Squash Coach Educates Coaches!

I have been designing, writing and delivering coaching education materials for National Sport Governing Bodies, and more recently the Smith College M.Sc. Coaching program since 1987. I have developed coaching materials for the Coaching Association of Canada, but I have also developed coaching content for other organizations including Squash Canada, Tennis Canada and Racquetball Canada.

During this time of sport science teaching I have always been an active coach and competitor, enabling my practical experience to inform my classroom and on-court teaching. I coached the Canadian Jr. Men’s team (featuring a very young Jonathon Power and Graham Ryding) at the 1990 World Championships, and have been the Head coach of Squash at Smith College since 1994.  I have also won the MA 45+ Squash Championships and held a top 10 US Squash 45+ ranking on two occasions, winning the MA Softball Doubles Championships once (with a female partner) and been ranked 23rd in the World Racketlon Doubles Rankings (2007; table tennis, badminton, squash, tennis).

Currently I am a member of the USSRA Coaching Committee and an ASEP Coaching Principles Instructor. I also teach in the Smith College Graduate Program in Coaching, one of only  a handful of NCASE Level 4 Approved Coaching Programs in the U.S.A.

I graduated from the Master’s in Coaching Program at the University of Western Ontario (Coaching/Sport Psychology double), and am the only college coach in the U.S.A. with full-time Head Coach responsibilities and a simultaneous Faculty appointment teaching the equivalent of three, four-credit academic courses.  Recently (at Smith College) I have taught:

• ESS 110 Introduction to Sports Coaching (undergraduate)
• ESS 220  Psychology of Sport (undergraduate)
• ESS 500 Foundations of College Coaching (graduate)
• ESS 507 Critical Thinking & Coaching Research (graduate)
• ESS 565  Seminar in Sport Pedagogy & Motor Learning (graduate)
• ESS 520 Sport Leadership for Sport Coaches (graduate)

Other Smith College courses taught in the past include:

• ESS 100 Introduction to Exercise & Sport Studies (undergraduate)
• ESS 130 Stress Management (undergraduate)
• ESS 505-506 Practicum  (graduate supervisor)

Non-Smith Coaching Education Courses taught:

• ASEP’s “Coaching Principles” course
• Coaching Association of Canada’s NCCP Level 1, 2, 3 Theory courses
• Master Course Conductor for the NCCP, training Facilitators to deliver the above courses, and evaluating their teaching of these courses
• NCCP Level 4 Courses taught:  Task 7 – Mental Training for Athletes, Task 8 – Mental Training for Coaches, Task 13  – Performance Analysis.

Coaching/Consulting Certification’s Include:

• NSCA Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (CSCS)
• Member, Canadian Mental Training Registry (equivalent to AASP Certified Consultant)
• Squash Canada Level 4 Coach (targets national team athletes)
• Tennis Canada Level 3 Technical Coach (targets U18 jr. national players)
• Racquetball Canada Level 1 Instructor
• U.S. Squash Level 3 Certification (highest level)
• World Professional Squash Association Pro 1 Certification (hardball squash – highest level)

Specific examples of coaching education projects include:

1. Sport Psychology section of the Racquetball Canada Level 3 Coaching manual.
2. Contributor to the Sport Psychology chapters of the NCCP (French) Level 1 & 2 Theory Manuals.
3. Sport Psychology chapter of the NCCP (French) Level 3 Theory Manual.
4. Sport Psychology material in Tennis Canada’s Coach 2 Manual.
5. Sport Psychology chapter of Squash Canada’s Level 3 Coaching Manual.
6. Developed the Sport Psychology competencies for the USSRA Coaching Program.
7. Course Conductor for Sport Quebec delivering more than 50 Level 1, 2 and 3 Theory courses in both English and French between 1992 and 2000.
8. Analysed and compared NCCP Level 1-3 French and English Theory learning objectives for the Coaching Association of Canada as a first step in revising their coaching program.
9. As a Master Course Conductor for the NCCP, trained course conductors to deliver Theory and Integrated Courses.
10. Helped develop and deliver content at the Princeton Squash Coaches Academy.
11. Presenter/evaluator for the NCCP Level 4 Sport Psychology Tasks.
12. Presenter/Evaluator for Squash Canada’s Level 4 Performance Analysis task.
13. Co-Presenter on Squash Canada’s Level 4 Advanced Tactics task.
14. Co-Organized and presented at the Squash Coaching Conference at the 1998 Jr, Men’s World Squash Championships.
15. Facilitated the 2002 USSRA Coaching Conference and the 2006 CSA Coaching Conference.
16. I have also made presentations at National Coaching Conferences in Canada and overseas, including the U.S.A., Barbados, Trinidad, Egypt, Iran and Spain; and made presentations for the World Professional Squash Association, the College Squash Association, the USSRA, Squash Canada and the World Squash Federation.

I stay up to date via Twitter and by reading scientific journals every month, as well as checking out coaching related new books.  Preparing to teach my courses every year also keeps me sharp!

 

 

Keep an eye out for my summer and fall 2014 Squash Coaching Education opportunities!