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Coaches Conference The annual Snowsport England conference proved to be a
success once again. As usual the turnout of members was large with some new
faces joining the regulars. Chill Factore opened its’ doors and hospitality and
went a long way to making the event a triumph. There were many comments about the excellent
condition of the snow and how well it held up during the day of practical
workshops.
The Saturday began with Wolfgang Frandl the keynote speaker.
His hour and half long talk was over too soon as he captivated the crowd with
his insight into working with world cup teams and athletes. Wolfgang proved a valuable
asset, as his on-hill sessions the next day proved to be extremely popular, as
members clamered to learn more from the mild and humble coach.
Saturday afternoon was spent between various workshops
ranging from strength and conditioning to nutrition in sport. The day closed
with a lively debate about the way forward for SSE, it was a great opportunity
for those working in the sport to get their views across to those at the top!
After a quick dash back to the hotel it wasn’t long before we
were off again and out to a different venue for the awards dinner. The food
came quickly and was polished off with equal speed and efficiency. The tables
were cleared and it was time to celebrate some of the hard work of those out on
the front line of coaching. The judging
panel had deliberated over their choices and the verdict was in, the winners
were:-
Participation Coach of the Year " Pat Sharples
Young Coach of the Year - Jo Ryding
Perfomance Development Coach " Richard Breese
Children’s Coach of the Year - Chantelle Goddard-Jones
Junior Coach of the Year - Mark Telling
Lifetime Achievement Award -
Kevin Blanks
And that concluded the days events.
Sunday dawned early, especially
for those doing the Child Protection Course and we all headed off for the Chill
Factore again. This time we came armed with skis and a smattering of snowboards
as this day was all about the snow.
Members got to pick from a selection of on-hill practical
sessions that included freestyle, race training, personal performance,
observation skills, telemarking, snowboarding and of course the legendary Wolfgang.
Conditions on the snow were superb and everyone seemed to have learnt something
from their time in the fridge.
All that was left was for some concluding comments and to
wish everyone a safe journey home. Chris Exall commented on the raising
standard of the level of membership and it was plain to see out on the hill.
Personally with such a packed programme it does become difficult
to find the time to fit in everything you want and occasionally I did feel like
a hamster spinning in his proverbial wheel as I raced to get to dinner on time.
Any suggestions on how or what we could do next year to make it even bigger and
better would be greatfully received.
So finally I’m only left to say thanks to all those involved
for all your hard work. I also hope that
the many new people we saw this year will eventually become regular faces at
these events " your input is needed and it shows that Snowsport England is
moving in the direction it wants to go.
Vickie Pullin
Snowsport England Development Officer | 
