Certificate in Coaching Children (ECB Level 2)
Coaching children is a challenging and enormously rewarding role within the coaching pathway. Players need expertise, support and passion at every level of their development; this course is designed with your players’ needs at its core.
In turn, the experiences, tasks, practices and sharing of ideas which you experience during the course are designed to help equip you with the tools you need to meet your players’ needs. Just as players learn quickly, so do coaches. The challenge for all coaches is to learn as they develop, just as players do.
Who Should Attend?
Coaches who wish to coach children from the age of 6 to 13 years. You may be a new coach, a qualified Coach Support Worker or a Level 2 Young Person and Adult coach who wishes to access ‘child specific’ content.
Commitment
- 8 x 3 hour modules (usually Thursdays) or 4 x 6 hour modules (usually Sundays)
- Home study e-learning modules
- Six supported practice sessions (usually completed in your own club environment)*
*Usually new coaches undertake their supported session at RCC winter training sessions. Provisional 2020 winter sessions from Late February to early April:
U9 Sun 17.30-18.30 FHS
U11 Girls Sun 17.30-18.30 Weydon
U11 Sun 18.30-20.00 FHS and second venue Weydon
U13 Girls Sun 09.30- 11.00 Weydon
U13 Sun 11.15- 12.45 Weydon
U15 Thurs 18.30-20.00 FHS
U16 girls Fri 19:30-20.30 FHS
Attendance to all 7 modules on the course and venue you are registered for is mandatory to complete the qualification. Only in exceptional circumstances will you be able to switch course/venue.
Please be aware that flexibility will no longer be considered for those stating holiday as a reason for non-attendance.
Pre-requisites
- Emergency First Aid Certificate – We run First Aid courses should you wish to complete a course.
- Safeguarding Young Cricketers – An online module which is an aspect of the course.
- Cricket specific DBS – Please let us know if you need us to send you a form.
- Copy of your passport or right to work/study in the UK.
- Aged 18 years on date of assessment.
Read personal accounts from RCC coaches below:
Firstly the practical elements of the course were really good fun. I learnt lots, mostly about engaging with children, keeping their attention – and making sure we impart the fun of cricket.
The admin part of the course was less fun, but clearly necessary – and I was lucky that I was given support – organisation clearly not my strong point
As to coaching itself – I love it. This is my third season of being an official coach. It is worth admitting I’m very lucky with my admin support here. Becky King works exceptionally hard and is really good at it – dare I say it, I think we make a good team.
With all things you get out what you put in. I’m coaching at an age group where lots of children are making unconscious decisions about whether they will continue with cricket or not – it is as important to nurture the talents of the best players – and we have 9 districts players in the u11 team, as it is to nurture the love of the game for those not so talented, who could very easily be lost to the game.
It is quite simply the best thing I do
Becoming a level 2 coach is well worth it! Getting stuck in with the coaching is far far better than standing on the sideline watching.
The course involved some online learning material and testing – not too onerous. Most could be done with a cuppa / beer and was knocked off in a few hours over a few evenings / weekends. They say the online stuff was 50 hours, but I think probably it only took half that. First aid courses / child safeguarding are as they say.
The coaching course itself is a bit of a commitment – several Sundays in a row and for several hours at a time. The course itself is fun and made me remember how much I love playing cricket myself. Most courses were located in places not too far away so it was easy to find one that worked for me. The hard part was finding a gap in the diary where you can do the whole course (you need to attend all parts, and the several weekends in a row bit can make that tricky).
The assessment at the end of the course was a bit daunting – having a group of random kids turn up while you run a coaching session, but actually it was not too bad.
You also need to observe / join in on 6 coaching sessions with your club before your assessment and have these signed off. That was not too bad, as in winter that can include nets etc.
Since finishing the course, I have joined another coach and we share year 2 – have done this for 2 seasons. 2 coaches is well worth it so if you can buddy up it helps (one person away / ill etc – no issues). The kids are really starting to actually learn something and improve. When you try a new activity and it seems to make a difference that is a really good feeling. There are some challenging aspects- keeping 24 kids engaged on a Friday after school is tricky and occasionally they can revert to pretty grotty behaviour, but we have got some nice tricks for dealing with that now – again all part of the experience.
All in all great fun to do, and brilliant to be involved.
Despite my reservations, the course itself turned out to be really good fun and even the most cynical person would have to admit they learnt a lot from the course leaders. Whether you’re a cricketing old hand or new to the game you learn important techniques on how to get your message over to the players (we all still use them now several years in). The subsequent paperwork, the practice sessions and the assessment can be a pain, but I can honestly say once it’s done you’re in a much stronger position to coach the children. Despite the time pressure and the occasional “oh I really can’t be bothered” moment, and we all have them it’s one of the most rewarding things I’ve done and I wouldn’t change it.
I have played cricket all my life and have helped out with junior coaching over the last few years. I was sceptical about how much value doing the Level 2 qualification might add, but it turned out to be incredibly useful. It was interesting to see how the ECB now focuses on ‘core principles’ and to learn how much coaching philosophy has changed since the ‘MCC text book’ days. Having qualified as a Level 2 coach, I now have a much clearer picture of how to help children with the basics: how it’s important to often not change too much, but rather to focus on certain key elements (like balance, head position and presenting the full face of the bat). I’d highly recommend doing the course to anyone who wants to help children learn to play the game.
