Momentum is building for the development of Canoe Slalom in Southeast Asia thanks to a week-long coaching course in Singapore.
The International Canoe Federation organised the course in collaboration with the Singapore Canoe Federation which ran from November 18 to 24.
A total of 14 coaches were in attendance including 12 from Singapore and two from the Philippines.
The course, run by vastly-experienced coach Mike Druce, was held following the successful staging of the ICF’s development camp in Pattaya, Thailand earlier this year.
Druce, the former Head Coach of the Australia Canoe Slalom team, was delighted by the enthusiasm for the sport in the Southeast Asian region.
“There is a lot of new energy and passion to get slalom progressing in Singapore and across Southeast Asia,” said Druce.
“The exciting thing about this course is that it came from the coaches that were involved in the Thailand camp.
“They asked to run the course to take slalom further and the ICF agreed to support this activity which was fantastic.”
Druce started the course by outlining the history and rules of the sport and going over the foundation skills with the coaches.
Other topics included how to plan and run coaching sessions and how to coach athletes through to high-level competitions.
The course also consisted of practical sessions with coaches given the chance to put what they had learned into action.
During these on-water sessions, the participants focused on how to teach a kayak roll and were advised on the skills needed to navigate gates.
“It is much more important to be working with the coaches because it’s a multiplier,” said Druce.
“Anything we can do to improve the number and the quality of coaches in these countries means that when the athlete camp is over and when everyone goes home, that activity level and momentum keeps going.
“It’s not about just parachuting athletes into a training camp and then they go home to work on their own.
“You have to ensure there is a lively slalom culture with a good training environment in those countries.”
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