Coaching

Coaching Criteria

There are several different grades of coaches/instructors. Guidelines as to their capabilities are set out below.  This does not prevent an individual from coaching or instructing at higher levels.

Official HPA Team Coach

• Currently used by the HPA to coach HPA selected teams and to help with courses and seminars.
• Appointed annually by the Development Committee.

HPA Qualified Coach

• Ability and experience to coach players of 3 goals and above and teams of 8 goals and above.
• Should have reached 3 goals.

Official HPA Instructor

• Currently used by the HPA to help with courses.
• Appointed annually by the Development Committee.

HPA Qualified Instructor

• Ability and experience to get a player above 0 goals and to coach a ‘low goal’ team.
• Would normally have reached 2 goals and be over 21 years of age.
• Technically correct when demonstrating stick work and riding.

Club Instructor

• Good understanding of the rules and positioning for set plays and basic team tactics.
• Teaches according to HPA Guidelines.
• Must normally have held a handicap of at least 0 and be over 18 years of age.

Voluntary Assistants

• Those who have attended the one-day course to learn the basic guidelines in order to help in a voluntary capacity (e.g. at their club or in the Pony Club).
• No assessment has been made of their knowledge or ability to help with instruction and thus they do not hold any qualification.

TO OBTAIN A QUALIFICATION
There will be two courses a year for prospective coaches and instructors.  Anyone attending the course must be eligible by age and handicap for the qualification that they are trying to achieve and also have an umpire grade and valid First Aid Certificate.  Prior to the course, those attending for the first time will be sent the guidelines and the coaching DVD. Each course will be three days in length as follows:
Day 1  Introduction, coaching communication at all levels including children, effective coaching of skills and of team building, sports psychology, discussion of contents of DVD to cover guidelines, hand stick, wooden horse, riding for polo, mounted stickwork, rules, structure of a lesson, demonstration lesson, welfare, health and safety, disclaimers.
Day 2 Each attendee gives two practice lessons.
Day 3  Assessment of those considered ready.
Anyone who has not reached more than 1 goal will usually need to attend as a minimum the first 2 days of their first course and all 3 days of their second before they can expect to qualify; a total of 5 days.

TO UPGRADE A QUALIFICATION
An upgrade will not normally be considered unless an instructor has held the current qualification for a period of two years and has been instructing on a regular basis during that period.
To Qualified Coach.

• Recommended by 2 existing qualified coaches and one Official HPA team coach that they meet the criteria for a Qualified Coach.
• Approval by the Development Committee.

To Qualified Instructor. 

• Recommended by 2 existing qualified coaches that they meet the criteria for a Qualified Instructor.
• Practical demonstration of instruction as required by the HPA. This may be in situ at the applicants club or at another club, or as part of an HPA course.  Costs to be met by the applicant.
• Approval by the Development Committee.

TO MAINTAIN A QUALIFICATION

In order to maintain a qualification, each coach or instructor must:

• Be a member of the HPA.
• Attend a coaching seminar annually.
• Have completed either a British Red Cross ‘Basic First Aid Course (Module 7) or St John’s Ambulance ‘Emergency First Aid for Appointed Persons Course or equivalent and must provide the HPA with a copy of their certificate.
• By 31st January each year pay the annual coaching subscription and submit the coaching proforma to the HPA confirming whether they are providing coaching or instruction free of charge or charging a fee, and that they are covered for public liability individually or as part of a club. Unless doing so on behalf of the HPA, any coach or instructor who charges a fee is not covered under the HPA members’ insurance policy.
  Failure to comply with the above may lead to the withdrawal of the qualification and the listing in the Blue Book.

DIARY 2010

Download an application form for any of the above courses