - British Open/Prem 9 Qualification
Semi Finals/Finals


Total Number of Prems - 9
Total Number of Premier Finals - 5
Total Number of Div 1s - 19



At this point, I would say the slalom committee, DOES need to do more to address this issue. So I have come with a suggestion for people to discuss/criticise.

Clubs/WCA/SCA/ECA all work under the guidance of the Slalom committee. If the ACM/Slalom Committee say we need to put on 5 Championship Prem races, and aim for a Prem each month (lets aim for the first weekend of each month, with a Div 1 on the sunday, (similar to the Stafford and Stone - McConkey Race), but in addition we should also have an A and B finals, so semi finalists get two runs on Sunday.
(Div 1 paddlers can judge on the Saturday hence getting more practice/paddling - Prems who fail to qualify can judge on the sunday, or go home, their choice (I am aware I am not in the best position to speak for these people, but I believe this would be appropriate opportunity and race experience for all, to compare themselves)

This type of race calendar would create a structure for all, and would do more to retain people in the sport.
We would have Prems to inspire div 1's, coach and share their knowledge and experience of an evening/day. at all the championship races and Prems may get into the habit of doing this at traditional PRem/1's

We would have Prem's to demonstrate the best way to do the courses.
We would have more water time for all.
We we would have a saturday evening when most would expect to be close to the race venue, and hence create more opportunity for socialising.
We would not need open divisions, everyone in Div1/Prem could see their level, and their progression, and could easily see the comparable levels of skill.

The events would be more comparable to international format. This prepares our elite who aim to do well abroad. This also provides more obvious racing time for Prem paddlers.

This is better for Div 1 paddlers, they still come and race, but they have an expectation to come to learn something, and that the courses may be tougher, than double div1's (MAY not WILL), this improves ability again.
There is a consistent number of race weekends for Div'1's,
There is a consistent number of races for Prems, not all bunched together.

This framework also provides a structure to put all the DIv 2's, 3's and 4's into as well, giving every other weekend, as a likely time when these races could occur, as well as the odd few being run against div1's/prems as they are already.

So what are the objections?
What do we need to do, to be able to do this?

[jke]

maybe they could be encouraged to run friendly competitions within their club on weekend days.

I think most bigger slalom clubs have regualr group training sessions during the week and at weekends.

My club (Frome) is a small club in slalom terms. We have club boats. We have regular training. We have permanent training gates. We organise a 3/4 Double. I organise a 4/O. I organise a non-ranking Team race. I organise a non-ranking summer minislalom series.

But it all gets a bit incestuous.

My up and coming paddlers have very few other races to go to. And with recent "initiatives" and previous interference it gets worse. This "Open Divisions" won't change matters for us one bit. We just need more races. And that will only happen by focussing on clubs.