RYA youth awareness campaign

{QUOTE] Jefffers 

Thats my point!  It is up to the club to arrange and fund these events, surely as the infrastructure is already in place it would not be a huge leap for the RYA to try a few adult coaching weekends and see how they go, after all it is the adult majority membership who provide significant portion of their funding.  The cost of running such an event would be relatively low, the hosting club can provide the infrastructure in return for an increase in bar takings! All the RYA need to bring is a couple of coaches some video cameras and maybe a few RIBs.  I might even consider joining if I had access to this type of event!

[/QUOTE]

A couple of coaches with RIBs for a weekend is well over £1000. Personnally I would not call this a relatively low cost! 

From the club perspective I definately feel there is a barrier at the SI level and I've commented on that to Dave Ritchie.  However, when I deliver a 'start racing' course at the club I'm also representing the RYA and the same goes for the 'Club & Class Coaches' who run one day class training.  This is because the RYA administer the sport and support those who are qualified (yes they could do a lot more, but perhaps we need to ask for the resources and support we want a bit more).  Check out the resources to support racing coaching on the website (I assume the're still there on the new website) if you want ideas.

As Jon points out there is nothing to stop a club from employing him to run a training event at a level I can't match.  Is this forum just suggesting they get Jon through the RYA rather than direct or that the RYA should pay for coaching services?

I don't necessarily agree with everything the RYA does and am forced to be a member by virtue of being an instructor but regardless of that you need to be engaged, otherwise how can you shape it (and the future) to your needs.

Perhaps club instructors are a resource the RYA could use to improve their profile with club members?  Maybe I'll share that with Dave Ritchie at the Dinghy Show if he buys me a beer

Again agreeing about the RYA levels being far to easy to obtain. I know of people doing AI courses with out being able to sail upwind properly  I think its more of the fact that instructors are unwilling to fail people. than the courses are too easy.

Well done to the RYA for the PY etc but that is just giving a comparison between boats and not to do with coaching. I think the RYA needs to give more of a 'push' to the clubs to start organising training.
From experience it can be difficult for clubs to get instructors especialy SIs I think that if the RYA gave help to clubs to train up instructors it would help with the training side of adult sailing.
It can go under the guise of if there are trainers at a club then they are able to arange more training for the grass roots youth sailors to bring more in to the RYAs reach... Sorted  *ducks for cover*

Some interesting points, I would add...

But surely clubs are organising things for their older members its just they don't get headline publicity.

The coaching weekends organised by Dinghy Magazine (Sorry Gael & Mark) are, as I understand it, supported by the RYA - don't know to what extent though.

The RYA racing conference in December did discuss Olympic strategies but also covered many other areas, unfortunately it was poorly supported from clubs and classes (a missed opportunity to influence the RYA, I think).

Training and racing coaching are separated within the RYA I don't know to what extent that is real but I feel there is a lack momentum.

Just as visibility of what the class associations do is lacking I feel this is also the case with the RYA.  But what we need is their support to organise these activities ourselves rather than direction and spoon feeding from the centre. 

It doesnt even need to fund it realy It just needs to be there to start the idea. Endorsing the idea will give it more credit with some people.

I do agree with people that the youths tha do show promise at a young age dont always go on to shine during adult hood, There is definatly a need to keep people in sailing after the parents stop giving the money for them to sail. That I think is one of the key factors to do with people not keeping on sailing.