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What do Picton, Cromwell, Russell and Great Barrier Island have in common?
They’re just some of the more remote corners of the country that benefited from Yachting New Zealand’s innovative online coach course last year - a programme created specifically to ensure coaches in isolated communities can access the same quality of training as those in urban centres.
Following a successful trial in 2024 that attracted coaches from all over the country, the national body is offering the course again this year in two rounds: one starting next month and the other in August. Each course runs over four consecutive weeks via Zoom, with the July/August intake held on Thursday evenings and the August/September sessions on Tuesdays, both from 6pm to 8pm.
Yachting New Zealand’s coach development manager Kirsten Moratz said the programme had filled a gap in the existing coach education framework.
"This course was designed with the more isolated regions in mind," she said. “It was clear from last year's demand that there was an unmet need, and we actually ended up over-subscribed during the trial. We had coaches from places like Great Barrier Island, Cromwell, Picton, Dunedin, Russell, Kerikeri and beyond take part, and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive."
Yachting New Zealand coach development manager Kirsten Moratz says the online coach course will be offered again this year following a successful trial in 2024.
Participants not only complete structured online sessions, but also undertake homework between classes and receive tailored feedback.
"We use a range of online resources to give coaches the chance to practise coaching, reflect on their sessions, and receive feedback from their peers and the course facilitator," Moratz said.
Several adjustments have been made to this year’s course based on feedback, including shifting the start time later in the evening to better suit those finishing work. The information provided to participants ahead of the course has also been improved to help manage expectations, and some of the content has been refined in response to participant suggestions.
Click here to register for the July/August online coaching course and here for the August/September course.
