Canoe England Talent Programme

[Toomuchtooyoung]

I realise I may be dropping a grenade with this opinion, but does anyone else have concerns about the impact of the canoe England talent programme on the sport ? Looking at the lists of no doubt very worthy young people who have worked hard to gain a place, I am struck about how few clubs are represented, especially in the Central and Southern Regions. These few clubs do a great job at developing young athletes and may be canoe England would be better spending what is a substantial sum, broadening the club base across the country, providing support to coaches and maybe technical coaching camps to competitors who do not have all the expertise in their local clubs, and then picking up the talent further up their competitive career. It seems that the sport is polarised around certain areas, which will end up excluding people and eventually reducing participation.

[BOMAD]

Remember this you don't have to be "on a Squad" to be a paddler, be a competitor, be a dedicated participant or be well coached, but you do have to be geographically well placed. That in its self is devisive.

Can't wait to see who chips in to this thread and how it develops. I only hope that it wasn't started just to canvas opinion for the wrong reasons

BOMAD

[Toomuchtooyoung]

No hidden agenda. I just wonder if something could be done to increase the coaching base, as it stands the young people who currently benefit from the best coaching and facilities in their clubs are those who also progress on the talent programmes. Would the money be better spent supporting all coaching at an early stage, widening access, then develop podium potential at age 16. I agree that being part of an academy isn't the be all, but tell that to a 13 year old, who isn't in one of the 'super' clubs, especially when the academy and TIDs have such a prominent presence.

[SilverSurfer]

Your points are all valid and your concerns have been raised many times before.

The England talent programme is seen as the only way for young paddlers to develop and succeed in the sport. This attitude undermines the club level, and dissolution for those paddles not making an England squad or discarded by the talent programme as they are deemed to be underperforming. Without a doubt there is a big disconnect between the talent programme and English clubs.

On paper the talent programme structure is very good, but the execution less so. Even if you do make an England squad the support offered varies by region, be it water access time, gym access, coaching staff etc. This has left a lot of resentment, even by those paddlers on the England squads.

The sad reality is canoeing is not a rich sport with limited funding, with the lions share going to support the senior paddlers. To some extent that is understandable as the sport would have less money if the seniors didn't win medals. However, I do think more could be done to promote and support the sport at a club level, with a reduction in the size of the talent programme - which would be more beneficial to the sport in the long run.

To end on a positive, the Canoe England Slalom Committee which is separate to the talent programme do have budget to help develop the sport at club level. Any English club can apply for funding to support the development of slalom at their club or region.

[BOMAD]

I have seen and heard the joy of being invited to join a squad. I know what it costs to be be selected to a squad. I know how pressure can ruin an individual, I have seen how shattering it is to be dropped from a squad just due to age. I know the limitations to the expected commitment due to geographical positioning. I know the kudos of being on a squad. I've seen the jealousy between the have and have nots. I have seen the cruelty it generates. I think our top C1 paddler may not have been part of a junior system. I think it's time to draw breath

[paddlerparent]

All to often i hear people commenting about these squads, but what i don't see or hear about is the commitment the paddlers (and parents) in these squads give. They are training more days than not each week, in all weather conditions, rain, snow, break ice to get on flat water and training on different water/venues, and in different disciplines, they put in a lot of hard work a lot of effort and enjoy what they do.

[c2_gbr]

Just a few thoughts

"I agree that being part of an academy isn't the be all, but tell that to a 13 year old, who isn't in one of the 'super' clubs"

I know that it can be very discouraging if not picked and often even worse a feeling when dropped from a programme.
I have felt this first hand, I was 27 at the time and it hurt! I still made the senior team unfunded for another two years though and others have repeated this since, so it is not the end of the journey.

If this had happened though as a younger athlete it would of been even harder. I think this should be dealt with better. How, I don't know. I think knowing why you were not part of the programme and what you need to do to be on is key.

As to your points

"broadening the club base across the country, providing support to coaches and maybe technical coaching camps to competitors who do not have all the expertise in their local clubs"


This was one of my reasons for making this website
http://danielgoddardcoaching.weebly.com/articles.html
To get more information out to the slalom community and most importantly, for free and for all - Take a look and pass it around. Are there any topics you think would be good to cover?

Daniel Goddard

[andy n]

Some very good points made above and it would be nice to think that the Talent Programme Coaches will take note.

There are 99 junior paddlers on the published lists. When you add the TID paddlers at Lee Valley and HPP, and Home Nation (Scotland, Wales, Ireland) juniors that is a considerable number of juniors getting some coaching outside of a club environment. Perhaps the standards are set too low?

Not sure if Stafford and Stone are viewed as one of the "super" clubs? Certainly we are in the "super" Central region where the standard for inclusion on a squad is higher and paddlers find they are not selected even though they are ranked higher and are aged younger than paddlers selected for North and South squads. Try explaining that to the 13/14 year olds.

[SilverSurfer]

Whilst no one is questioning the dedication or effort by paddlers on the talent squads (or their supporting parents) – I’m personally not convinced the current structure of talent programme is that successful compared to what was in place prior to the revamp in 2013:

1) More Scottish and Welsh paddlers made the GB junior team this year – which given the number of Scottish/Welsh paddlers (and their funding compared to England) that is a great achievement
2) The talent programme is very rigid, and doesn’t meet the development needs of all young paddlers.
3) The talent programme takes paddlers away from their clubs, but unless you are based at HPP/LV the support you receive is limited and sets false promises
4) There is no link between the club and the talent programme

As Andy points out the number of paddlers getting on the talent programme squads has increased, but the number of England (British Canoeing) coaches has not, and all too often some of the coaches are split between England and GB team duties, especially over the summer months – which is the prime time for junior paddlers to receiving coaching.

Whilst I can understand the disappointment of a junior paddler not making a squad, there are alternative options, and for some paddlers, probably better options.

[jjayes]

This all seems to be a recurring theme that is repeated every few years. Yes we could debate how the Multi million budget to UK canoeing is spent but to what positive effect I am not sure.

If you as a competitor and really have ambition to excel in competition, then just get on with the training as best you can. Its hard to keep a good person down! Forget what you can not control and control what you can.

Sport, like

normal

life is not a fair playing field for everybody, get used to it. We all start somewhere, some have better starting circumstances than others. At some point you have the opportunities to make life choices, all you need to do is take the ones that lead you in the direction of your ultimate ambitions.

I was once told by somebody who was obviously being cynical that unlike me they did their paddling for fun. I replied I also do my paddling for fun, that why I do so much of it. What ever you do within the sport make sure you enjoy it, it will make it so much more worthwhile.

[frognrose]

The South West of England is very poorly served, it is only the dedication of the unpaid coaches who have an interest in slalom that keeps the sport alive in these areas, Somerset:Taunton and Frome, Gloucestershire: Stroud Valley, Cheltenham and Wye Dean. The Gloucestershire clubs get together for joint slalom training sessions, Lee valley is the other side of the country we need something in the west of England that provides the facilities and coaching.