Job Opportunity:
Coach Development Lead
Skateboard GB (SBGB) is the UK-wide governing body for skateboarding with responsibility for Olympic and world class performance programme, in addition to grassroots skateboarding and talent in England.
SBGB's role is to add value to Britain's unique, diverse skateboarding community, respecting the heritage and culture of British skateboarding. We work to support individuals and organisations at all levels, from community skatepark campaigns, skate coaches, indoor skateparks, brands, teams and shops and skateboarders themselves.
Skateboarding is much more than just a sport; it’s a lifestyle with its own unique culture. Our staff must have a real passion for, and understanding of, skateboarding. Our team live and breathe skateboarding and have developed a shared vision of trust, learning and collaboration to enable skateboarding to continue to grow and thrive. SBGB is people focused and puts skaters at the heart of everything we do.
Job Description
SBGB have recently undertaken a project in partnership with the skateboard coaching community to design and create a coaching philosophy that reflects the culture and practice of a growing aspect of modern skateboarding.
We are looking for an individual to lead and develop the SBGB Learning Offer. The ideal person is someone who puts the person at the heart of their coaching practice, recognising that every skateboarder is unique and responds differently to support.
It's important to us that coaches facilitate skaters they work with towards a lifelong love of skateboarding through coaching that is exciting, challenging and true to our culture. The post holder will possess the skills and vision to support SBGB to bring this philosophy to life by embedding it within our current and newly created coach development programmes as well as throughout our everyday interactions and ongoing support for our coaches. Our aim is to create adaptable, flexible, coaches who are positive role models for skateboarding.
Skateboarding in the UK is rooted in a culture that is dedicated to the holistic progression of the sport and people involved. SBGB is committed to supporting the development of coaches, and coaching more broadly, in a manner that champions the self-determined, creative, and autonomous nature of skaters. At its core, SBGB wishes to support the individual interests and aspirations of the people that participate in the sport, and believes coaches play a key role in this. The quality of coaching for skateboarders and health and wellbeing of coaches are priorities for SBGB. This role is aimed at developing quality, not quantity.
The post holder will possess the skills and vision to carry out the following:
1. Lead on the management, planning, implementation and evaluation of our recently developed learning offer, including Get Rolling courses.
2. Ensure that the SBGB broad learning offer reflects the progression of skateboarding in addition to societal needs more broadly. It is crucial that the successful candidate gives time and attention to this, is constantly engaging with relevant developments nationally and internationally, and refreshes/updates content and resources where needed.
3. Ensure that coaches are developed with expertise to support people enjoying the sport for the first time through to helping skateboarders compete successfully alongside the world’s best. The Coach Development Lead will help to coordinate the most appropriate support for coaches at any given point in their development, which may involve collaborating with external partners.
4. Lead on an annual event/conference to bring together coaches nationally and internationally and engage with World Skate, the International Federation, to understand and inform their work in this space.
5. Encourage ‘good practice’ in skateparks with a variety of support mechanisms for coach development via the existing cohort of Coach Mentors.
6. Create and lead a ‘Coaching Working Group’, to promote effective and ethical coaching, leveraging and also influencing the views of the wider skate community, and checking and challenging current and anticipated future work.
7. Continue the development and growth of a Community of Practice, both in person and online to allow coaches to engage in discussion about skateboarding and their coaching practice. SBGB Hub sites and other venues can be used to encourage the organic growth of communities of learning by hosting regular open house nights for coaches to attend.
8. Maintain highly effective working relationships with skateboarders and coaches, together with a range of national stakeholders, including SBGB staff, Hub Skateparks, Skateboard Coaching Community, other NGB’s, Sport Councils and UK Sport.
9. Be invested in their own personal and professional development and will identify and pursue opportunities for their own long-term learning and professional growth.
Person Specification
The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate the following skills, experience and attributes:
· Demonstrated experience in a freestyle / action sports coaching environment and supporting the learning and development of others
· Be an advocate for SBGB and skateboarding by actively championing its positive impact on society.
· Demonstrate the ability to set, manage and evaluate a budget
· Understanding of learning and professional development within the sports coaching industry.
· Proven operational project management experience.
· Ability to work as part of a team, understanding the role of organisational culture, values and behaviours.
· Ability to work under pressure.
· Generate innovative solutions and creative problem solving.
· A flexible approach to work. The role will involve working during weekends and evenings and some national travel.
· Able to evaluate situations and react accordingly, demonstrating good negotiation skills.
· Appreciative of the requirements of key stakeholders.
· Outstanding verbal and good written communication skills.
· Ability to build and maintain effective relationships with people at all levels.
· Proficient and comfortable with IT, including both widely used office software as well as social media and digital communications platforms.
Package
· Salary: c. £35,000
· Benefits: Pension contributions, allowable expenses.
· Holidays: 25 days per year plus statutory days.
How To Apply
SBGB is fully committed to equality of opportunity for all job applicants and aims to select people for employment based on their skills, abilities, experience, knowledge and, where appropriate, qualifications and training. SBGB encourages job applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates irrespective of their gender, ethnicity, religion, belief or sexual orientation, and those with disabilities (for whom all reasonable adjustments will be made to enable them to fulfil their duties.).
To apply, please send a covering letter stating why you are suitable for the role and your CV to:
James Hope-Gill, Chief Executive Officer james@skateboardgb.org
Closing date for applications is 12.00 noon on Wednesday 19 October 2022.
Interviews will be held in London on Monday 7th November 2022.