February was another busy and rewarding month for the Coach Development Team, with several visits across the country and the opportunity to support some fantastic table tennis activity taking place in clubs and communities.
Launch of new Coaching Assistant qualification
Our first ever Coaching Assistant qualification has been launched and the inaugural course is now live for people to sign up.
The qualification is designed for individuals beginning their coaching journey or those looking to support lead coaches during training sessions. It provides the essential foundation needed to contribute confidently and effectively within a coaching environment.
Find out more or sign up below.
Welcoming a New Team Member
The month began with the introduction of a new member to the team, Paul Johnson. Paul is a highly respected and experienced coach within the table tennis community and will be a great addition to the development team. His knowledge, experience and passion for the sport will undoubtedly strengthen the work we are doing to support coaches and clubs across the country.
Latest Club Visits
Keep up to date with the team’s latest club visits from up and down the country, during a super busy month for the coach development team. February saw two slightly different visits for the team, which included the Youth British Clubs League, where the whole team was present for the domestic competition which falls underneath the British Clubs Leagues (BCL) umbrella, specifically for U19 junior players. Additionally, Steve took the long journey down to Aldershot to observe and support the Army Table Tennis Camp and Competition, which runs over several days each year. This event brought together more than 120 competitors from Army units across the country, all eager to learn, compete and improve their game.
This event brought together more than 120 competitors from Army units across the country, all eager to learn, compete and improve their game.
One of the most impressive moments of the visit was watching the setup of the venue. The efficiency and organisation were remarkable, with the halls prepared with true military precision. Within a short time, two large halls were fully set up with tables and ready for play, accommodating players of all abilities.
During the event I supported several coaching sessions, setting drills and working with players, while also taking the opportunity to speak with both players and coaches about the work being done by Table Tennis England and the Coach Development Team.
Looking ahead, we are hopeful that the development team will be able to support the Army further by helping groups of players progress through our new Assistant Coach qualification and officiating courses, potentially later this summer.
As always, the event held at Derby Arena, had a fantastic atmosphere and was brilliantly organised. A massive shout out to all the organisers and volunteers whose hard work made the event such a success.
The full coach development team were present not only to observe, but also to connect with coaches, players and parents, chatting with anyone who wanted advice, had questions, or simply wanted to discuss coaching ideas. Alongside this, the team carried out several observation tasks including noting the number of female coaches present, identifying common themes of play, looking at corner coaching behaviours, and engaging in a bit of talent identification and Coach Development promotion.
It was particularly encouraging to receive so much positive feedback about the visibility of the Table Tennis England Coach Development team at the event. Being present and accessible at competitions like these is an important part of supporting the coaching community.
Find out more about every single club visit from the month of February below.
Online CPD Report
The development team continued their very full CPD programme, delivering another online session focused on Concentration Strategies. The workshop was well attended and clearly a topic that resonated with coaches. There was excellent engagement throughout the session, with coaches contributing some thoughtful ideas and experiences that helped bring the subject to life. Sessions like this are always at their best when coaches share their perspectives, and this one certainly benefited from that collective knowledge.
The month concluded with another online CPD workshop titled “The 3 I’s – Intent, Implement, Improve.” For those wondering what it stands for, the concept focuses on being clear about your coaching intent, how you implement your ideas within a session, and ultimately whether it leads to improvement for the player. The session was pitched at a foundational level, but it covered principles that even experienced coaches can sometimes overlook. The workshop was very positively received and, hopefully, provided some practical ideas that coaches can immediately apply in their sessions.
Overall, it has been a great month for coach engagement and development, and it was fantastic to see so many coaches involved both online and in person throughout. Check out next month’s CPD events and opportunities – there’s plenty more to come!
