Coaching Development Officer

There have huge leaps forward in the recognition of the value of coaching in climbing in recent years. From the popular range of FUNdamentals courses to Coaching Symposia and pilot coach education courses there have been many exciting developments thanks to both technical and management groups of volunteers working hard behind the scenes. The next stage is to pull all this work together and launch the long awaited Coaching Awards Scheme in Climbing. Mountain Training UK are delighted to announce that the coaching scheme is on target for launch in early October 2013. In order to bring the scheme to fruition MTUK has the technical expertise of Martin Chester (the Director of Training at Plas y Brenin) to manage the project at this crucial stage.

In his own words, Martin says:

“These are exciting times for the development of coaching in climbing. In my daily work, and as a member of one of the coaching development groups I have been fascinated by applying all I have learned about competitive coaching for the benefit of recreational climbers; drawing upon lessons learned from a number of sports and disciplines. It is something I have been passionate about for a couple of decades, and it is great to be so involved at this critical stage. I look forward to adding my efforts to those of the rest of the team, in order to launch this new scheme before the end of the year.”

John Cousins (the Chief Executive Officer of Mountain Training UK) has overseen this latest development for the coaching scheme, and adds:

“We are very grateful to Plas y Brenin for enabling us to use Martin’s unique skills and experience at this key stage of the development. We are all very excited about supporting Martin as he collaborates with the phenomenal number of volunteers and professionals who have helped shape this new scheme”

The next step on the road to launching the new scheme is the pilot Level 2 “Coaching Development” course which will take place at the Beacon Climbing Centre on Tuesday 23rd and Wednesday 24th of July. The test pilots for this course will again be the coaches of the North Wales Youth Climbing Academy, who have already been through the pilot Level 1. Jamie Holding (British Mountain Guide and Head? Coach) states “that our coaches took part in Mountain Training UK’s Level 1 pilot scheme and our team then leapt to 3rd at the BMC's UK Youth final, is no coincidence”. Martin will then be making sure that, once the pilot courses have been reviewed, there is plenty of information coming to these pages, in order that we might role out this scheme, and make sure that climbing coaches across the country get the same exciting opportunities.