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Clive Palmer (2009) A themed multi-activity approach to coaching

transferable skills in sport - Dr. Palmer’s Canoe Poling Clinic – Resource

Booklet to the interactive learning reso...

Article · September 2009

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Palmer, C. and Stott, T. (2009) A themed multi-activity approach to coaching transferable skills in sport - Dr. Palmer’s Canoe Poling Clinic – Resource Booklet to the interactive learning resource on DVD. CETL funded project (Centre of Excellence in Teaching and Learning), a collaborative venture with Liverpool John Moores University.

A themed multi-activity approach to coaching transferable skills in sport –

An interactive learning resource

By Clive Palmer and Tim Stott

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Acknowledgements Tim and I wish to thank and acknowledge the help from a number of people for sharing generously their time, their activity ‘spaces’ and their thoughts and comments about our project. Their continued encouragement, contributions and interest in our work has been greatly appreciated helping us to arrive at a resource which we are proud of and can share, thank you. In no particular order: Adam Heatherington, Ken Travers, Dave Hardy and the CETL team (Centre of Excellence in teaching and Learning) at Liverpool John Moores University, UK. The American Canoe Poling Community including: Harry Rock and Anne Rock, Chip Cochrane, Ed Hayden and Janet Hayden, Rob Hayden, Al Beletz, Syl Beletz and Frank Beletzt, Rob Koger, Mena Schmid, Kris Stepenuck, Matt Swift and Dee Swift, Cooper Swift, Clement Swift, Scott Stepenuck, Bob Naeger, Doug Ebeling and Pat Ebeling, Fred Klingener, Nelson Walker, Mike Guenther, Marty Guenther, Doug Guenther, Joey Guenther and Dave Guenther, Wally Morse, Bob Popp, Sean Carapella, Paul Wibbenmeyer, Jackie Wibbenmeyer, Nate Sizemore, Mike Sizemore, and Martin Bartells (Executive Director from the American Canoe Association). Professor Lin Norton, Liverpool Hope University, UK. John Dixon, Tamsen Dixon, Andy Spruce from MPower Services, Widnes, Cheshire, UK. Mark Hale and Clive Godfrey from Hales Superbole Landboarding Centre, Harthill, Cheshire, UK. Rob McKenna from South Liverpool Athletic Club. Mervyn Clarke (technical consultant rtd.) and Craig Williams and Joe Taylor (UCLAN) for their valuable assistance in the final production phases.

Clive Palmer Clive Palmer is a Senior Lecturer and researcher of coaching pedagogy within the School of Sport, Tourism and The Outdoors at the University of Central Lancashire. As an active canoe coach he draws upon his background in athletics, gymnastics, canoeing and rock climbing to develop his practical experiments in coaching and also, to inform his coach mentoring of others. He has a Ph.D. in aesthetics and philosophy related to Men’s Artistic Gymnastics and is the editor of the Journal of Qualitative Research in Sports Studies. Tim Stott Tim Stott is Professor of Physical Geography and Outdoor Education at Liverpool John Moores University where he is programme leader for Outdoor Education degrees within the Faculty of Education Community and Leisure. His principal research focus is on fluvial geomorphology, with recent work on pro-glacial suspended sediment dynamics in arctic and alpine environments. However, he coaches a number of different outdoor pursuits; skiing, canoeing, mountaineering and orienteering as a means to travelling in remote areas. Tim is also keen to explore new ways of teaching and coaching his students through digital media; blended learning and the use of technology in teaching and learning.

Dr. Palmer’s Poling Clinic—an overview Usually coaching videos display the perfect example – what to copy – performed by an expert. The learning process is often not recorded so is not available to the

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student to observe; a useful element in the learning process we think. This resource deliberately incorporates an unusual skill acquisition, that of canoe poling, and develops the skill and coaching expertise of canoe poling through a series of related, mainly land-based exercises. It also allows for focus upon the coaching of soft skills – feedback, encouragement, calming, focussing. This DVD aims to provide access to areas of coaching expertise that are rarely captured for others to learn from. These ‘soft’ skills are often stressed as the important aspects of coaching once hard skills are mastered, but are rarely available to others. As this resource is directed towards teaching in sport we felt that having footage of competitive canoe poling was important. That is, canoe poling is not just a convenient novelty to get our point across, it is a serious sport on the national competition calendar in the USA. Consequently the DVD includes clips of Clive and Tim who competed as the first ever British entrants in the US National Canoe Poling Championships, 2008, at Times Beach on the Meramec River in Missouri. A clip of the competition shows world Canoe Poling Champions Chip Cochrane and Harry Rock in action. A pedagogical challenge confronted in this resource is how might we teach others to become innovative with their stock of knowledge and experience in sport, whatever that sport might be. The focus is to copy the idea of multi-skills training which is visibly demonstrated to the viewer. Then to consider the transferable core skills (for example, balance, core stability, co-ordination etc.) that could be devised in their own sporting context, such as, football or badminton: attack / defence / passing / goal keeping. The viewer is encouraged to consider what the core skills of their sport might be and devise their coaching plan to develop them.

The DVD is divided into eight sections, most are more than five but under ten minutes long and so may lend themselves well for use in the lecture setting. The intention behind this was that the skill-learning of unusual skills might readily be displayed to supplement teaching, in whatever way the teacher may choose. 1. Novice Canoe Poling - 1 minute 14 seconds This clip is filmed on the River Irwell near Manchester, UK, and introduces the viewer to the art of canoe poling as experienced by novices who are trying this for the first time under the guidance of their bank based coach. The errors made may betypical of those new to any complex skill in sport.

Poler: Andy Spruce, MPower Services staff training. Photo Clive Palmer.

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2. Pool Poling Exercise - 7 minutes 56 seconds In this sequence the coach (Clive Palmer) and novice (Tim Stott) take two open canoes into a swimming pool. Coach and novice undertake a series of balance exercises - the theme for students is one of ‘trying things out’ and ‘experimenting with balance’ and getting to ‘know your limit’. Akin to destructive testing we fall in a lot, but a great is learned from developing a curiosity about our ability to balance in this context.

Clive and Tim, experimenting with balance, in the swimming pool at I.M. Marsh Campus, Liverpool John Moores University. Photo: David hardy

3. Gymnasium Balance Beams - 4 minutes 40 seconds Here Clive Palmer and Tim Stott are in a gymnasium using canoe poles to experiment with as aids/weights to affect balance, walking forwards and backwards along balance beams at different heights. The aim is to develop familiarity with the canoe pole by holding it in different positions and angles.

Tim using the pole to bance walking on the high beam. Morrison Gymnasium, Liverpool John Moores University. Photo: Clive Palmer

4. Trampolining for Balance - 9 minutes 45 seconds While this sequence has little direct bearing on the skill of canoe poling, we include it because we feel it captures the learning process better than any of the other sections. The aim is to bounce on one’s back on a standard trampoline. Tim Stott, the novice, is filmed having difficulty after a few minutes of trying. After some intervention by the trampoline coach, Clive Palmer, the realisation of what is required to be able to ‘back-bounce’, is picked up by the novice and the new skill is acquired. The ‘learning process’ has been captured. The link to canoe poling is that, like back bouncing, poling is a difficult skill to master at the start and

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novices pass through a steep learning curve, as clip one on the River Irwell may demonstrate. This clip on the trampoline shows the difficulty encountered in trying a new skill but also the success, which is not so eveident in clip one!

Using the skill of back bouncing to demonstrate passing through the learning phases of a complex action. Morrison Gymnasium, Liverpool John Moores University. Photos: Clive Palmer

5. Land Boarding - 8 minutes 9 seconds In this sequence Clive Palmer and Tim Stott visit Hales Superbole, a land boarding centre in Cheshire but use canoe poles to propel themselves up, down and across the slopes. The dynamics of weight transferance at speed are experiemented with in this clip. This required anticipation of actions to control the board, preparation and practice with balance to propel ourselves or block (snub) to slow down and to turn. Poling uphill had similar pressure charachertistics to the same action in a canoe, but without the water rushing under the hull of the boat which is an added distraction for the novice learning poling. As a progression in coaching strategy the removal of a major distracting feature may be useful to master a physical motor-skill first. Then, the unpredictable nature of the distraction can be introduced with progressively (in the case of canoe poling, moving water) - an experiement with “closed” and “open” skill learning perhaps?

Poler: Clive Palmer ascending the hill on a landboard. At Hales Superbole, Harthill, Cheshire, UK. Online: visit http://www.halesuperbole.co.uk/ Photo: Tim Stott

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6. Wobble Boards and Slack Line - 9 minutes 52 seconds This sequence shows Clive Palmer demonstrating and Tim Stott learning balance skills on a slack line – a length of material tape (25mm wide) strung horizontally (but not taught) between two trees – with Tim Stott using a canoe pole to help him learn this new skill. In this clip the degree of challenge to balance on the slack line is increased compared to standing in a canoe to polarise the sensation of ‘movement in balance’. A temporal equivilent to this may be that of resistance training where the person trains with heavier wieghts that they will have to use in competition. Similarly, moving and balancing on a much smaller more wobbly object than a canoe may help when the canoeist transfers back to their boat.

Clive Palmer guiding Tim Stott on the slack line. Harthill Forest, Cheshire, UK. Photo: Clive Palmer

Clive Godfrey balancing and manoevering on the wobbleboard. Hales Superbole Landboarding Centre, Harthill Cheshire, UK. Online: visit http://www.halesuperbole.co.uk/ Photo: Tim Stott

7. Athletics Pole Vault - 10 minutes 24 seconds At this visit to an athletics track, Clive Palmer and Tim Stott perform some exercises with a pole vault pole, practicing handling the pole and its interaction with their body. Balance senstations are experimented with by coordinating the stresses on hands and feet and transfering body weight principally with the arms. Again the experiments with the pole vault allowed a greater range of movement experiences than the poler might have in their sport. Devising a practice which facilitates the performer going beyond their boundaries in this related manner are worthwhile for increased physical and mental challenge and enhanced feedback

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opportunities for the coach. The underwater pole vaulting at the end of the clip might also stimulate some coaching ideas for skill breakdown and supporting the body whilst learning complex actions.

Pole Vaulter: Clive Palmer applying pressure to the pole (action-reaction) to co-ordinate balance and pressure through arms and feet. Wavertree Athletics Stadium, Liverpool. Photo Tim Stott

8. USA National Champs 2008 - 8 minutes 27 seconds This sequence shows the culmination of their ‘training’ when Clive Palmer and Tim Stott fly to Missouri to compete in the US National Canoe poling Championships on the Meramec River in 2008. They compete alongside world canoe poling champions Chip Cochrane and Harry Rock along with up to 20 other competitors. It was important to us to have some evidence of competitive canoe poling, not only to be able to show competitors at the height of their game but also to re-affirm that our coaching ideas in this DVD related to a formal sport. This seemed important if we were to encourage the viewer/coach to use this DVD as a model to develop their own linked and themed coaching plan of training activities in their own sports. Poler: Chip Cochrane, racing towards first place in the Wildwater competition - Open Class at the US National Canoe Poling Championships, 2008, at Times Beach, Eureka, Missouri. Photo: Mena Schmid

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In compiling this resource we have deliberately not overlaid a commentary to explain and justify our actions in a given activity which might restrict how the footage can be usefully interpreted in teaching. Notwithstanding the explanations above it is left to the viewer to make these connections. However, it is worth listing what we regard as transferable skills that are useful to acquiring skilful movement in sport, for example: - Balance: dynamic and responsive - Posture: adaptive and strong - Co-ordination - Efficiency of action - Weight bearing and weight transference - Awareness and anticipation - Risk taking and judgement - Physical conditioning and core stability - A sense of fun, a sense of challenge - Learning fine and gross motor control Admittedly, these “transferable skills” are not the usual suspects of the “3 Ss” (strength, stamina and suppleness), but collectively they may serve to broaden the scope of what may be regarded as transferable skills in sport and become worthy of pedagogical attention in our teaching and coaching. One possible [unproductive] outcome from this resource may be that it will be shown that genuinely transferable skills are unfeasible and unattainable to most coaches due to a lack of specialism in other sports – i.e. transferable skills may be a pipe dream (or illusion) due to the practical difficulties of doing other sports well enough to gain a benefit towards the main purpose. This may be the worst kind of tokenism in multi-skills coaching. One possible [productive] outcome will be that, regardless of the event specialisms, students might follow the ideas and see the value in the exercises which they design and can justify in terms of their own practice/experience how they relate to each other. A sense of ownership and personal investment in a coaching plan may help towards motivation from the coach and the performer. As a teaching tool, the focus of the resource is to help students consider how they might break down complex skills and create coaching experiences for others. What student’s might produce in response to this DVD is their own sport related coaching theories which are grounded in transferable skills and core conditioning for their sport. This resource may help to teach other’s to become innovative with their stock of sporting knowledge. In doing so they might also give consideration to the ethical issues of coaching in certain ways and the challenges of presenting innovative teaching methods in sport and in Physical Education; given that the demands, freedoms and expectations of the two may be very different.

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Coaching in UK to Canoe Poling USA By Clive Palmer and Tim Stott, Canoe Focus, December, 2008, pp. 46-47. Photos By Mena Schmid Clive Palmer and Tim Stott, two BCU coaches from Liverpool, boarded a plane headed for St. Louis, Missouri to attend the American Canoe Association (ACA) National Canoe Poling Championships, 29th – 31st May 2008. However, actually taking part in the competition was an unexpected bonus! The main aim of the trip was to film the world class poling. Nevertheless, the competition experience was excellent and we learned a great deal. In this article we would like to share some details of our canoe poling project and give readers an insight into the US National Canoe Poling Competition.

Poling a canoe is a very effective method of navigating rivers in low water conditions allowing exploration without the need for time-consuming shuttles. The idea is to simply pole upstream as far as you wish to go and then pole back to your car; simple on the practicalities. Those who have encountered canoe poling will also testify that it’s a pretty considerable

work-out mentally and physically. However, with practice the rewards are immense. As confidence develops the poler tackles more difficult manoeuvres or ascends steeper rapids. It was the sense of physical challenge and awareness of

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the core skills supporting the action of poling that interested me to develop a project to support our teaching. It was the development of that project that eventually led us to the ACA National Championships in Missouri. The canoe poling project: core stability and transferable skills Across many sports the benefits of cross-training to develop core stability has been recognised for years, for example, gymnastic training for track and field athletes. Hand-in-hand with that has been the identification of transferable skills that one activity may develop specifically to contribute to the main pursuit, e.g.

skateboarding for surfers. The aim of this project was to highlight the links between physical preparation in a sport and to illustrate visually how skills might be transfered across ostensibly different activities but importantly, still remain within the context of the sport for which the athlete or participant is training – the example in this case being canoe poling. Video footage of our activities has been edited down and is used to stimulate innovative coaching activities in whatever sport they wish to coach. In essence, canoe poling is incidental to the central focus of the project. The novelty of canoe poling is useful for emphasising the coaching ideas behind the activity rather than for poling itself, given that the majority of my audience are not canoeists! Initial results are promising.

The ‘core’ skills being developed in this canoe poling project include for example; balance and posture, co-ordination, efficiency of action, risk-taking and judgement, a sense of fun and a sense of challenge, physical conditioning allied with fine motor control, weight bearing and weight transference. Admittedly, these are not the usual suspects of strength, stamina and suppleness; however the “three S’s” are implicit in these practices. The range of core skills identified could be expanded upon, or could be different for another sport. To illustrate the transferable elements of action in a sport, canoe poling in this case, several activities were selected which tied in with the core skills identified. These activities included: pole vaulting, slack lining, wobble-boarding, land-boarding (up and down hill!), balance exercises in the gymnasium on beams, and back-bouncing (without a pole!) on the trampoline, balance exercises in the pool with open canoes and lastly, footage of competitive canoe poling in

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slalom and white-water racing. The key point here being that features of the poling action can be traced to each of the different (but linked and themed) practices. It was this last requirement for footage that took us to the home of canoe poling where the first ever poling completion took place in 1965 at “Times Beach” on the Meramec River, Missouri, currently in Route 66 State Park. 2008 ACA Nationals: a historic event

This event originates largely from the energy and enthusiasm of the Beletz brothers, Al, Syl, and Frank. We had the pleasure of meeting all three brothers as the return of the Nationals to the Meramec was a celebration of their ‘pioneering’ efforts in this canoe sport. The dedication to their sport, and the friendship of all the competitors at this event was admirable. The famous names of American poling had driven thousands

of miles across the US to be at this historic event. Ed Hayden, the event Chair at 82, was the oldest competitor and we are all particularly thankful for his sterling efforts to organise the whole event and for driving a round trip of 2400 miles with four open canoes strapped to his roof rack! (Ed even did a recce trip for the event, by car, the previous year). Chip Cochrane was awesome on the water, winning the Open event (slalom and WW) again for the fifteenth time but for also driving further than Ed with a trailer full of boats for folks to use. Even for the Texans it was two days driving just to get out of Texas! All of which makes the drive up to Windermere for the English Canoe Symposium look like a short commute. Harry Rock was in fine form, taking first place in the Masters slalom and wild water events. He continued to be an inspiration as he has been to many canoe polers in the UK due to his memorable

workshops and recently published book and DVD on the sport. Scott Stepunuck, in his early thirties, was the relative youngster taking a creditable third in the Open event beind Harry and Chip. Marti Bartels, Executive Director of the ACA also made a mammoth drive to attend this special event and acted as one of the official time keepers for the races.

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Racing and competing: “Racer Ready” Stepping up to enter a race at the Nationals was a formal undertaking – also with the Beletz brothers looking on from the bridge nearby, ‘no pressure’ for the first ever Brits to take part in this event. With three timers on each race and scrutineers around the course looking to award penalties, the realisation of being in a serious sport dawns. As the race slot approaches the

heart rate would quicken. All mental rehearsal complete and focusing on getting a good start you would draw up to the start buoy (pronounced “booee” (in American) and await the preparatory command, “racer-ready”, and then blast-off with cheers of encouragement from the crowd. The excessive efforts from a floundering novice such as me were not a pretty sight compared to the elegance, efficiency and power of accomplished polers such as Chip, Harry and others. In a swift current, to see a practiced expert commit their whole bodyweight to the pole to spin, manoeuvre or just plain accelerate was an awesome and impressive sight. Tim and I achieved creditable placings in the Masters and Intermediate events and we appreciate being welcomed to participate in this special competition. In closing, I would like to express my sincere thanks to everyone we met on our trip, for their welcoming generosity and friendship and for providing us with such wonderful memories of the canoe poling ‘family’ in the USA. Thank you.

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Harry Rock – poler extraordinaire and quote of the week, re: talking to the Brits - “We may share the same language but we may not necessarily be communicating”.

The Belezt Brothers Canoe Poling Mobile, quite an extraordinary vehicle with several modes of transport represented. Photo: Clive Palmer

Photos (in order of appearance):

1. Tim Stott competing in the Slalom Event, Harry Rock in the background. 2. Chip Cochrane (R) and Harry Rock (L) discussing the course layout. 3. Rob Koger from Texas, lining up for his run. 4. Harry Rock presenting Al, Syl and Frank with a plaque at the meal in their honour

to commerate their contribution to the sport of poling since 1965. 5. Ed Hayden competing in the Open slalom race. 6. The hardware – the nationl trophies being contested at this annual event. 7. Chip Cochrane racing his way to another National Title in the Open Slalom event. 8. Clive Palmer competing in the Intermediate Class Slalom event. 9. Competitors of the American National Canoe Poling Championships 2008. 10. Harry Rock with his quote of the week, “fantastic”! 11. The Beletz mobile.

See also on You Tube for some early footage of this project, which has acted as a useful (brief) overview of the project (5 mins) and has had nearly 3000 views in a year. Online - Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxAZ9ApDsM4

(Accessed 25th June 2009).

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Suggestions for using this DVD

We consider this DVD to work at many levels in teaching and learning and numerous links may be made by the viewer to wider coaching concepts in sport. However, here are a few ideas which may be useful:

- show clips and encourage students to copy the concept of linked themed coaching practices in their own sport and to experiment with them.

- Show clips and copy the exercises for balance and kinesthic development. - Ask students to devise and try out their ‘new’ coaching ideas on peers, to

actively experiement and redesign in the light of practice. - How might exercises (in the DVD and/or the ones you develop) be made

easier for novices or adapted for more challenge? - How might the coach recognise novice attempts at a complex skill and

perhaps more importantly, how might the coach talk the novice through to having another go?

- When do we give praise, what kind of feedback is useful, when and why? - In focusing upon these core and transferable skills for improved physical

action, where does it leave the “can do proficiency” awards of the National Governing Bodies of Sport skills specific qualifications?

- Are we physically educating the person or ‘just’ coaching them in sport? - How might the coach intervene (if at all?) during the cognitive phase of

skill learning? - Brainstorm – what are the skills being developed in these clips? - What is interesting about watching people trying to balance? What do we

admire? What do we hope for? - What is the value of watching a novice attempt a new a skill? - Use as a blended learning resource which might lead others to become

innovative with their own stock of knowledge in sport

Bibliography

A selected bibliography of relevant canoe poling texts and some coaching texts which may lead the reader towards some exploration and experimentation in their coaching practice. Also some references on teaching and learning through digital media (blended learning) as the DVD may lend itself to this style of teaching. American Canoe Association Website, canoe poling section [online]. Available at: http://www.americancanoe.org/site/c.lvIZIkNZJuE/b.4863047/k.8573/Canoe_Poling.htm (Accessed 28th June 2009).

Beletz, A., Beletz, S. and Beletz, F. (1974) Canoe Poling: A complete handbook on canoe poling. A.C. Mckenzie Press, St. Louis, Missouri, USA.

Beletz, A., Beletz, S. and Beletz, F. (2003) Canoeing Gods Gifts, Canoeing with the Beletxz brothers. A.C. Mckenzie Press, St. Louis, Missouri, USA.

Conover, G. (1991) Beyond the paddle - A canoeists guide to expedition skills: poling, lining, portaging and manoevering throigh ice. Tilbury House Publishers, Maine, USA.

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Cross, N. and Lyle, J. (Eds.) (2002) The Coaching Process – principles and practice for sport. Butterworth Heinemann, London.

Jeffreys, I. (2002) Developing a Progressive Core Stability Programme. Strength and Conditioning Journal, 24, 5, 65-66.

Jones, R.L. (Ed.) (2006) The Sports Coach as Educator. Routledge, Oxon.

Kibler, W. B., Press, J. and Sciascia, A. (2006) The role of core stability in athletic function, current opinion. Sports Medicine, 36, 3, 189-198.

Lear, R. and Palmer, C. (2007) Is there life after playing football? Investigating the perspectives of football coaches at a club in the North West of England. Journal of Qualitative Research in Sports Studies. 1, 1, 19-32.

Mageau, G. and Vallerand, R.J. (2003) The coach–athlete relationship: a motivational model. Journal of Sports Sciences, 21, 883–904.

McCombs, J. and Palmer, C. (2008) Win or lose, what counts as success in coaching? – analysing the opinions and aspirations of gymnastics coaches. Journal of Qualitative Research in Sports Studies, 2, 1, 115-130.

Prior, C. and Palmer, C. (2008) It’s the winning that counts, not just taking part - opinions and aspirations of some entry-level sport’s coaches. Journal of Qualitative Research in Sports Studies, 2, 1, 59-70.

Palmer, C. and Stott, T. (2008) Coaching in UK to Canoe Poling USA. Canoe Focus, December, pp 46-47 [online]. Hosted on the ACA (American Canoe Association) website, available at: http://www.americancanoe.org/atf/cf/{74254DC2-74B4-446F-92BE-547992272AB7}/Competition_Canoe_Poling_08_article.pdf (Accessed 11th February, 2009).

Rock, H. (2005) Canoe Poling. Little Dancer Ltd. London.

Rock, H. (2005) Canoe Poling with Harry Rock DVD. Little Dancer Films. London.

Stott, T. A with Institute of Learning and Research Technology (2001) Fluvial Geomorphology Web based Learning Resource. Digital Image Dataset produced for and published by FILTER (Focussing Images in Learning & Teaching: an Enriched Resource), University of Bristol. Includes panorama movies, time-lapse aerial photography and 152 images. http://www.filter.ac.uk/database > Go Geography.

Stott, T. A. and Hall, N. E. (2003) Changes in Aspects of Students’ Self-reported Personal, Social and Technical Skills During a Six-week Wilderness Expedition in Arctic Greenland, Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning, 3, 2, 159-169.

Stott, T. A., Huddart, D. (2005) Blended Learning ? Design and Evaluation of a Level 3 Undergraduate Fluvial Geomorphology Course, Planet 15, 20-25. Publication of the Higher Education Academy Subject Centre for Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Learning & Teaching Support Network http://www.gees.ac.uk/planet/index.htm

Stott, T.A. (2007) Evaluation of the use of Diagrams and Video Clips in Blackboard’s on-line assessment, JMU Learning & Teaching Press, vol. 6, 25-29. Liverpool John Moores University.

Whitmore, J. (1992) Coaching for performance – a practical guide to growing your own skills. Nicholas Brealey Publishing, London.

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The idea underpinning this resource is to demonstrate visibly a range of transferable skills across different activities which complement each other and might therefore be categorised as ‘core skills’ such as balance, co-ordination, stability posture etc. As a teaching resource the DVD works at many different levels, however, it is hoped that by using the relatively obscure sport of canoe poling as an example of combining activities that the student/coach might generate their own ideas about linking activities in their own sporting context, knowledge and experience. The ‘take home’ message is not, necessarily, to copy me and become a canoe poler but rather to copy the idea of combining activities to teach the core skills of sporting movement.

Thank you for taking time to watch our film.

Tim Stott Liverpool John Moores University, UK. t.a.stott@ljmu.ac.uk

Clive Palmer University of Central Lancashire, Preston, UK. capalmer@uclan.ac.uk

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