BCAB Coaching Podcast

S3 Ep8 TALENT - Talking to your child if you think they are struggling

This episode is the second of a three part Mental Health Series, in this part we talk about how to speak to your child if you have a concern about them and might be worried that they’re not coping with stress or otherwise struggling with their mental health. Joining these discussions are Louise Ramsdale (Canoe Slalom Central Regional Academy Coach) and Zofia Campbell (Performance Wellbeing Coach). 

S3 Ep.7 TALENT - Helping your child to manage stress and promoting self care

This episode is the first of a three part Mental Health Series. In this part we will be talking about helping your child manage stress and promoting self-care. We're all affected by stress from time to time, and it’s something that seems to affect us more and more in modern life. Stress can have a big impact on our personal wellbeing and can cause mental health issues and in serious cases it could become chronic.

To discuss this important topic we are joined by Luke Smyth (Canoe Slalom Academy Programme Technical Coach) and Zofia Campbell (Performance Wellbeing Coach). We hope this podcast helps parents to talk to their children about stress and support them to manage it as best as possible.

S3 Ep. 6 MINI-SERIES - The role of a Performance Psychologist

Sid Sinfield starts a new strand of episodes this season that focus on supporting staff working in British Canoeing World-class Programmes and their pathways into their roles. In the first episode in this strand, Sid speaks with Jonathan Smith, Performance Psychologist on the Olympic Sprint and Paracanoe programmes. 

Jonathan explains the role of a performance psychologist and his own professional journey into that role.  He also suggests other routes into that role and gives helpful advice for those who are interested in becoming a performance psychologist. 

He discusses how performance psychologists can measure effectiveness of their interventions on athlete performance and how his role contributes to the wider team of support staff in promoting optimal athlete development. 

 

S3 Ep.5 - TALENT: Parenting at Events

In the next episode of our Talent strand, we are joined by Louise Ramsdale, Canoe Slalom Central Regional Development Squad coach and Happy Wright, Volunteer Psychologist for the England Talent Programme to discuss some key principles that parents should aim to follow when parenting at events and the importance of having good communication channels with their child and coach.

S3 Ep.4 - TALENT: Sleep

In the first of our podcasts from the British Canoeing England Talent Programme, we are joined by Luke Gupta (Physiology Consultant for the English Institute of Sport) to discuss the importance of sleep, the key principles of sleep and getting into good sleeping habits.

UK Programme athletes and Tokyo 2020 Olympians Mallory Franklin, Kimberley Woods, Deborah Kerr and Katie Reid are also guests on this podcast epsiode where they share their sleep routine, how this has differed as they have moved into the senior age group and their experiences of sleeping prior to a big race.

S3 Ep.3 - COACHING: Performance under pressure: How to create clutch performances and prevent choking

Lee Pooley speaks with Lucy Boyce, who is a Coaching Adviser at British Canoeing, a recent masters graduate in Sports and Exercise Psychology at Loughborough University and a keen canoe polo player. 

They discuss Lucy’s research into the subjective experiences of athletes of choking and clutch performance in order to reach a better understanding of the factors that can impede or promote superior sport performance. Lucy explains the importance of creating a psychologically safe training environment for athletes to reduce choking performances to improve their mastery and performance. Lucy and Lee also explore what is involved in creating that environment, the factors that can lead to choking performance and how coaches can identify and support those likely to choke in pressurised situations. She also makes very practical suggestions on how to capitalise from choking and clutch performances.

Lucy's dissertation is available from the British Canoeing Awarding Body Digital Library here.

S3 Ep.2 - COACHING: Aspects of the coach-athlete relationship that impact on athlete performance

Sid Sinfield speaks with Kieren Dews, a Sprint Canoe Coach. They discuss Kieren’s research into the perceived factors that underpin the coach-athlete relationship and the health and well-being of athletes within elite performance. They explore the importance of aligned goals between the coach and athlete, the concept of ‘closeness’ in developing a trusting relationship with effective communication, as well as the application of the research findings for wider coaching practice.

S3 Ep.1 - COACHING: Techniques for improving boat velocity

In our first podcast of the year, Lee Pooley speaks to Hannah Brown, an Academy Coach in the Paracanoe team at British Canoeing, about her research into key factors that can influence boat velocity. They discuss the key findings of Hannah’s research and consider techniques coaches and athletes can use to measure and improve performance in the field to increase boat velocity.

S2 E24 - Athlete and Coach Burnout Considerations with Ben Woodruff

In a special follow up episode of the British Canoeing Awarding Body Coaching Podcast Lee delves deeper into the athlete and participant involvement in burnout with Ben Woodruff. Throughout the podcast they discuss the impact of burnout on coaches and athletes, why and how a coach should consider designing sessions to mitigate against athlete burnout and 5 top tips on how to prevent yourself or others burning out. It is imperceptive as a coach or employer to ensure you/those in your employment are protected from burnout as this mental health condition can cause long term effects to individuals experiencing it. Before you listen just a pre-warning: on this podcast we discuss some sensitive subjects around mental health, with some things that may be triggers for those suffering mental health conditions. It’s an important conversation that’s becoming more and more pertinent, but please only listen if you can.

 

You can find the research conducted by Ben here.

 

You can download the episode transcript here.

 

Struggling with mental health?

If you or anyone you know is suffering with their mental health please seek help:

• Mind
• Calm
• NHS or see your GP
• Samaritans
• Mental Health Foundation
• Counselling

Want to learn more?

Want to learn more about how to support your paddlers or those around you with their mental health? Visit the below:

• Open University
• Mind
• BBC
• NHS
• Mental Health Foundation

Supporting paddlers

As part of our continual commitment to support paddlers we are offering a service for anyone who has witnessed, been involved or has been affected by a paddlesport incident. Please use the contact details on the British Canoeing Safety page if you would like to talk to one of our trained TRIM Practitioners who can offer support and signpost to an appropriate agency.

S2 E23 - Coach Philosophy (Julie Perren) - Miniseries

In the final instalment of the Coaching Philosophy Miniseries with Lee Pooley we hear from Julie Perren, Chairperson at Totnes Canoe Club. Listen to Lee ask Julie about his journey to where he is today, hear them discuss the significant events that helped shape Julie's coaching career and gain a valuable insight into the importance of having a coaching philosophy.

To download the transcript for this episode click here.