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The number of qualified
judo coaches in Hillingdon Borough has more than tripled thanks
to a grant from the PlaySport London: Skills Investment Programme.
More than 100 people aged
between six and 60 learn the Olympic sport at Hillingdon Judo
Club and Harefield Community Centre in Harefield and Willow Heart
Judo club in Uxbridge.
Traditionally, they have
been tutored by a team of three qualified coaches, who worked
across the three clubs helped by a group of experienced volunteers.
Hillingdon Judo Club coach
and black belt Vic Webber said the small number of qualified coaches
meant formulating session plans and delivery difficult, not to
mention finding cover on holidays and sickness. It also limited
the sport’s potential to expand.
“Money was definitely a
barrier to getting more of our volunteers qualified as coaches,”
the retired fire-fighter says.
Fortunately, the sport’s
London Development Manager Karen French heard about the PlaySport
London: Skills Investment Programme. Led by the National Skills
Academy for Sport and Active Leisure, the programme is part of
the Mayor’s plan, ‘A Sporting Future for London’.
It provides up to 75% off
the cost of training to increase the number of Londoners working
and volunteering in the sports sector, and up-skill those already
involved. All funding recipients need to do in return is volunteer
their new found skills in their local community.
In late 2010, the clubs
successfully applied to train four volunteers in the Level 1 Certificate
in Coaching Judo and seven in the Level 2 Certificate in Coaching
Judo. By the end of November 2010, Hillingdon will have at least
11 qualified coaches to deliver judo sessions. It will also be
one of the first London boroughs to have almost all coaches trained
up to Level 2.
Vic says the training was
a positive experience for both the new and existing coaches.
“The impact it’s had on
the coaches and the clubs is huge. It’s renewed the motivation
for our older coaches and ensured we have enough qualified new
coaches coming through to sustain good quality judo teaching in
Hillingdon.”
He is certain the funding
will impact the sport beyond the 2012 Olympic Games.
“I feel confident at least
one of the new coaches will open up their own judo club and allow
more learners to enrol and enjoy the benefits of fitness, self
confidence, self discipline and sense of worth judo brings.”
Hillingdon Judo Club train
at The Harefield Academy, Harefield, UB9 6ET. Boys and girls train
on a Monday at 18:45 – 20:00 while men and women follow from 20:00
– 21:45.
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