Young Paddlesport Instructor Profiles: Hazel Marsh
Get to know some of the SCA's young paddlesport instructors! Every few weeks we will feature a young PSI.
This week it's all about Hazel Marsh.
Hazel says:
'My family started kayaking when I was 7 as something to do together. We started out on sit on top kayaks and soon caught the bug moving to sea kayaks. To ensure we were safe on the water, we joined our local club.
The things I love about kayaking are getting to go to in the fast flowing water at some of the most beautiful locations in the west coast of Scotland. My favourite locations are Falls of Lora and the Gray Dog/Cuan Sound. Through our club, I have met lots of lovely supportive people that have encouraged and supported me to expand my skill set.
I did the paddle sport instructor course to help me support my club and to hopefully get a part time job to support me though school/university. Alison Wilson, Rachel and Gordon Kennedy and all coaches at West Coast Paddles encouraged me to develop my skills from a young age. This lead to me having the skills at 14 to do my FSRT and Paddlesports Instructor Course.
The course was good as I got to met new people and learn new games to transfer my kayaking skills to others. I was the youngest person on the course but I was made to feel welcome and included.
When I qualified as a Paddlesport instructor, West Coast Paddlers welcomed me into their coaching group. I get to support and assist coach groups at our local Loch on a weekly basis. I do shadowing and lead under the guidance of other qualified coaches. This enables me to observe and learn other coach techniques to advance my skills. This is preparing me to do more qualifications when I hit the relevant age. I enjoy seeing other people out on the water having fun.
Young people need to know what’s out there and see the funding available to cover the help cover the costs. Lowering some of the age limits to allowing continuation of training as I can not progress further till I am 16.
I am aiming to get higher up in sea kayaking and coaching qualifications. Would love to work in the industry to pay my way through university.
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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