COACHING FOR CHILDREN

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30042, 29 January 1963, Page 15

COACHING FOR CHILDREN

Centre Asked For Lead

An athletics coaches' group will be formed In Canterbury to help persons interested in coaching children if a recommendation made at the half yearly meeting of track delegates to the Canterbury Athletic Centre last evening comes into effect. The centre was asked to form the group. In a heated discussion, the centre's attitude to coaching and fostering the sport among the younger competitors came under heavy fire.

A coaches' group, said Mr J. T. Cameron, should be to help parents and other persons interested in coaching young competitors. Mr Cameron said the only persons who got any advantage under the present system were those in direct contact with a club. Mr B. Curie asked what was the centre’s attitude to child competitors and the chairman (Mr W. A. Kennedy) asked a member of the executive to reply. "We have tried coaches groups before and they have not been successful,” said Mr E. Lunn. “This has not been the fault of the centre.”

’That does not answer my question,” said Mr Curie. “We will encourage children as much as possible but it is up to the clubs to bring them to the park,'* said Mr Kennedy. “We are an administrative body, not a coaching one.” He said the coaches did not agree with any of the centre’s propoMls or efforts to form coaches groups. "I agree the centre should give the coaches as much help as possible. I suggest we assign a group of them to cover the different areas of the city, unselfishly and irrespective of what dub they belong to.*' Mr Carle: I don’t think that would be very practical. Mr Kennedy: That’s whst I mean. Whenever we make a suggestion we get very little help from the coaches. "The centre ba* turned itself into a group of exeeiieot administrators. They do nothing to help foster the sport When there wm a coaches* group they were very pleased m long m they did not have to take any responsibility” arid Mrs K 8. Jameson. Mr G k Yoang raid the only way snui fm the cartre the fn aches themselves, given the perranalitlea in the sport at the moment