WAE Coaches Trainer Course, 19-28.10.2015, Athens/Greece.
By Evelyn Papadopoulou
A ten days WAE constructive course, jointly running with WA, took place in Athens (GRE) from 19-28 October 2015, educating 14 participants from 14 MAs on how to train Level 1 archery coaches. The 2015 WAE Level 1 course was a really good course, with a high level of participants, having a great devotion to their mission following this project and excellent impressions for their continuation on Level 2 in 2016.
This WAE project was implemented for third time since 2011. The first was hosted by the French Archery Federation with 14 participants from 11 MAs, the second by the Turkish Archery Federation with 16 participants from 11 MAS and this third one was organized by the Greek Archery Federation. The Olympic Solidarity in collaboration with the Greek NOC funded this 2015 WAE project.
The course Experts were: Mr. Pascal Colmaire, WA Development & Education Director and Mr. Andreas Achilleos, Cypriot Coaches Trainer.
The course was aiming on educating more European archery trainers on how they can train archery coaches in their country and abroad. Therefore, the participants’ registration was examined and evaluated by the Experts before the acceptance of their eligibility.
The Experts educated and trained the 14 participants in level 1 coaching, using electronic documents, power point and indoor practice with a lot of equipments and tools. The duration of the course was 10 days, with daily morning and afternoon sessions along with meals and coffee breaks.
The documents for study were sent by the Experts to the participants electronically well in advance before the course start, for their preparation. Some topics of lecturing was:
- Technique in level 1, familiarization in introduction of a technical issue, approaching the teaching method to new coaches (level 1), specific and general straightening the body and specific muscles, psychology, breathing pattern, balance in body and in execution of shot, combination of theory and praxis.
The participants were: KOLAR Andreas (AUT), PHARMAKAS Christoforos (CYP), SWANE Timothy (GBR), KARMOIRIS Christos (GRE), BALLA Zsolt (HUN), CLARK Fiona (IRL), DRATOVSKY Denis (ISR), SUK Peter (KOR), MALA Agron (KOS), ASKELAND Jan (NOR), TRUFIN Ioana (ROM), STEFANCIC Brane (SLO), BENJAK Fedor (SRB) and KOVAL Viktoriya (UKR).
There was a very positive reaction from the participants, who fully attended the course, with enthusiasm for this experience and satisfaction for developing their knowledge and skills in the very experienced hands of the lecturer, Pascal Colmaire assisted by Andreas. All participants expressed their admiration and appreciation on their way and methods of teaching and training them.
At the end of the course, the participants received their Certificates as “Level 1 Archery Coaches’ Trainer Candidate”. By the end of 2016 they should conduct a successful level 1 archery coaching course, before they receive their final Certificate, which will be reevaluated and certified every 4 years.
The Certificates were handed out to the participants by the WAE DTAC Chairwoman – Evelyn Papadopoulou and the Greek Archery Federation President – Petros Synadinos. Certificates of appreciation for the contribution to the success of the course were handed out to the two Experts, to the Greek Archery Federation, to the G.A.F. Deputy Secretary General and the WAE DTAC Chairwoman.
The preparation and organization of this course was in a very high level. The Greek Archery Federation offered an excellent hospitality and provided perfect conditions in accommodation and in facilities-equipment for the course. The G.A.F. A’ Vice President, was present at the course all days and along with the Greek participant Karmoiris made everything possible so that everything run perfectly, on time, in excellent conditions and in a wonderfully friendly environment.
The 4* Novus City Hotel in the center of Athens provided and excellent hospitality and service in a full board accommodation base for, air-condition and free Wi-Fi internet in all areas and rooms. Warm and friendly atmosphere along with comfortable and excellent service with plenty and various meals. Transportation was perfectly organized with cars from/to Athens International Airport/Hotel.
World Archery Europe thanks the Experts for their efforts and contribution in this WAE development and education project, the Greek Archery Federation for so warm hospitality and excellent organization of this course and Olympic Solidarity for funding this important archery project.
Here are some comments of the participants:
- Viktoriya KOVAL (Ukraine): “Just now we finished our great Coach Trainer course and had certificates!!! Thanks to WA, WAE, Hellenic archery federation, Evelin, Pascal Colmaire, Peter Suk, all participants for these new information and amazing sessions!!!“
- Fiona CLARK (Ireland): “The course was so inspiring and joyful. To spend ten days with lovely new people happy to talk about my passion, archery, constantly, was such a treat. Excellent course, fantastic organization and hospitality. I will really miss you all in Athens!“
- Jan ASKELAND (Norway): “It was a fantastic seminar. Ten full days of education on new for me coaching methods and technical aspects that I am eager to implement at home. Practice sessions were an inspiring experience, far from what I could imagine. Wonderful hotel, wonderful weather, excellent organization. I’ll never forget Pascal, the friends I met here and lovely walks in Athens, which is a magnificent city. Thanks to the Greek Federation for making everything easy for us, thanks to WAE for such a progressive project.“
- Timothy SWANE (Great Britain): “I found the L1 course absolutely inspirational and it will be of considerable benefit to archery in the UK so I am keen to experience L2 which I hope will have a similar effect. I do believe the L1 will significantly change the way we coach archery in the UK and I am optimistic the investment by Olympic Solidarity into my education on this course will be vindicated.“
- Christos Karmoiris (Greece): “I never thought it would have been such an experience! So many new and important information in an excellent teaching method. We were lucky to have Pascal educating us, but also lucky to practice among such a high level participants. Wonderful hospitality, amazing friends in a common cause. Thanks to WAE and Olympic Solidarity for giving us this chance and experience. Thanks to the Greek federation for making my dream and vision come true.“
