Become a Coach or Upgrade Your Coaching Qualification

If you would like to become a coach please contact either your Federation Coaching Officer or the Coaching Committee Chair.

A financial contribution of up to £25 per head is available from Croquet England for registered Associates, to help towards the cost of the enrolment fee on an approved Coaches' Qualification Course at any level; ask your Federation Coaching Officer, Academy Contact or Course Organiser about this. This contribution is for attending and completing a coaching course and may be claimed only ONCE at each level. It is available only for courses that are approved for this purpose (normally in advance) by the Coaching Committee and that lead to a formal Croquet England accreditation or qualification. Any such financial contribution is a contribution not towards candidates' personal expenses on travel, accommodation and so on, but towards the cost of running the course itself, for example, coaches' travel expenses, and may not exceed actual costs incurred. A Federation may request Croquet England to help it run a course; any reimbursement is again towards the expenses of mounting the course itself. Academies and Course Organisers are asked to contact the Office with regard to making a claim on behalf of a group of players. The claim form is available in the downloads section. Several Federations offer additional support.

Croquet England defines the following coaching qualifications:

• Club-Level Coach (yellow badge) - Croquet England Coach qualified to coach Association and Golf Croquet to beginners and high-handicap players in their own club
• Grade 1 Association Croquet Coach (blue badge) - Croquet England Coach qualified to coach up to and including bronze level
• Grade 2 Association Croquet Coach (green badge) - Croquet England Coach qualified to coach up to and including silver level
• Grade 3 Association Croquet Coach (red badge) - Croquet England Coach qualified to coach up to and including gold level and above (defined as Triple Peel and above)
• Grade 1 Golf Croquet Coach (white badge) - Croquet England Coach qualified to coach up to and including C-Class level
• Grade 2 Golf Croquet Coach (black badge) - Croquet England Coach qualified to coach up to and including B-Class level
• Grade 3 Golf Croquet Coach (light carmine badge) - Croquet England Coach qualified to coach up to and including A-Class level and above

Becoming a Club-Level Coach

To become an accredited Club-Level Coach you should attend an approved Club-Level Coach qualification course led by an Examining Coach. The course runs over two days; is a mixture of lecture, demonstration, group work, discussion and practical sessions; and includes a formal assessment of each candidate's coaching skills both indoors and on the lawn. This course is designed to equip you to plan your courses and to coach beginners and high-handicap players at your own club. The Course Organiser should notify your attendance to the Coaching Committee Chair, who will record it and arrange for the remainder of the accreditation process to be supported.

Following successful completion of the two-day course, you must demonstrate, over at least five coaching sessions, your fitness to coach within your own club. You must keep a record (your Coaching Portfolio) of the coaching sessions, and, after completing the sessions, an official from your club should validate your coaching sessions by signing off your Coaching Portfolio and forwarding it to the Coaching Committee Chair. The Chair then arranges for a final assessment of the application; ensures the candidate is informed of the outcome; and, for successful candidates, arranges for a badge to be forwarded, and for the candidate to be entered into the Croquet England Register of Coaches.

Prospective Club-Level Coaches should be able to show basic knowledge of both the Rules of Golf Croquet AND the Laws of Association Croquet. This is done through a simple open-book test on the Basic AC Laws and the Basic GC Rules, for which ample preparation will be provided.

Becoming a Graded Coach

Graded Coaches make a significant contribution to the development of the game by being authorised to coach at higher levels and to coach away from their 'home' club and at Academies. For the qualities looked for at each level, please see the Framework for Croquet England Coaching Qualifications.

There are three routes to becoming a Graded Coach, as follows:

• Route 1 is for experienced Club-Level Coaches aspiring to become Grade 1 Coaches. This route involves attending a Grade 1 Coach Qualification Course approved by the Coaching Committee. The Grade 1 course, still under active development, is being designed to develop and test your coaching skills, technical knowledge and interpersonal skills. Courses are led by an experienced Examining Coach and are to prepare you to coach players up to AC Bronze Award level or GC C-Series (7+) level, and to coach away from your 'home' Club. In certain circumstances, Club-Level Coaches aspiring to become Grade 1 Coaches may also be appointed through Route 2 below.
• Route 2 is primarily for experienced Grade 1 Coaches aspiring to become Grade 2 coaches, i.e. who are looking to improve their qualification to coach players working towards AC Silver Award level or GC B-Series (3+) level. This route involves a suitably experienced coach being guided and mentored by an Examining Coach as appropriate; assisting the Examining Coach on delivering a croquet coaching course, AC or GC as appropriate, of at least one full day; and being recommended by the Examining Coach for appointment. In appropriate circumstances, Grade 1 Coaches with a strong coaching track record who are aspiring to Grade 2 status may also be appointed through Route 3 below.
• Route 3 is for appointment as a Grade 3 AC Coach, a Grade 3 GC Coach, or an Examining Coach. All Grade 3 and Examining Coaches are appointed directly by the Coaching Committee, following a formal recommendation from an Examining Coach, a Federation Coaching Officer or an Academy Coordinator. Appointments are considered in the light of the candidate's qualifications, experience, interpersonal skills, track record as a croquet coach, and commitment to developing and supporting others.

In rare and very exceptional circumstances, for example, a qualified coach from abroad visiting the UK, an individual may be appointed as a Graded Coach following a formal proposal being put to it by an Examining Coach with details of the candidate's technical knowledge, playing skills and coaching track record.

In all cases, a Graded Coach Proposal Form will be sent to the Coaching Committee Chair, which will recommend either appointment as a Graded Coach, or any additional steps the candidate should undertake to develop the necessary skills and experience.

All Graded Coach appointments are made by the Coaching Committee following a formal recommendation, and will be for either an AC Coaching qualification or a GC Coaching qualification as appropriate. In each case, only Croquet England subscribers are eligible to be entered into the Croquet England Coach register of coaches and to wear the appropriate coaches' badge.

Association Croquet Graded Coaches Qualification Criteria

Prospective AC Graded Coaches should meet the criteria shown below for each Grade. A prospective higher-grade coach is not required to hold the lower qualification. The Framework for Croquet England Coaching Qualifications sets out the criteria in more detail.

• Grade 1:
  • have, or have held at one time, a handicap of 12 or below
  • be able to demonstrate appropriate technical knowledge, coaching ability, and skill level by for example having won an AC Bronze Merit Award
  • be able to demonstrate a sound working knowledge of the Laws of Association Croquet
• Grade 2:
  • have, or have held at one time, a handicap of 6 or below
  • be able to demonstrate appropriate technical knowledge, coaching ability, and skill level by for example having won an AC Silver Merit Award
  • be able to demonstrate a sound working knowledge of the Association Croquet Laws to Assistant Referee standard
• Grade 3:
  • have, or have held at one time, a handicap of 0 or below
  • be able to demonstrate appropriate technical knowledge, coaching ability, and skill level by for example having won an AC Gold Merit Award
  • have an AC Referee's qualification.

Golf Croquet Graded Coaches Qualification Criteria

Prospective GC Graded Coaches should meet the criteria shown below for each Grade. A prospective higher-grade coach is not required to hold the lower qualification. The Framework for Croquet England Coaching Qualifications sets out the criteria in more detail.

• Grade 1:
  • have, or have held at one time, a handicap of 6 or below
  • be playing at B-class level or better
  • be able to demonstrate appropriate technical knowledge, coaching ability, and skill level by for example having won a GC Bronze Merit Award
  • be able to demonstrate a sound working knowledge of the Rules of Golf Croquet
• Grade 2:
  • have, or have held at one time, a handicap of 3 or below
  • have experience of playing at A/B-class level or better
  • be able to demonstrate appropriate technical knowledge, coaching ability, and skill level by for example having won a GC Silver Merit Award
  • be able to demonstrate a sound working knowledge of the Golf Croquet Rules
• Grade 3:
  • have, or have held at one time, a minus handicap
  • have experience of playing at A-class level
  • be able to demonstrate appropriate technical knowledge, coaching ability, and skill level by for example having won a GC Gold Merit Award
  • have a GC Referee's qualification.

John Harris