December 2008

We recently held the pilot for the new Competition-Development (Comp-Dev) which is replacing Level 3 certification.

The pilot was held over two weekends and is considered to be very successful, with excellent feedback and very constructive suggestions. The team will now be focusing on updating and finalizing materials so that we can apply for approval from the Coaching Association of Canada in the coming months.

Our thanks go to the participant coaches – Grant Brehaut, Steve Flewwelling, Steve Carroll, Rob Wells, David Bedard and Terri Breen – and to our Learning Facilitators – Dallas Ludwick, Andrée Pouliot-Deschamps, Isabelle Cloutier, Aurelie Gibson and Igor Kopecky – for their hard work and feedback in making this context a reality.

With Level 3 being phased out and with recommendations now reviewed, we can begin to share information with you so that planning can begin for the next phase.

Who is the Comp-Dev coach?

Competition-Development identifies the level of diver that the coach is coaching, rather than the level of coach experience. Coaches should only advance to a different context or Competition level if they begin coaching divers at a different level. This is different from the old Levels NCCP. Coaches wishing to advance professionally but staying with the same level of athletes can look at the Advanced or Master level with the Comp-Dev context.

Competition-Development in Diving is generally defined as follows, although the coach may work with divers at other levels too:

• Based on the Diving LTADM – Competitive Foundations level of athlete
• Girls age 8-12, boys age 9-13
• Athletes are getting to the end of the trainability window before puberty, where rapid improvement is possible
• Training approximately 12-15 hours per week (4-5 practices)
• Looking for points in competition, quality of execution, consistency of individual dives,
• Specifically – uses low DD, scores 8+ from time to time, beginning to knock on international door, precision in mechanics becoming apparent
• Priorities – proper use of springboard, come out and entry technique, balance and alignment, extremely tight legs and toes, reflexive movements

Prerequisites to take Comp-Dev Training

CAC has identified the following Competition-Introduction modules as prerequisites for Comp-Dev:

o Making Ethical Decisions (MED) (must complete online evaluation)
o Plan a Practice
o Design a Sport Program
o Analyze Performance (including belt)

Provinces and learning facilitators will need to ensure that candidates for this program have completed these 4 modules

Outcomes and Modules

Ten modules in total must be completed by the Competition-Development coach. Five of the modules can be taken through the provincial coaching association. These are typically held one or two events or for one day during a weekend. Ideally, these should be taken prior to the Diving Comp-Dev training, however we have no control over when the provinces offer these courses.. The multi-sport modules are:

• Psychology
• Doping
• Conflict
• Coaching and Leading
• Prevention and Recovery

The remaining five modules will be given by Diving Canada Learning Facilitators over the two weekends of the Diving Comp-Dev course, plus a short module on Prevention and Recovery to supplement the multi-sport one:

• Analyze Performance
• Developing Athletic Abilities
• Plan a Practice (continued from Comp-Intro)
• Performance Planning
• Manage a Sport Program
• Prevention and Recovery

Diving Comp-Dev Training Course

• The Comp-Dev course will be held once per year over two 3-day weekends, with the first weekend being the end of July/early August and the second weekend in October. We hope to offer the course at the same time each year.
• Coaches must attend both weekends of training
• Coaches must apply to take the training (applications will be due in May), and must have the approval of their provincial section.
• Costs have not yet been finalized but can be guestimated at this time. Coaches and provincial sections need to budget for the course cost (we anticipate approx. $800), plus travel, plus the multi-sport modules (these are typically held in all major cities across the country).
• The Diving Comp-Dev course will be held in two different cities – one in the east and one in the west.
• A maximum of 10 coaches will be accepted into the course.

Evaluation and Certification

Evaluations can begin only following the two weekends. Coaches will receive ‘trained’ status after they attend both weekends. Evaluations will include homework assignments, visits to practices and competitions. A practical element will also be included – this is still under review. It will take one year or longer for a coach to complete the entire process.

Transfer from old Levels NCCP to New NCCP

CAC has not created a policy on transferring qualifications from Level 3 to the new Comp-Dev. This will only be available in the spring or summer of 2009.

For Levels 1 and 2, a generic policy has been passed by the CAC Board. Diving Canada will be asked in the coming months to finalize the requirements for Diving, then coaches will be transferred from the old Levels NCCP to the new NCCP in the coming year.

For all coaches transferring to the new NCCP, the Making Ethical Decisions on-line evaluation will have to be completed with five years. The policy on professional development activities has not been finalized yet – more details to come on this in the coming months.

Coaches who do not complete the MED module or their professional development activities will be removed from the active NCCP database.

Instructor Beginner training

In addition to the above, and in anticipation of completing the Instruction-Beginner level, we hope to begin training Learning Facilitators on the new Instruction-Beginner, starting in the summer of 2009.

Learning Facilitators who are already Comp-Intro trained be targeted first with updates – our Masters can then begin to train those who have not yet had an introduction to the new NCCP.

I will be in touch with each provincial section shortly to determine who needs to be trained and to look at potential locations.

Re-cap

Provinces will need to:

• Identify who should apply for the Comp-Dev course in 2009 and subsequent years – a maximum of 10 coaches from all provinces can take this course in any one year
• Arrange for funding to this course (fee plus two weekends of travel)
• Arrange training as needed for the Comp-Dev candidates to complete the Comp-Intro prerequisites
• Arrange funding and training for Instruction-Beginner Learning Facilitators – basically anyone who has given a Pre-Level 1 Instructor course in the last 5 years.

We hope this information is of help to you in explaining to coaches how the process will work. Additional communications will be forthcoming. Please contact me if you have any questions. Several but not all the CAC policies are developed at this time, so there will be some areas that cannot yet be addressed.