English Chess Forum

Mick Norris wrote:It seems to me that is more stringent than the coaches have to go through - have you thought about increasing the requirements for coaches?

I agree with your sentiment, that new coaches should be trained to have the ECF Accreditation. The Manager for Coaching would be the ideal person to run such courses, but the incumbent has said he is standing down in October...

Finally - Mick, Alex, this is EXACTLY what I have been saying for ages. I have even enquired about it before. I think that people need to go through checks and be seen coaching or anyone can become accredited.

Sabrina

Bit of an easy one, prompted by a discussion at the recent MCCU AGM which Alex, I and Andrew Farthing were part of - Dave Levens, MCCU Junior Director had some interesting comments

(If you could answer the PM I sent you that would be good)

Sabrina Chevannes wrote:I think that people need to go through checks and be seen coaching or anyone can become accredited.

If the ECF Junior Director thinks fewer better coaches will deliver the junior strategy, this must be right. Of course, if the core strategy is to increase the number of coaches, because there is a shortage, it would be a mistake.

Still, pretty simple to find out what the strategy is, we just ask the ECF Junior Director.

Oh.

I think the underlined problem here, is bitterness and jealousy; I for one believe Sabrina to be an excellent coach and clearly has been CBR checked as she has done the following:

1. Been teaching in schools working with children.

2. Has been doing it so long and set here own promotions and has her own blog, I therefore would not see a need for Sabrina to go through the process again.

I think instead of everyone arguing over such simple problems they should clear the air as Andrew Martin stated at The British I for one will not be there.

I think people should be encouraging Sabrina and giving her compliments to settle her nerves not striking points like you are doing Mick and others are doing.

Just suppport Sabrina hope you are allowed to coach and it goes successful.

matt_ward wrote:I think people should be encouraging Sabrina and giving her compliments to settle her nerves not striking points like you are doing Mick and others are doing.

It is not clear to me if Matt is criticising my point, or what issue he had with Mick.

To clarify my point, it was not intended as a criticism of anyone involved in coaching. But I think the lack of strategic direction is at the root of the difficulties. It is unclear if the ECF wants to stand back and facilitate independent coaches, or take control of coaching itself. So we get the worst of both worlds.

People should just read books. It would avoid a lot of the arguments.

Perhaps some of the costs of the current British coaching should be in the public domain before the general criticism is allowed to continue?

Richard Bates wrote:People should just read books. It would avoid a lot of the arguments.

Don't forget DVDs! I just read a review of the Killer Endgame DVDs from GingerGM.com and they sound interesting! Oh and the YouTube clips. And the article in the latest CHESS from Eddie Dearing about how to prepare using databases. Who needs a coach? (Before anyone blows a gasket, I am joking - different people benefit in different ways from different methods - it all depends on what works best for the individual).

David Sedgwick wrote:The increased willingness of ECF Directors and Officers to post in this Forum is in principle desirable in my view. When it results in public arguments amongst them ......... it becomes rather less desirable.

I now hold that view even more strongly than I did four days ago.

There just seems to be a bit of a contradiction here . In her latest post Sabrina said ... "I have now wasted anoter £600 hiring a meeting room in Sheffield just so all the nit pickers don't complain I am using the analysis room."

However, in an earlier post she said .. "We were planning on using the accom of each student plus my accom, plus I have been getting quotes on hiring local meeting rooms etc, so there should be no problem with that."

So, if Sabrina had already planned to use a different venue for the coaching prior to this thread beginning, how can she blame "all the nit pickers" for her having to "waste "£600 hiring a meeting room" when her decision to do so had apparently already been made before any "nit pickers" made any comments about the fact on here ?

Sabrina Chevannes wrote:

Simon Dixon wrote: Yes, I stated the above in so many words. The difference here is Mr Martin is ECF accredited, CRB checked etc. You are more than welcome to do the same, ie go through the necessary checks, if you want to join the list of ECF accredited coaches.

I refer you back to this patronising message Simon. You didn't state I wasn't on the list, you tried to tell me to get accredited, suggesting that is why Andrew Martin is allowed to advertise himself but not me, even though he knows full well that I am accredited as we have had the conversation more than once.

So you didn't simply do anything, apart from simply get it wrong

I find it incredible that you can accuse me of being patronising and wrong for stating a fact, I reiterate, you are not on the list of ECF accredited coaches. You also hint that the ECF and Mr Martin is trying to sabotage you. This is not the attitude I would expect from someone who intends to teach children. You say you have the required documents, then it is up to you to send them to the ECF.

Alan Burke wrote:There just seems to be a bit of a contradiction here . In her latest post Sabrina said ... "I have now wasted anoter £600 hiring a meeting room in Sheffield just so all the nit pickers don't complain I am using the analysis room."

However, in an earlier post she said .. "We were planning on using the accom of each student plus my accom, plus I have been getting quotes on hiring local meeting rooms etc, so there should be no problem with that."

So, if Sabrina had already planned to use a different venue for the coaching prior to this thread beginning, how can she blame "all the nit pickers" for her having to "waste "£600 hiring a meeting room" when her decision to do so had apparently already been made before any "nit pickers" made any comments about the fact on here ?

No contradiction. The original plan was to coach at people's accommodation and maybe hire a meeting room for one or two group sessions. She now feels obliged to hire a meeting room for all of her coaching to avoid any further accusations. This will leave her further out of pocket and probably less inclined to repear the venture.

Simon Dixon wrote:

Sabrina Chevannes wrote:

Simon Dixon wrote: Yes, I stated the above in so many words. The difference here is Mr Martin is ECF accredited, CRB checked etc. You are more than welcome to do the same, ie go through the necessary checks, if you want to join the list of ECF accredited coaches.

I refer you back to this patronising message Simon. You didn't state I wasn't on the list, you tried to tell me to get accredited, suggesting that is why Andrew Martin is allowed to advertise himself but not me, even though he knows full well that I am accredited as we have had the conversation more than once.

So you didn't simply do anything, apart from simply get it wrong

I find it incredible that you can accuse me of being patronising and wrong for stating a fact, I reiterate, you are not on the list of ECF accredited coaches. You also hint that the ECF and Mr Martin is trying to sabotage you. This is not the attitude I would expect from someone who intends to teach children. You say you have the required documents, then it is up to you to send them to the ECF.

I have never hinted anything of the sort, so please do not put words in my mouth or suggest anything otherwise. You did not say I was not on this list actually, you patronised me and told me a way to go about being accredited, and I reiterate, that if you had read the previous posts, I AM ACCREDITED, as little as that means. And again... I have sent them to the ECF, numerous times. Gosh! zzzzzz

She now feels obliged to hire a meeting room for all of her coaching to avoid any further accusations.

Have I missed something, what accusations?