I'm saddedned to report that Johnny Brown resigned from his coaching post with the SCA last week.
He has coached many if not all of the Olympic athletes from Scotland over the last 20 years.
His contribution to the sport is immeasurable.
He has no bias or discrimination, except towards excellence and achievement.
He has happily coached paddlers of all standards and from all clubs in Scotland.
My paddlers and many others of their generation have also benefited greatlyy from Johnny's committment.
It would be wonderful to think that he is admired and respected by everyone in Canoe Slalom but it seems that there are a small minotiry who can not or will not acknowledge his experience and advice as they seek to further their own agendas and careers without regard for the dedicated coaches and developing paddlers. Shame on them.
I'm delighted to say that it looks like Johnny will continue to coach at the CR Cats Canoe Slalom Club where he is valued.
Johnny Brown
Re: Johnny Brown
I don't know Johnny so I haven't got an axe to grind either way but I would observe this on looking in as an outsider
Does he always seem to be at race venues first, no matter how far away, hell yes (how does he do that.) He even beats me to Shepperton and that's only 40 mins
Does he have the attention of his charges, well go to any race, I 'd say that's a given.
Is he committed, again go to any race, he exudes it.
Does he care, watch him follow his paddlers down with encouragement, I think that's undeniable
I think the question is that if the paddlers are happy, then what's the issue. If his measure of success is good both past and present then what's the real issue here
Maybe he doesn't fit some redefined mould, so what, petty politicking is to the detriment of the sport. I see more and more examples of it too. Shame on the protagonists indeed and all credit to bankside and to David for having the integrity to stand up and be counted
Does he always seem to be at race venues first, no matter how far away, hell yes (how does he do that.) He even beats me to Shepperton and that's only 40 mins
Does he have the attention of his charges, well go to any race, I 'd say that's a given.
Is he committed, again go to any race, he exudes it.
Does he care, watch him follow his paddlers down with encouragement, I think that's undeniable
I think the question is that if the paddlers are happy, then what's the issue. If his measure of success is good both past and present then what's the real issue here
Maybe he doesn't fit some redefined mould, so what, petty politicking is to the detriment of the sport. I see more and more examples of it too. Shame on the protagonists indeed and all credit to bankside and to David for having the integrity to stand up and be counted
Re: Johnny Brown
I have no idea of what is going on with Johnny and his resignation, all I can say is that I have known Johnny for many years and his commitment to the sport and the athletes he coaches is undeniable. His athletes have achieved amazing results for many years and helped to secure the funding on which our sport is now based.
If his resignation is as I suspect due to politicking within the sport, it is a great shame and those responsible should be the ones going and not Johnny.
Those paddlers who will now be coached by Johnny at CR Cats Canoe Slalom Club are the lucky ones in all this.
As they say you can not keep a good man down and I am sure Johnny will continue to go on to help produce the champions of the future.
If his resignation is as I suspect due to politicking within the sport, it is a great shame and those responsible should be the ones going and not Johnny.
Those paddlers who will now be coached by Johnny at CR Cats Canoe Slalom Club are the lucky ones in all this.
As they say you can not keep a good man down and I am sure Johnny will continue to go on to help produce the champions of the future.
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DavidDickson
- Posts: 51
- Joined: Mon Aug 31, 2009 8:20 am
- Location: Linlithgow
Re: Johnny Brown
In summary, here is what has happened in Scotland over the last few years :-
Neil Caffrey was appointed National Coach a few years ago. His vision was to build an 'inclusive' Scottish squad where paddlers of all abilities could be included and coached by the SCA and volunteer coaches. Camps were organised centrally and included as many athletes as coaching resources would allow. As a direct result, there is now an increased volume of good developing Scottish paddlers within our sport.
As well as striving to support our young developing athletes, Neil's team always ensured that the quality for our top young athletes was not diluted. In 2012 we had 6 juniors in the GB team and in 2013 we again had 6 athletes across the J18 and U23 team.
In 2012, the SCA employed a new Performance Director with new ideas and soon after Neil's role was changed to Performance Coach. The SCA programme is now going back to an exclusive national squad programme which only caters for those showing the most potential and the rest are passed back to clubs for coaching support. The problem with this is that we do not yet have strong slalom clubs capable of supporting these athletes. The SCA have plans to support and build clubs but this will take years of sustained effort. Why could we not continue to work as one big Scottish club ?
Johnny Brown supported Neil's 'inclusive squad' vision all along and made his feelings clear to the SCA management. They did not like this and set out to dismiss Johnny. After weeks of battling with the SCA Johnny decided to resign and concentrate his efforts on coaching and supporting the young athletes in CR Cats.
We now have a fractured Scottish squad and many disillusioned athletes, coaches and parents.....
Neil Caffrey was appointed National Coach a few years ago. His vision was to build an 'inclusive' Scottish squad where paddlers of all abilities could be included and coached by the SCA and volunteer coaches. Camps were organised centrally and included as many athletes as coaching resources would allow. As a direct result, there is now an increased volume of good developing Scottish paddlers within our sport.
As well as striving to support our young developing athletes, Neil's team always ensured that the quality for our top young athletes was not diluted. In 2012 we had 6 juniors in the GB team and in 2013 we again had 6 athletes across the J18 and U23 team.
In 2012, the SCA employed a new Performance Director with new ideas and soon after Neil's role was changed to Performance Coach. The SCA programme is now going back to an exclusive national squad programme which only caters for those showing the most potential and the rest are passed back to clubs for coaching support. The problem with this is that we do not yet have strong slalom clubs capable of supporting these athletes. The SCA have plans to support and build clubs but this will take years of sustained effort. Why could we not continue to work as one big Scottish club ?
Johnny Brown supported Neil's 'inclusive squad' vision all along and made his feelings clear to the SCA management. They did not like this and set out to dismiss Johnny. After weeks of battling with the SCA Johnny decided to resign and concentrate his efforts on coaching and supporting the young athletes in CR Cats.
We now have a fractured Scottish squad and many disillusioned athletes, coaches and parents.....
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DavidDickson
- Posts: 51
- Joined: Mon Aug 31, 2009 8:20 am
- Location: Linlithgow
Re: Johnny Brown
Although Johnny has just resigned, things have been very difficult in Scotland for a while. Two years ago our then Performance Director moved on and the SCA Chief Exec. and National Coach (Neil Caffrey) temporarily took over the responsibilities of the role.
There was a communication issue between the two and I called the Chief Exec. to try and help mediate. Some of his words from this long conversation have stayed with me
"I don't have time to deal with people like Neil Caffrey and Johnny Brown - its like dealing with two celebrities ! I have to spend too much time choosing my words when communicating with them"
I knew at this point we had someone in charge who did not possess the professionalism or maturity to manage the experts in his team...
Soon after, he employed the new Performance Director and between them they have set about undermining Neil, Johnny and the volunteer coaches and have taken apart the successful system they were building.
There was a communication issue between the two and I called the Chief Exec. to try and help mediate. Some of his words from this long conversation have stayed with me
"I don't have time to deal with people like Neil Caffrey and Johnny Brown - its like dealing with two celebrities ! I have to spend too much time choosing my words when communicating with them"
I knew at this point we had someone in charge who did not possess the professionalism or maturity to manage the experts in his team...
Soon after, he employed the new Performance Director and between them they have set about undermining Neil, Johnny and the volunteer coaches and have taken apart the successful system they were building.
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DavidDickson
- Posts: 51
- Joined: Mon Aug 31, 2009 8:20 am
- Location: Linlithgow
Re: Johnny Brown
People are scared to speak out about this in case we lose sportScotland funding or their child is blacklisted from the squad but is it right that we carry on when people who have dedicated 30 years of their life to our sport and have positively enhanced the lives of hundreds of youngsters be driven out their jobs ?
Re: Johnny Brown
David,
you are obviously not scared to say what you think is happening and neither should you be.
If you really want to do something positive with this I would advise you make sure you you are correct in what you are saying and have as much evidence as you can get. Talk to all concerned including your new performance director and if necessary seek mediation to try and resolve the issues.
Good luck with it, it would be a shame if all the work in Scotland over many years went down the drain. Without such a strong Scottish influence over so many years GB Canoeing would not have the massive finance it has today. I think that Scotland has shown everybody the way to make great racers and major changes to such a regime has simply got to be a big mistake.
you are obviously not scared to say what you think is happening and neither should you be.
If you really want to do something positive with this I would advise you make sure you you are correct in what you are saying and have as much evidence as you can get. Talk to all concerned including your new performance director and if necessary seek mediation to try and resolve the issues.
Good luck with it, it would be a shame if all the work in Scotland over many years went down the drain. Without such a strong Scottish influence over so many years GB Canoeing would not have the massive finance it has today. I think that Scotland has shown everybody the way to make great racers and major changes to such a regime has simply got to be a big mistake.
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John Sturgess
- Posts: 280
- Joined: Thu May 27, 2004 12:01 am
- Location: Gedling, Nottingham/Long Preston, North Yorkshire
Re: Johnny Brown
How ironic!
For several years I have been preaching to English coaches and clubs that they should follow the Scottish model, and in particular that they should study Breadalbane - not that I am saying that Breadalbane is better than other Scottish Clubs - but there is more stuff about what they do on their website, and English coaches and clubs can look at Breadalbane operating when they come up for Training Camps and races at Grandtully.
And just as I was feeling that I am getting somewhere in persuading England to follow the Scottish model (look at what HPPCC has done this year; and what some Yorkshire Clubs are now doing) Scotland decides to follow what has been the English model!
Sorry - it will not work.
For several years I have been preaching to English coaches and clubs that they should follow the Scottish model, and in particular that they should study Breadalbane - not that I am saying that Breadalbane is better than other Scottish Clubs - but there is more stuff about what they do on their website, and English coaches and clubs can look at Breadalbane operating when they come up for Training Camps and races at Grandtully.
And just as I was feeling that I am getting somewhere in persuading England to follow the Scottish model (look at what HPPCC has done this year; and what some Yorkshire Clubs are now doing) Scotland decides to follow what has been the English model!
Sorry - it will not work.
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DavidDickson
- Posts: 51
- Joined: Mon Aug 31, 2009 8:20 am
- Location: Linlithgow
Re: Johnny Brown
John
We have now lost both our SCA Slalom Development coaches - Johnny has resigned and Steve MacDonald has moved into a SCA club development role. Breadalbane canoe club now have no slalom development coach to support their young athletes. A few of them are supported by the Tayside and Fife Performance Coach but those not in the squad have no slalom coach.
Unlike some more established clubs they have not been around long enough to build the slalom knowledge to stand on their own.
We have now lost both our SCA Slalom Development coaches - Johnny has resigned and Steve MacDonald has moved into a SCA club development role. Breadalbane canoe club now have no slalom development coach to support their young athletes. A few of them are supported by the Tayside and Fife Performance Coach but those not in the squad have no slalom coach.
Unlike some more established clubs they have not been around long enough to build the slalom knowledge to stand on their own.
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DavidDickson
- Posts: 51
- Joined: Mon Aug 31, 2009 8:20 am
- Location: Linlithgow
Re: Johnny Brown
Jimmy,
Thanks for your advice, it much appreciated but as mentioned this has been going on now for two years and many respected members of our slalom committee and community have tried repeatedly to resolve things, and got nowhere.
My son is one of the 'lucky few' who is on the programme so I am taking a risk by speaking out but quite frankly there isn't a lot to lose.
I have been a volunteer coach with the SCA programme for the last 6 years and the programme being offered this year is the poorest yet.
Between now and April there are 10 single training days and 1 four day camp to HPP planned - far less coach contact than in previous years.
Thanks for your advice, it much appreciated but as mentioned this has been going on now for two years and many respected members of our slalom committee and community have tried repeatedly to resolve things, and got nowhere.
My son is one of the 'lucky few' who is on the programme so I am taking a risk by speaking out but quite frankly there isn't a lot to lose.
I have been a volunteer coach with the SCA programme for the last 6 years and the programme being offered this year is the poorest yet.
Between now and April there are 10 single training days and 1 four day camp to HPP planned - far less coach contact than in previous years.
Re: Johnny Brown
David,
as you say I think two years is a long time. It sound like it time to bring this to a head, I would suggest a letter from those concerned from as many signatories as possible including clubs and individuals to Sport Scotland giving a vote of no confidence in the Performance director and demanding his resignation. The letter should lay out the reasons why and backed up by as much evidence as you can gather. It would at least let the authorities that be know what is going on and may prompt them to take action. It may also be good at this point to ask to be involved in the selection of a replacement.
If you have no luck with the above the next step would be to involve the press, but only once you have exhausted all other channels as this can be a very open ended solution and hard to predict how it may go from there.
To all of Scottish paddlers past and present, this is your sport and you need to take care of it. Sometimes people get appointed to jobs that they have little ideas of how to do and can easily do more harm than good no matter their intentions. Its up to all of you to stand together on this, the alternative seems very bleak for Scottish Slalom. I know many of the top Scottish paddlers will sit back on this one as they are effectively paid by the same or similar GB programme and will be concerned to say anything, but if you could get them involved this could be solved overnight as they would be listed to. Some may have the balls to do so if asked.
Jim.
as you say I think two years is a long time. It sound like it time to bring this to a head, I would suggest a letter from those concerned from as many signatories as possible including clubs and individuals to Sport Scotland giving a vote of no confidence in the Performance director and demanding his resignation. The letter should lay out the reasons why and backed up by as much evidence as you can gather. It would at least let the authorities that be know what is going on and may prompt them to take action. It may also be good at this point to ask to be involved in the selection of a replacement.
If you have no luck with the above the next step would be to involve the press, but only once you have exhausted all other channels as this can be a very open ended solution and hard to predict how it may go from there.
To all of Scottish paddlers past and present, this is your sport and you need to take care of it. Sometimes people get appointed to jobs that they have little ideas of how to do and can easily do more harm than good no matter their intentions. Its up to all of you to stand together on this, the alternative seems very bleak for Scottish Slalom. I know many of the top Scottish paddlers will sit back on this one as they are effectively paid by the same or similar GB programme and will be concerned to say anything, but if you could get them involved this could be solved overnight as they would be listed to. Some may have the balls to do so if asked.
Jim.
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DavidDickson
- Posts: 51
- Joined: Mon Aug 31, 2009 8:20 am
- Location: Linlithgow
Re: Johnny Brown
Jim,
Thanks again for your reply, its good that a prominent member of the slalom world is prepared to show support and offer advice.
Last night I received an email from the SCA Chief Excutive asking me to attend a meeting to discuss my 12 year old son's conduct as an SCA performance athlete.
It looks like they are gunning for me now and using my sons place on the squad to threaten me.
Maybe I should have kept my mouth shut .....
This is the type of behaviour they have shown over the last few years.
Thanks again for your reply, its good that a prominent member of the slalom world is prepared to show support and offer advice.
Last night I received an email from the SCA Chief Excutive asking me to attend a meeting to discuss my 12 year old son's conduct as an SCA performance athlete.
It looks like they are gunning for me now and using my sons place on the squad to threaten me.
Maybe I should have kept my mouth shut .....
This is the type of behaviour they have shown over the last few years.
Re: Johnny Brown
Davey,
Shocking way to treat aguably the best U12 paddler in Europe and one of the very best volunteer coaches.
Make sure you have an independent witness with you when you meet with the SCA.
Perhaps someone from the board could help; someone from the board should intervene
Shocking way to treat aguably the best U12 paddler in Europe and one of the very best volunteer coaches.
Make sure you have an independent witness with you when you meet with the SCA.
Perhaps someone from the board could help; someone from the board should intervene
Re: Johnny Brown
Sounds like the pot calling the kettle black to me.DavidDickson wrote:
There was a communication issue between the two and I called the Chief Exec. to try and help mediate. Some of his words from this long conversation have stayed with me
"I don't have time to deal with people like Neil Caffrey and Johnny Brown - its like dealing with two celebrities ! I have to spend too much time choosing my words when communicating with them"
