Coaching Empowers is intended to upgrade the level of coaching and to encourage more females to volunteer as coaches

The efforts of the Għajnsielem Redcoats to increase the rate of participation in sports especially among females, continue with the COACHING EMPOWERS project. This initiative is intended to upgrade the level of coaching, and to encourage more females to volunteer as coaches. Increasing the number of female coaches would be of benefit to both the individuals themselves, as coaching empowers, as well as to young female athletes as they would have female role models as their coaches.

The three COACHING EMPOWERS clinics will take place later on this month with the first one set for September 20/21. The second is scheduled for the following week, September 27/28, and the final clinic will take place on October 4/5.

Nicole Thomas, who is currently coaching and playing softball in Austria with the Vienna M-Stars, will conduct two of the three coaching clinics. The first one, titled INTRODUCING THE FUNDAMENTALS, is intended for those coaching the younger softball players, T-Ball, Minors and Majors. Ms Thomas will also deliver the third coaching clinic titled TEACHING SKILLS WITH FUN DRILLS. This is intended for those coaching youth and adult softball teams. Nicole who comes from Irvine California, is a University of North Carolina at Greensboro graduate and former starting pitcher of the UNCG Spartans. She has extensive experience coaching kids, youths as well as adults.

The second of the three coaching clinics is probably the most appealing to the local sporting community as it covers topics and issues which everyone who is involved in coaching face on a regular basis. Day 1 of ACHIEVING MORE DURING PRACTICE includes an overview of the benefits of adopting a multilateral approach during practices, ideas on how to incorporate values-based coaching during the sessions, as well as how to address issues of discipline within the participants. A very interesting topic which will also be covered is how to help athletes become the best that they can be through guidance on how to improve intrinsic qualities which would give them the edge over their opponents. Day 2 of ACHIEVING MORE DURING PRACTICE will provide ideas how coaches can plan a season and design practice sessions. The clinic ends with how to conduct a practice session, the practical part of the two-day clinic.

Ms Helena Novotná will deliver the ACHIEVING MORE DURING PRACTICE coaching clinic. Ms Novotná is a Coaches’ Instructor and Head Coach of T-Ball at SK Joudrs Praha of the Czech Republic, and is considered as one of the leading European softball coaches because of her multilateral approach in developing young softball athletes. She is also Communications Director within the European Softball Federation, and Editor in Chief at the Czech Softball Federation.

All the sessions of the three coaching clinics will take place at the Gozo College Ghajnsielem Primary School. Those interested in attending these clinics should contact the Ghajnsielem Redcoats at least three days before the clinic through the Facebook page of the Club, or by contacting Joseph Scicluna on 99429422, or through Messenger.

This initiative has been supported by the Ministry for Gozo Sport Organisations Assistance Scheme, a funding programme for Sport Organisations on the Island of Gozo.

This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Ministry for Gozo cannot be held responsible for the content or any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

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