MAD Coaching project has started just over a year ago. Now it’s time to take a look back and reflect upon the idea of Coaching to Make A Difference to Make A Difference. Does it actually work?
MAD coaching idea has been very simple. Those, who wanted to learn about sea kayaking or improve in their current skills, had to get in touch with us. A discussion followed on wants and needs and how we could best work together.
Then the question of price and payment came. The key element of this project is that there isn’t fixed fee, there is no fee to be paid at all.
We only ask for one thing, if we have made a difference to your paddling, you do make a difference to either a charity of your choice or one of ours.
It has been great, as over the course of the year the range of our coaching expanded from coaching personal paddling skills to coaching leadership. We have taught how to fix and repair kayaks. We provided 1*, 2* and 3* sea assessments. We took people out to East, South, South West Coast. We were able to take people out on our Tideway and show them the beauty of Urban kayaking.
So far MAD Coaching raised £1670 for a number of charities including RNLI and Shadwell Basin Outdoor Activity Centre, and all of that was done while we have been in full time employment, working on developing our own coaching further, Natalie successfully finished her L3, and paddling and coaching in our club. It has been a busy year, but we still had time for plenty of personal paddling for fun.
So will we continue? Yes! Let’s see how much difference MAD Coaching Project will make this year.