Your Coaching Pathway

Connect with a rowing organization near you and let them know that you are interested. Arranging to ride along with an established coach can give you an idea of how you will fit in with that organization and its programs.

You can find a list of the rowing locations in BC HERE.

Inclusivity is one of Rowing BC’s foundational values. Underpinning Rowing BC’s Mission that  “All British Columbians are able to discover, pursue and enjoy the sport of rowing” is the belief that female coaches are essential to a vibrant and effective sport system, and that they are particularly important as visible role models for girls and young women.

Rowing BC is committed to bringing change to the current state that only 25% of coaches in Canada are female.

Relevant Resources:

• viaSport Inclusion of Women and Girls in Sport
• CAAWS Female Coach Mentorship Project
• Canada Games Female Coach Apprenticeship Program
• Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport (CAAWS)
• Canadian University Female Coach Mentorship Program

For more information about Women in Coaching and related opportunities, please contact Rowing BC’s Manager of Education, Innovation and Inclusion, Lisa Tschannen.

Before you get in a coach boat to coach a session, there are steps to take to become certified to coach. Rowing Canada Aviron has established baseline training as part of the Every Coach Certified initiative that every coach must complete before coaching.

• Locker account: Much of your education and training as a coach will be tied to your Locker through the Coaching Association of Canada. The website coach.ca will be where you register for courses and where your certifications are recorded. Create an account and make note of your NCCP number.
• Coach Initiation in Sport Module: This is a multisport module available through the Locker and can be found by clicking on the eLearning tab near the top of the page. It is required of coaches who have not participated in coach education before. The cost for this module is $15 and it takes approximately one hour to complete.
• Rowing Essentials module: This module is found through the Locker and can be found by clicking on the eLearning tab near the top of the page. On the left-hand side of the page, choose Rowing. The cost for this module is $20 and it takes approximately one hour to complete.
• Making Ethical Decisions module: This is a multisport module available through the Locker. The training can be done through an online workshop or by home study. The MED module has an online evaluation component that is separate from the training module. Note that coaches may directly take the online evaluation without doing the training module, however this option limits you to two attempts to pass. If you take the training there are unlimited attempts. The cost for this module varies based on the method of delivery. There is also a possibility of arranging a group session to decrease cost.
• Criminal Record Check: Check with the club you will coach with for their policy for obtaining criminal record checks.

Contact Lisa Tschannen, Rowing BC’s Manager of Education, Innovation, and Inclusion if you have questions. More information about RCA’s Every Coach Certified initiative can be found HERE.

Now that you are coaching, it is important that you be aware of how to make all rowing spaces safe for yourself and everyone else involved.

• The Safe Sport module is found through the Locker and can be found by clicking on the eLearning tab near the top of the page. On the left-hand side of the page, choose Multisport. You will be asked to tick boxes describing your role in order to assign you to the appropriate version of the module. This module is FREE and takes around an hour.
• Make sure you have looked through your club’s Safe Sport policies and know where to find it.
• More information about Safe Sport can be found HERE.

All coaches, whether paid or volunteer, need to have background checks completed. For more information, check the Screening Policy for your organization.

Work with your club to find the best option for you. There are different skills needed for coaching Learn to Row, Club programs for master or juniors, and Performance programs. Find the groups that you most enjoy and start coaching!

Every coach has different skills and experience that form how they coach. Spend time in boats with different coaches so you can choose styles that make sense for you. Even the best coaches use techniques that will not work for others. What works for you?

Developing your coaching skills and portfolio: Once you have gotten started with your coaching, it is important to take advantage of opportunities to progress. What that looks like will depend on your interests and the population of athletes that you coach.

• If you are coaching club athletes: These athletes are probably in the Train-to-train and Learn-to-Compete levels of the Long Term Athlete Development Plan. RCA Coach Workshops for training and certification are the best starting point for you. In this workshop you will learn about and discuss: Safety, Long Term Athlete Development, Training plans, Movement screening, Skills Analysis, Practice planning, Supporting competition experiences, and Rigging.
• If you are coaching new rowers: These athletes are probably in the Learn-to-Train level of the Long Term Athlete Development Plan. An RCA Learn to Row Coach Workshop is the best place for you to look for education. In this workshop you will learn about and discuss: Safety, Long Term Athlete Development, Lesson planning, Skills analysis, Teaching and Learning, Rigging, and Modifying LTR lessons to meet the needs of your club and the participants.
• If you are coaching performance athletes: These athletes are in the Learn-to-Compete and Train-to-Compete level of the Long Term Athlete Development Plan. After you have been coaching at these developmental levels for at least three years, and have completed other coaching certifications through the NCCP, the RCA Performance Coach workshop is available at the Rowing Canada Aviron Conference each year. Find more information HERE.
• If you are coaching Coastal Rowers, the Coach Certification pathway begins with the RCA Coach Weekend 1 Workshop, followed by the Coastal Coaching Workshop Virtual Component, and the Coastal Coaching Workshop In-Person Component. Like other coach education, a portfolio will be completed and then you will do an in-person evaluation with a Coach Evaluator/Mentor before becoming a certified Coastal Coach.

If you have questions, reach out to Lisa Tschannen, Rowing BC’s Manager of Education, Innovation, and Inclusion.

Coaching certifications through the NCCP have requirements to maintain the certification status. Check your Locker account to determine your Professional Development Points. Points can be earned through NCCP workshops and courses, active coaching, and some non-NCCP courses and events.

• NCCP – Sign in to your Locker account. Look under “E-Learning” and on the “Calendar” for subjects that are relevant for you. Many “Multi-Sport” courses are free or inexpensive.
• Active Coaching – From your Locker, look at your “Profile” and from there, choose “Self-Report”. You can record years of Active Coaching, as well as any self-reported coach development activities.
• non-NCCP – Many coach development activities can earn points. If an event or course is asking for your NCCP, make sure to include it so that the available points end up in your Locker account.

Once you have completed a Coach Workshop, please move forward to becoming certified. This is FREE if you do it within a year of the workshop.

The following people are Coach Evaluators for LTR Coach certification in British Columbia:

• Martin George (Vernon Rowing and Dragon Boat Club)
• Drew Harrison (Claremont Sport Institute Rowing Academy and Victoria City Rowing Club)
• Sonja Lonne (Rowing BC)
• Lisa Tschannen (Rowing BC)
• Aalbert Van Schothorst (University of Victoria)

The following people are Coach Evaluators for RCA Coach certification in British Columbia:

• Martin George (Vernon Rowing and Dragon Boat Club)
• Sonja Lonne (Rowing BC)
• Lisa Tschannen (Rowing BC)
• Jill Wurflinger (Inlet Rowing Club)
• Susanne Walker-Curry (St Michaels University School)

These experienced coaches will guide you through the process and you will both learn and have fun! When you are ready for evaluation, please contact Rowing BC’s Manager of Education, Innovation, and Inclusion, Lisa Tschannen.

Resources for you to make your coaching better and for sharing. If you would like to see something specific here, let Rowing BC’s Manager of Education, Innovation, and Inclusion, Lisa Tschannen know.

• Rowing Canada Aviron Coaches
• Rowing Canada Aviron Safe Sport
• Coaching Association of Canada
• Positive Coaching Alliance
• World Rowing Coach Training Resources
• Capsize Drills (British Rowing)
• World Rowing Para Classification
• SIRC – Motor Learning article

Guest Coaching

Guest Coaching is an avenue through which rowing organizations can access additional coaching resources for one-off or repeating events. This is an opportunity to bring in a coach to the training environment who has different skill sets or experience than the regular coaches, or to temporarily fill a coaching gap that exists in the organization. In most instances, the guest coach will be visiting from their regular coaching duties at another organization, but in some cases may be able to expand into taking on additional responsibilities beyond the arranged guest coaching sessions.

If you are interested in being a guest coach, or you represent an organization that would like to bring in a guest coach, please reach out to Rowing BC’s Manager of Education, Innovation, and Inclusion, Lisa Tschannen (lisa.tschannen@rowingbc.ca) to discuss options.

BC Summer Games

This event is an opportunity for junior rowers to compete in a multi-sport games. It is also a good opportunity for coaches to develop new skills and network. Go HERE to learn more about coaching at the BC Summer Games.