BUCS Conference 2010 Club Committee Development and Training for Higher Education Sports Clubs Wednesday 14 th July 2010

BUCS Club Development aims Develop the organisation, governance structures and skills of student sports clubs. Support and develop the improvement and increased effectiveness of student sports clubs.

Activity In small groups and on the handout provided please complete and consider the following: –What club development training does your university provide? –Who delivers this training? –What areas does the training cover? –Is the training evaluated?

Background to runningsports Recognising that the life of a sports volunteer is far from easy, runningsports supports sports volunteers and the people who manage them. Huge number of resources and workshops to make sure clubs not only survive, but also grow and thrive. Traditionally community club focussed, runningsports is Sport England’s training and education programme.

runningsports– The Partnership Work together to create appropriate training resources for HE clubs. No formal accredited HE club development training that is endorsed by BUCS. Combine the volunteer and club development expertise of runningsports with BUCS relationship with HE institutions. Acknowledge that the structure of a student sports club differs from a community club.

Club Committee Training Already provided by many HEIs – as shown in the HE audit. The level varies across the HE sector. –Time available –Resource –No. of sports clubs –No. of student officers –Quality of delivery BUCS is looking to develop a standard club development package that can be utilised by its members as required.

Pilot programme 2 HEI’s in the North West - delivered by qualified runningsports tutors in conjunction with individual HEI staff. Gather feedback on the content of the workshops –Examine the relevance of the workshops to higher education. –Establish how the workshops can be delivered in multiple universities and still be of optimal value. –Improve the product before allowing all BUCS members the opportunity to host the workshops. –Examine the level of tutor that is required to deliver the workshops

Pilot Workshops – Feedback Summary Professional approach to delivery of committee training. Essential that the tutor understands the specifics of a higher education sports clubs. Promotion and marketing of a students sports club varies greatly from a community club. Terminology used in the workshops needs adapting for HE. Content is good but could be tailored further to individual universities. Tasks were very engaging and kept students interested throughout the workshops.

The Workshops Role of the Club Committee –Role of the Club Captain –Role of the Treasurer –Role of the Secretary Planning for Your Club’s Future All interactive sessions 2 hours per workshop Tailored for each institution - intended to supplement existing training to ensure quality standard across institutions Essential to maintain existing institution specific content i.e. social policies, kit sponsorship etc. Students receive official certification from Running Sports

Aims – Role of the Club Committee Define the roles, tasks and qualities of the Club Captain, Secretary and Treasurer Provide a focus for year in post and handover Understand the success factors for sustainable and effective administration Understand the success factors for sustainable and effective governance (Meetings, Finance, Communication) Overview of the specific processes and systems of the university that the committee need to be aware of.

Explain the principles of sports development and sports development pathways Explain the principles of the planning process Apply the SMART principles of planning to sports development How to write a successful sport development plan. Identifying appropriate partnerships at the university and in the wider community. Explore ways of promoting and marketing student sports clubs, both in the university and the wider community. Aims - Planning your Club’s Future

Seven Steps of Successful Planning Step One: Whose Plan Is It? Step Two: Where Are You Now? Step Three: Where Do You Want To Be? Step Four: Setting Some Clear Goals Step Five: Turning Goals Into Objectives Step Six: Turning Objectives Into Action Step Seven: Keeping To The Plan

Benefits Provides a focus for a club committee Organised and efficient student sports clubs. Extra support for university development staff.. Increased pro-activeness and awareness of club officers Increased development and sustainability of student sports clubs. Workforce Development and Community Engagement Certified accredited training – professional development. Development of transferable skills that students can use in community sports clubs and / or increase their employability Overcome ineffective committee handovers, including peaks and troughs in committee management

Tutor Competency Framework Each HEI to source a tutor and decide upon their competency. Planning and preparing to facilitate learning –explain how people learn –prepare for learning sessions –plan learning sessions. Facilitating learning –create a positive learning environment –communication and presentation –manage group and individual learning Reviewing and evaluating –individual learners –learning programme –evaluate and develop own practice.

Training Options and Costs Full tutor training with runningsports –£1900 for 6 people Set of tutor notes, workshop slides and resources –£100 per set runningsports production orientation training day –£1050 for 20 people runningsports quick guides –£15 per set of 6 Fully qualified runningsports tutors can be booked to deliver the workshops in negotiation with runningsports and the tutor themselves. £60 admin fee to arrange certification through runningsports

The Future Have the workshops fully ready for universities to host at the beginning of the academic year. Have a process in place that allows university and athletic union staff to be fully aware of the runningsports workshops and their benefits. Provide training opportunities that allow university staff members to be confident and competent in delivering the workshop content. Gather feedback from universities that host the workshops so that the content can be improved in the future.

Contacts Matt Holdstock Sue Briggs