Young Paddlesport Instructor Profiles: Sam and Will Stevely
Get to know some of the SCA's young paddlesport instructors! Every few weeks we will feature a young PSI(s). This week it's all about
Sam and Will Stevely.
Sam and Will Stevely both achieved the Paddlesport Instructor - Kayak qualification, completing the course with Poppy Croal Mackenzie at Forth Canoe Club when they were 14 years old.
Sam and Will say:
We started paddling when we were 2 or 3 years of age with my parents on a Canadian canoe and sit on top. We joined West Lothian Canoe club when we were 5, and on a holiday we were given the chance to paddle a lightening and since then we have been paddling different boats.
We love paddling as its fun and has a lot of different experiences - we love the freedom it gives and thoroughly enjoy training. Going to different places and being on different boats also adds to our love for paddling.
We did the Paddlesport Instructor Course as during our time at Forth Canoe club, we were coached by two inspirational coaches: Poppy Croal and Tomas Duarte. Both have encouraged us and supported us to become better paddlers. Having good instructors also made us want to do courses, and in turn teach other people.
What was good about the course was that we got the chance to participate in a number of different rescues and boats. It also gave us the chance to work with different people and lead other paddlers in a game. This is something that we enjoyed and hope to do more of in the future. Post the Course, we look forward to Forth Canoe club pool where we hope to help out.
We think paddlers need to be given a wide range of different disciplines of canoeing and the chance to have different experiences on the water. Also giving young people the opportunity to lead sessions under supervision and being able to tell other young people about the course will help get more young people to into instructing.
In the future, Will would like to become a coach and encourage other people into paddling. He would like to do some more advance coaching but before that he would like to help out at some sessions to get experience. Sam would like to be able to have the skills and qualifications to do lead river trips.
Paddlesport Instructor Training Course - more info
The BCAB Paddlesport Instructor course is open to anyone aged 14 or over. This two day course helps you develop practical skills to support learning, inspire adventure and exploration, and sets you up to run taster/introductory sessions within clubs or centres.
Paddlesport Instructors are often the first point of contact for newcomers to our sport, and play a really important role. First impressions from these sessions can have a lasting impact on the likelihood of the person returning to do more in the future. Delivering sessions that are safe, enjoyable and rewarding are cornerstones of the Paddlesport Instructor role, and threads that run through all elements of the course.
Not only does this qualification help get you started delivering sessions, for many it is the first step on the formal qualification pathway. The course is open to people who have basic paddling skills in kayak, open canoe, sit on top, or stand up paddleboard. You’ll need to feel comfortable getting around where you want to go in/on your preferred craft, in calm benign conditions, close to easy bank-side access.
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