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About the ABCC

Mission Statement Grades of Coach Registration
Constitution & Rules Examination Procedures Insurance

Introduction

The Association of British Cycling Coaches is an independent organisation formed to provide an education system and a communication structure for those interested in coaching cyclists. The Officers of the Association consist of the Chairperson, the Administrator, the Treasurer, the Editor of "Cycle Coaching" magazine, the Publicity Officer and the Web Master. It is controlled by an Executive Committee comprised of the Officers and three Committee Members, all elected by ABCC Coaches at the Annual Conference.

For administration purposes the Association follows the Regional boundaries of the three Sports Councils in Great Britain; the Sports Council for Scotland, Sport England, and the Sports Council for Wales.

 

Mission Statement

To create an organisation that provides all cyclists with access to quality coaching.

Objectives

  1. To develop and maintain a coach education system.

  2. To recruit, train and further develop coaches.

  3. To monitor and maintain examination standards linked to a graded award structure.

  4. To maintain a register of qualified coaches.

  5. To develop and maintain effective communications. For example:

    1. to issue periodically a journal to bring to the notice of all cycling coaches the latest information, opinions regarding cycling coaching and associated topics. This journal should also contain items of interest from the proceedings of the Executive Committee.

    2. to organise an Annual Conference for all cycling coaches.

  6. To issue, monitor and update coaching materials which shall be the basis for the education, training and examination of all cycling coaches.

  7. To promote and support coaches in establishing and maintaining an appropriate status.

  8. To encourage qualified coaches to apply their experience and expertise for the benefit of cyclists.

  9. To obtain insurance to protect all registered cycling coaches against insurance claims which may arise during coaching activities.

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Constitution and Rules

  1. Name
    The name of the Association shall be the ASSOCIATION OF BRITISH CYCLING COACHES, which may also be known as the "ABCC" and "Cycle Coaching GB".

  2. Officers
    The Officers of the Association shall consist of the Chairperson, the Administrator, the Treasurer, the Editor of "Cycle Coaching" magazine, the Publicity Officer and the Web Master.

  3. Management
    The management of the Association shall be vested in the Committee which shall consist of the Officers, three Committee Members and Chairpersons of Sub-Committees.

    The Administrator shall notify all Members of the Committee of the date and venue of all Committee Meetings. Five members of the Committee shall form a quorum. Meetings shall be open to all members of the Association to attend but only Members of the Committee may vote. Written minutes shall be kept of all Committee Meetings by the Administrator.

  4. Voting
    All resolutions shall be proposed and seconded, and decided by all those members of the Committee present on a simple majority except in relation to a change in the Constitution and Rules (see sections 10 and 12). In the event of a tied vote the Chairperson shall have the casting vote.

  5. Election
    The Officers and three Committee Members shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting of the Association.

  6. Sub-Committees
    The Committee is empowered to form such Sub-Committees as may be required, if necessary by co-optation.

  7. Membership
    There shall be the following classes of membership

    1. Full Membership

      1. The ABCC Chairperson

      2. ABCC Senior Coaches

      3. ABCC Coaches

      4. ABCC Preliminary Coach Award holders

      5. ABCC Leaders Awards holders

      6. Coaches from other organisations whose qualification standards meet the requirements of the ABCC

      Only full members shall be entitled to hold office, vote, or nominate for office at any Annual General Meeting of the Association and only if their subscriptions have been paid up to date at the fully insured rate.

    2. Associate Membership

      1. Those who are qualified in coaching and registered with ABCC but do not take ABCC coach insurance.

      2. ABCC Student Coaches and those who subscribe to "Cycle Coaching" magazine alone.

  8. Election of New Members

    1. The Committee shall have absolute discretion in electing prospective persons as members of the Association and shall not be required to give their reasons for refusing to admit any persons to membership.

    2. All new full members shall be qualified to the standards from time to time set by the Committee.

  9. Subscriptions
    The annual subscriptions for all classes of members shall be determined by the Committee and be communicated to members on the Membership Renewal Forms. Such subscriptions shall be due on 1st January each year. The Committee shall have power to reduce the subscription for a new member joining after 31st October in any year but the insurance must be paid for the full year. Should subscriptions not have been paid by 1st June in any year, membership will be deemed to have lapsed.

  10. Annual General Meeting

    1. The Annual General Meeting of the Association shall be held before the end of each calendar year. The Administrator shall give 14 days clear notice to all Members entitled to attend via direct communication or in "Cycle Coaching" magazine.

    2. Nominations for Officers of the Association and for three members of the Committee should be forwarded to the Administrator prior to the meeting but this will not preclude the acceptance of nominations at the meeting.

    3. The following business shall be transacted:-

      1. Presentation and agreement of the minutes of the previous Annual General Meeting.

      2. Chairperson's and/or Administrator's report.

      3. Treasurer's report and annual accounts together with an update projection to the current year-end.

      4. Election of Officers.

      5. Election of three members of the Committee.

      6. Election of any other positions.

      7. Election of Auditors.

      8. Resolutions to alter the Constitution and Rules.

      9. Any other relevant business.

  11. Special General Meeting
    A Special.General Meeting of the Association may be called at any time by the Committee or upon the request of 5% of Members of the Association. Only the business for which the meeting is called shall be discussed. A notice specifying the business, the time, and the place of the meeting shall be communicated to each full Member at least 14 days before the date fixed for the Special General Meeting.

  12. Copy of Constitution and Rules
    A copy of the Constitution and Rules shall be published from time to time in "Cycle Coaching" magazine. The Constitution and Rules may be altered at the Annual General Meeting or at a Special General Meeting called for that purpose. At least two thirds of the vote cast is required for an alteration. Not less than 28 days notice shall be given to the Administrator of any proposed alteration.

  13. Equal Opportunities and Equity
    The Association is an equal opportunity and inclusive Organisation. There shall be no discrimination or exclusion from membership on the grounds of any perceived difference such as but not limited to politics, gender, sexual orientation (except as excluded under section 14), religion, race, disability or age. Members are however required to be qualified in cycle coaching to the standards from time to time set by the Committee.

  14. Child Protection
    The Association shall adopt the child protection policies and procedures of Sports Coach UK (formerly the National Coaching Foundation).

  15. Criminal Records Bureau Disclosure Information
    The Association shall comply with the code of practice on Disclosure as published by the Criminal Records Bureau. Such information shall be securely kept by the Administrator, not copied, and only disclosed to the Chairperson and the Treasurer. It shall be destroyed by shredding within 6 months of its receipt. Any spent conviction on the disclosure not concerning suitability for working with the vulnerable shall be disregarded when considering suitability for Membership (Rehabilitation of Offenders Act).

  16. Matters Not Covered
    The Committee shall have the power to decide any matters not covered by the Constitution and Rules and any decision shall be final.

  17. Suspension and Expulsion
    The Committee shall have the power to expel or suspend any member whose conduct shall be deemed to be contrary to the ethics of coaching as published from time to time by Sports Coach UK (formerly the National Coaching Foundation), or to the well-being of the Association. At least two thirds of the votes cast is required for the implementation of any such action.

  18. Financial Year
    The financial year shall run from 1st January to 31st December.

Version current as at 10th November 2001
All previous versions are null and void

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Grades of Coach

Preliminary Cycling Coach
The Preliminary Cycling Coach Award is a qualification with true coach status but at a level below that of the Coach Award. The PCCA is targeted at committed club cyclists, professional sports instructors, Sports Development Officers, and others with a background knowledge of cycling and/or sport.

  • Must be capable of organising foundation (beginners) level group coaching.
  • Should have a reasonable depth of knowledge and experience in at least one cycling activity, recreational or competitive.
  • Should work with ABCC Coaches and continually try to improve their knowledge and experience over a wide range of coaching subjects.
The maximum time allowed for the completion of the Preliminary Coach course is one year.

Coach

  • Must be aged 18 years or over.
  • Must be prepared to devote a reasonable amount of time to coaching.
  • Should instruct at club level, a rider or club who seeks assistance.
  • Should instruct riders at foundation and participation levels.
  • Should continually try to improve his/her knowledge of all coaching subjects.
The maximum time allowed for the completion of the Coach course is two years.

Senior Coach

  • Should instruct riders at all levels from foundation to excellence.
  • Should organise or assist in organising courses for riders and/or Coaches.
  • Should instruct on courses for riders and Coaches.
  • Should stimulate interest in coaching in Clubs/Divisions/Districts.
  • Should continually try to improve his/her knowledge of all coaching subjects.

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Examination Procedures

 

Coach - Distance-Learning (Correspondence) Course
Application forms may be obtained from the Coaching Administrator , to whom they should be returned on completion, together with the appropriate fee (currently £120.00). Application forms must be countersigned by the applicant's club or Division/ District Secretary, and are accepted at any time of the year. On being accepted on the study course as a Student Coach, the student will be sent a copy of Module One of the Coaching Manual and a list of further reading material. The Coaching Manual is divided into six modules, with a question paper at the end of each one.

Syllabus

Module 1
Anatomy and Physiology
  • Bone, Cartilage and Tendon
  • The Skeleton
  • The Body's systems: muscular, nervous, cardio-vascular, respiratory, digestive
  • The Basis of Training
  • Basic Exercise Physiology
  • Training Principles
  • Further Reading
  • Examination Paper

Module 2

  • Basic Fitness Training
  • Basic Circuit Training
  • Weight Training for Cycling
  • Running for Cyclists
  • Flexibility Exercises
  • Further Reading
  • Examination Paper

Module 3

  • Road Training, individual and group methods
  • Training Levels and Heart Rate Monitors
  • Four and Six Levels of Training
  • Perception of Exertion: the Borg Scale
  • Track Coaching
  • Time-trialling
  • Cyclo-Cross Training, including event, rider and coach profiling by example
  • Mountain Bike Training
  • Special Considerations for the growing child, women, veterans, and the disabled
  • Fitness Testing
  • Further Reading
  • Examination Paper
Module 4
  • Race Tactics
  • Preparation of Individual Training Schedules, including periodisation
  • Training Diaries
  • Tapering for a Key Competition
  • Nutrition
  • Overtraining
  • Further Reading
  • Examination Paper

 

Module 5

  • Mental Preparation
  • Self-Concept
  • Goal-setting
  • Anxiety and arousal
  • Visualisation and Imagery
  • Further Reading
  • Examination Paper

 

Module 6

  • Position on the Bike
  • Choice of Equipment
  • Choice and Use of Gears
  • Maintenance of Equipment.
  • Body Care and Hygiene
  • Clothing for Training and Racing
  • Coaching and Teaching Techniques
  • First-Aid
  • Further Reading
  • Examination Paper
The student should read each module and any recommended reading material, and understand it before completing the question paper and returning it to the Coaching Administrator . The student will then receive the next module, and so on. On successful completion of all examination papers, prospective coaches will then be asked to create a rider programme mentored by a senior coach assigned to him/her.

To complete the course each student will also be expected to complete a practical assignment. This will be provided by the Coaching Administrator and the student will be contacted by a senior coach to mentor him/her through this assignment. A certificate is awarded to each student completing the course to the satisfaction of the Association's Examiners.

During the period of study, the student will receive the ABCC's Journal Cycle Coaching and any communications sent to qualified coaches.

Notes

  1. Students must posses an industrial-type first aid certificate before being awarded Coach status.

  2. The maximum time allowed for completion of the course is two years. Students who fail to complete their studies within this period will automatically be removed from the register of Student Coaches. However, the ABCC Executive Committee may consider an extension of this period if a reasonable case is made by the student.

Senior Coach
Candidates for the Senior Coach award must have a minimum of five years of active coaching as a qualified ABCC Coach before they can be considered for this award. They will also be required to fulfil a number of other requirements, details of which can be obtained from the Coaching Administrator who will supply all necessary additional information.

Preliminary Cycling Coach
A Preliminary Cycling Coach Award is run from time to time and is dependant on obtaining sufficient numbers. Details can be obtained from the Administrator.

 

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Registration

All qualified coaches are required to register (with the appropriate fee) each year with the Coaching Administrator who maintains a Register of Coaches. Only Coaches who register in this manner are covered by insurance. Changes of address should be advised to the Administrator as soon as possible.

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Insurance

Registered Coaches are insured against Civil indemnity for protection against lawsuits levelled towards individuals as well as third party risks for any accidents which may occur in the course of their coaching activities. The current cover is £2 million, with an option for f5 million if required. The Coach must be able to show that all reasonable steps were taken to ensure the safety of riders during the coaching session. Coaches should maintain an Attendance Register /Disclaimer of all those participating in the coaching activity and in the case of Juniors and Juveniles ensure that a Parental Consent is signed. The ABCC adopts the Code of Ethics and Code of Conduct as published by sportscoach UK and ABCC Coaches will be expected to follow these Codes.

Note

  • Unqualified student Coaches studying for ABCC Coaching Awards are not covered by ABCC insurance until they have successfully completed the full course and paid the Registration Fee.
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Copyright © Association of British Cycling Coaches 2005