Advanced Coach Practitioner Course

The ACPC has been developed by Dr Ed Cope of Loughborough University and Dr Iain Simpson of Oakham School as a standalone one-day course designed for experienced practitioners working in talent development environments to review and reflect on their practice. Unlike NGB courses, which primarily focus on session content and structure, the ACPC enables coaches to critically examine their programme design, planning, behaviour, and delivery through the lens of accelerated learning.Talent development environments typically have limited contact time with athletes, making the identification and application of effective learning and development strategies essential to programme success. The course uses an evidence-informed practice framework to help practitioners develop their expertise by examining their specific context and available resources, alongside their own pedagogical approach, beliefs, experience, and expertise.

Workshop 1

Reflexive Practice: An opportunity for practitioners to take a deep dive into their practice and personal growth.

Key questions:What informs the decisions I make ?

What evidence grounds the beliefs that underpin my practice?

What don't I know?

What preconceptions might I have and why do I have them?

What social and political factors affect my practice?

Content:

Myth busting

Reflective and reflexive Practice

Bio-psycho-social lens

Epistemological Chain

COFFEE

Workshop 2

Evidence informed Practice: How our beliefs around theory of learning and pedagogy shape coaching practice.

Key questions:

What are the characteristics of learning?

How do we recognise if learning is happening?

What different types of learning do our athletes need to achieve?

Content:

Evidence informed practice

LUNCH

Workshop 3

Accelerating learning

Key questions:

How is my programme structured to accelerate learning?

How is my session design structured to accelerate learning?

What behaviours and interactions do I use to accelerate learning?

Content:

Nested Planning

Fidelity

Challenge Point Framework

Scaffolding

Desirable Difficulty