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Say hello to Canada's first ever BCU Level 5 coach!

mikec

Paddler
Joined
Aug 3, 2006
Messages
601
Location
Sept-Îles, QC
For many this is just a curiousity rather than an achievement, but i'd like to send out a huge congratulations to Christopher Lockyer of Committed 2 the Core Sea Kayak Coaching in Nova Scotia for being the first Canadian and only the 3rd north american (after Jennifer Kleck and John Carmody) to achieve this distinction.

Some of you may have met Chris at PPS or via SISKA when he was out there a couple of years ago for the event, or you may have come out east to the Bay of Fundy Sea Kayak Symposium and know him from there.

This was his second crack at the assessment. The amount of work and dedication required to successfully assess for this award represents YEARS of work with long term students and mentors.

There are roughly fifty Level 5 sea kayak coaches out there, of which approx. 30 or so who are active in the field. Christopher was assessed by Gordon Brown amongst others.

Super happy for my friend, he is a tremendous ambassador for paddle sports in Canada and one of the rare Paddle Canada coach educators who offers mentorship opportunities to anyone who asks. (He is certified with PC at it's highest instructor and instructor trainer levels as well).

Well deserved!
 
Congrads to Christopher! I've heard it said that a level 5 coach is equal to having a graduate degree in kayaking.

But there is kind of a 4th in North America - Mark Tozer is living in NorCal now with his wife, Helen Wilson. They are co-running Greenland or Bust together, though they do spend significant time in Europe and Greenland.
 
Peter yes there are six Level 5 coaches present in North America; three of them are born in the Americas, the other three emigrated here part/full time from the UK.

And yes, a Level 5 coach is the equivalent of a graduate diploma/certificate in performance coaching. The new UKCC Level 4 coaching award actually leads to an MSc in Performance Coaching for those interested!

Leaps and bounds ahead of what is happening over on our side of the water, leaps and bounds.
 
mikec said:
Peter yes there are six Level 5 coaches present in North America; three of them are born in the Americas, the other three emigrated here part/full time from the UK.

BTW - who are the other 2 immigrant 5 star coaches based here?
 
Nigel Foster, Steve Maynard and Mark Tozer are the UK expat Level 5 coaches.

John Carmody, Jenn Kleck and Todd Johnston Wright are the US Level 5 coaches.

Chris Lockyer is the Canadian.

7 in total, I stand corrected as I didn't count properly lol

Keep in mind there are other high level coaches out there from all certification streams who are coaching at or around that same level, just not everyone is interested in pursuing the BCU stuff or going through the Level 5 program, which has actually been discontinued as they work on the new UKCC coaching awards (getting all jargony now, but the brits have decided that they need to provide a common framework for coaches form all Olympic disciplines. seeing as the BCU also take care of competitive paddling disciplines, this is why they are pushing those changes through. It's like if Canoe and Kayak Canada took over Paddle Canada and incorporated their NCCP coaching standards to recreational paddling coaches. It's all a funding question in the UK for national governing bodies)
 
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