Last weekend (7-8 February 2015) anyone who made the trip to the British Dressage Para-Equestrian Coaching Symposium ‘Two Athletes One Performance’ was rewarded with a range of inspirational presentations and demos by a great cast of carefully selected experts and sporting luminaries.
The two-day conference, supported by Sport England, was geared towards anyone hoping to enhance their skills and knowledge in para dressage coaching. Saturday, which focused on rider development and coaching philosophy featured presentations by BD Para Director David Hamer; Paralympic coach Nina Venables; former England and British Lions rugby player and head of Elite Coach Development for British Swimming, Nigel Redman; World Class Sport Psychologist Jennie Killilea; and European, World and Paralympic gold medallist Deb Criddle.
SATURDAY
David Hamer got the ball rolling first with an introduction, and then discussion on ‘What is Talent’ – talent versus ability. As an example he used the four characteristics of talented players making the breakthrough to elite football - attributes which could be transferred to any sport: discipline; commitment; resilience; and finding and using social support.
Nina Venables was the next to take to the floor. The theme of her presentation was how she needed to build her own self confidence. Despite having been to three Paralympic Games, she still had to face her ‘black holes and dark places’ when confronted by her ECAP experience. Nina described how she had to learn to focus on her strengths by turning the mirror on herself, and reflected on the moment her pupil Deb Criddle won her first medal in Athens and how that moment helped her define her coaching philosophy.
Jennie Killilea followed after the break with Psychology for Coaches. Jennie changed the title to ‘Getting into the Groove’ – this being another name for getting into ‘the zone’. She described how the zone is not always a comfortable experience – it is not a comfort zone! She gave tips on constructive use of ‘belly breathing’ and imagery (videos). She gave tips and strategies a coach could use with their riders to aid performance.
Nigel Redman (pictured right)was next up with an engaging presentation on coaching philosophy. The values incorporated within his coaching systems include • You are who you are, so make the most of who you are • Fall in love with the problem and you’ll be a better solution finder • Creativity and innovation are key but know where to draw the line • Reset expectations and align them to a new environment • You must understand yourself before you can understand others – self-awareness and awareness of others go hand-in-hand • Integrity – be honest with yourself and others • Be courageous – follow your heart – be brave • Love what you do – do it with passion • Nigel encouraged the audience to consider ‘What would you attempt if you knew you would not fail?’
The first day was brought to its conclusion with an inspirational address by Deb Criddle on the rider’s perspective. Deb feels that she’s a rider with ability, not talent, and posed the question, what is talent? She asked - how can this hold people back? She described and gave examples of how her relationship with her coach developed around trust and how important this was. She explained how essential it was for a coach to know what a rider with a disability was feeling when riding. The coach must have the perspective of the feel a rider gets by their disability. Deb emphasised how important it was for a coach to know how the rider learns best and she gave a rider’s perspective of the pressures at a Paralympic Games.
SUNDAY
Sunday, which featured several practical sessions, centred on the other half of the equation – the horse; the management of all aspects of his development and care, and the importance of maintaining optimum physical condition for him to operate at his best. This day welcomed World Class Programme Vet, Dr Rachel Murray; World Class Development Programme Farrier, Ben Benson; designer and creator of saddles and girths, Vanessa Fairfax; World Class Programme Saddler Mark Fisher; Russell Guire from Centaur Biomechanics; and leading international para riders Emma Sheardown and Sophie Wells MBE.
Glynnis Dalley who attended the weekend said: “I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed the symposium this weekend. I’m not a coach, and my son Matthew doesn’t ride at an elite level, but there was a lot of great information that will help both me and Matt to get more out of what he does do.”
Debbie Newton from Derbyshire also benefited from the two days: “Thank you for such an informative and motivational coaching weekend, I’ve learnt such a lot, and been able to take so much away with me.
“I now have new ideas on how to tailor a more constructive coaching programme to individuals that may suit them better. And it was such a breath of fresh air to be given impartial review on all aspects of the horse’s requirements, and to see science put in to back up the reasons why changes, however small, can make a huge difference.
“Thank you to all involved, and thank you to Sport England. It’s been a privilege to be able to have the opportunity to participate in a weekend with such a wealth of inspirational and knowledgeable people.”