Coaching Qualifications Overview | Paddle Northern Ireland

Paddle NI in association with British Canoeing provides a range of coaching qualifications aimed at everyone from club paddlers and novices to advanced paddlers in a range of disciplines.

Below is an overview of each award. You can start at either Paddlesport Activity Assistant, Paddlesport Instructor or Coach. It all depends on what you want to coach and which environment you wish to coach in.

Which qualification is right for me?

Paddlesport Instructor
The Paddlesport Instructor course is for those who introduce people to the exciting world of paddlesport through fun games and inspiring sessions in a very sheltered environment.

Structure
- 2 day course
- FSRT or PSRC and Membership
- Trained and assessed on course
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SUP Instructor
Designed for instructors running SUP taster/starter sessions within the safety management systems of clubs, centres or other organisations in very sheltered water environment.

Structure
- 2 day course
- PSRC and Membership
- Trained and assessed on course
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Coach
This award is for paddlers looking at delivering a series of sessions and improving the performance of their athletes or clients. There are eighteen different pathways with this award delivering sessions in either sheltered, moderate or advanced water environments.

Structure
- 2 days of core training (or blended learning over 7 weeks)
- 2 days of discipline specific training
- Training and preparation
- 1 day assessment
- Watch our video
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Performance Coach
Provides well practiced coaches the opportunity to further develop and refine their coaching practices and to enhance their ability to use sophisticated coaching practices to improve the performance and long-term development of the paddlers they coach.

Structure
- 2 day Community of Learning event
- Online community learning and virtual learning environment
- 3 x Mentoring Sessions (online) (approx 2 hours each)
- 1 day assessment
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