BCAB Coaching Podcast

On today's podcast with Lee Pooley, Adam Burns and Anthony Ing share their knowledge and experience of white water SUP height management and how we can improve our stability and safety on the board. Adam has worked in paddlesport since 2008 and is a qualified Coach up to Advanced level. He is an active paddleboarder and kayaker, which led him to becoming a course provider and national trainer.  Ad...

Simon Westgarth shares his knowledge and experience of white water features, how to use them and how to coach with them, on today’s podcast with Lee Pooley. Simon is a BCU level 5 coach, the White Water Tech Group Chair and the founder of Gene 17 kayaking, running trips and adventures across the globe. Simon values the ideals of adventure kayaking, going to new places, experiencing new cultures an...

Olly Sanders joins Lee Pooley for today’s podcast about turning in the wind. Olly is a BCU Level 5 Sea Kayak Coach and has been playing on the Snowdonia and Anglesey coastline for 20 years. Olly has spent 12 years as a Senior Instructor at Plas y Brenin and owner of Rock and Sea Productions. He has been on many expeditions and trips, including Alaska, India, Nepal, Patagonia and Peru. Sea kayaking...

This podcast episode is brought to you by the England Talent Programme where Daniel Thompson (Slalom Foundations and Support Lead) and Tom Haines (Volunteer Psychologist for the Paracanoe Talent Academy) discuss the topic of resilience. In this podcast episode we'll discuss what resilience is, why it's an important characteristic for an athlete, how coaches can develop and build resilience within...

It’s a very special episode of the Coaching Podcast today, as Chris Brain joins Lee Pooley for the 100th episode!  Chris has worked in the outdoors for over 25 years coaching and guiding and delivering professional development courses.  Chris delivers across a range of BCAB Coaching, Leadership and Safety programmes, as well as being a National Trainer. This episode of the podcast includes:  Chris...

Tony Smith, Chair of Teignbridge Canoe Club, joins Lee Pooley for today's podcast focussed on the Performance Coach.  This insightful listen is useful for anyone considering the Performance Coach. Topics covered include: how the Performance Coach has helped with Tony's coaching practice and the highlights of the journey how Tony is implementing the skills he's learnt at the club, as well as how th...

Surf Tech Group members Chris Heaney, Claire Eatock, Ian and Tracy Sherrington join Lee Pooley for today's podcast focused on catching a wave. Chris Heaney has over 25 years experience in the outdoor education sector, has been surfing for 40 years and is part of the Scottish Surf Committee. Claire Eatock is an active outdoor instructor and leads expeditions kayaking and coasteering around the worl...

Dave Janes Snr tells you everything you need to know about Touring, in today's episode with Lee Pooley.  Dave Janes Snr is a member of the BCAB Touring Technical Group and is a highly experienced outdoor activity provider. The topics covered include: hydration and nutrition what kit to take and loading your craft decision making for day trips and multi-day expeditions To download the transcript fo...

To mark Neurodiversity Celebration Week, we are rereleasing a fascinating and important episode exploring neurodiversity in sport.  The guests for this 2023 episode were Helena Russo, the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Lead at Paddle UK; Nerys Hall, a marathon and sprint paddler; and Caragh McMurtry, a former Olympic rower and founder of Neurodiverse Sport Nerys and Caragh have been diagnosed w...

Ivan Lawler MBE and Scott Hynds are the guests for today's conversation with Lee Pooley, focused on coaching wash hanging for flatwater racing.  Ivan and Scott both coach at Elmbridge CC; Ivan is a five-time canoe marathon world champion and a canoe sprint world champion and Scott is Flatwater Coach Developer for the England Talent Programme and a former athlete. The topics covered include:  what...

Tom Westaway is the guest for the last episode in the 'What's in your Buoyancy Aid and what's in your craft' mini-series. White water paddle boarding is the focus for today's conversation and Tom shares personal insights from his experience as a coach and leader. The topics covered by Tom and Lee Pooley include: Tom's non-negotiables decision making around what to take on different trips how best...

Jenna Sanders is the guest for today's canoe-focused episode in the 'What's in your Buoyancy Aid and what's in your craft' mini-series.  Jenna is a British Canoeing National Trainer, Performance Coach and Chair of the Canoe Technical Group. The topics discussed today by Jenna and Lee Pooley include: kit for white water and open water environments decision making around what to take for different t...

Today's rafting focused episode continues our mini-series 'What's in your Buoyancy Aid and what's in your craft'.  The guest for this conversation with Lee Pooley is Jon Best, Chair of the Rafting Technical Group. The topics discussed by Jon and Lee include: Jon's journey to rafting via Freestyle kayaking  the right kit for the river  dealing with kit in UK rafting v rafting operators abroad kit f...

Welcome to the first episode of 2024, today's Sea Kayak focused episode continues our mini-series 'What's in your Buoyancy Aid and what's in your craft'.  The guest for this conversation with Lee Pooley is Lyndsay McPhee, a National Trainer and Performance Coach. The topics covered by Lyndsay and Lee include: Lyndsay's history paddling in various disciplines and her love for Sea Kayak the importan...

For the final episode of 2023, Lee Pooley, British Canoeing Director of Coaching and Qualifications is looking back at the year in conversation with Debbie Thompson, Digital Learning Designer.  Lee looks back at 2023 both on and off the podcast. But, we also look forward to what's coming in another busy year in 2024. Thanks for listening, we'll be back in January with a new episode.  Download a tr...

This rerun episode is all about Touring during the winter with Lee Pooley and Pia Philbey. Pia shares tips on all aspects of preparation for touring during the winter months, including clothes, kit and planning. Lee and Pia also cover adapting to challenging conditions and touring with mixed-craft groups.  Download a transcript of the episode  here .

Welcome to the first episode in our NEW mini-series called 'What's in your Buoyancy Aid and what's in your Boat'.  This first episode is with Georgina Maxwell, and she talks about what she has and will have in her buoyancy aid and boat whilst paddling alone but also whilst leading a group in a White Water environment.   To download the transcript for this episode click here.

In todays rerun episode released in 2020, Lee Pooley talks through the use of video in coaching. With increasing accessibility to video recording equipment, we explore how it can be used in Decision Training.   To download the transcript for this episode click here.

Today's episode is for anyone with an interest in paddling in a White Water environment on a SUP, more specifically for those leading and coaching in a White Water environment. Join Lee Pooley with Adam Burns, Anthony Ing and Tom Westaway and listen to them talk about height management and how they do their safety briefings. For more information and guidance for those who are leading Stand Up Padd...

In today's rerun episode, originally released in 2020, Pete Catterall talked to Sid Sinfield about coaching philosophy, how you begin to create and develop one of your own and importantly how it can help you in your coaching. To download the transcript for this episode click here.

Today's episode is for anyone with an interest in paddling on White Water. In this conversation Lee Pooley, Director of Coaching and Qualifications at British Canoeing, talks to Simon Westgarth and Dan Wilkinson, from the White Water Technical Group, about the development of the White Water Safety courses.    They discuss how the courses, launching in 2023, aim to provide paddlers at different lev...

In today's rerun episode we are celebrating the Slalom World Championships at Lee Valley with an interview with British Canoeing's Lead for Kayak Cross - Greg Hitchen.   Sid Sinfield speaks to Greg about his journey to where he is today, hear them discuss Gregs's introduction to paddling and gain a valuable insight into what it has taken him to become a World Class Programme coach.   To download t...

Lee Pooley, Director of Coaching and Qualifications at British Canoeing, is in conversation with Darren Sherwood, National Trainer, about Darren's new research project for British Canoeing on offshore winds and Stand Up Paddleboarding.  The episode delves into why research into offshore winds was needed, how the research was carried out, as well as some of the findings and recommendations. This ep...

Lee Pooley, Director of Coaching and Qualifications, is in conversation with Surf Coach and British Surf Kayak Champion, Glyn Brackenbury. Together they discuss the fascinating topic of skill fade. Glyn explains the concept of skill fade: what it looks like and how it can affect athletes and paddlers in general. They also discuss some of the potential consequences of not recognising or accepting s...

In this compelling episode, Lee Pooley, Director of Coaching and Qualifications at British Canoeing discusses water safety with seasoned paddler, Brendon Prince, who is a safety campaigner and Founder of the charity ‘Above Water’. Brendon talks about his paddling background and how those and his lifeguarding experiences motivated him to set up the charity, which provides water safety education.  H...