The Confederation of Coaches of Portugal and the Portuguese Surf School Association established a partnership with the aim of strengthening the representation of Surf Coaches and giving a voice to this professional class in Portugal. Online quiz for Trainers is ongoing.
The hard and prolonged pandemic situation in which we have been living for almost a year has had devastating repercussions in all areas of society, in addition to having exposed weaknesses and reinforcing and reminding the needs of the various sectors and activities. In particular, one of the activities seriously impacted was that of the Surf Coaches, who several times over the last year found themselves in absolutely precarious situations, without adequate and timely answers to the multiple doubts and issues that arose with the constant legal changes.
Currently, there is already a professional representation for Surf Schools and Surf Camps across the country, through the AESDP - Portuguese Surf School Association, which has been fighting essentially for the regulation and ordering of the activity of these operators, but that is also a center for clarifying doubts and providing relevant information for its members. Likewise, it is now more than ever evident the need for a similar representation of Surf Coaches, who initiate and accompany young people and adults in this sport in different ways: recreational, recreational, leisure or sports training with a professional career perspective , the latter serving the development of athletes who represent Portugal on the various international stages of our sports. The promotion of surfing as an Olympic modality has created an even greater demand in the processes of training and career progression for Coaches and, consequently, for the athletes themselves.
Based on the above, the Board of AESDP established a partnership protocol with the Confederation of Coaches of Portugal and will present at the General Assembly a proposal to change the scope and statutes of the Association to allow the representation of Coaches, independently and with own regulation, based on the same principles of professionalism that have guided the actions in favor of the Schools and which together will lead to a greater organization and professionalization of Surf as a whole in Portugal.
Subsequently, AESDP will be associated with the Confederation of Coaches of Portugal, which works as an Order of Coaches in Portugal, bringing together 26 Coaches' Associations of different modalities and gathering around 40 thousand Coaches in Portugal around its brand. The Confederation is thus the spokesperson for the Coaches with national and international tutelage in organizations such as: the Portuguese Institute of Sport and Youth (IPDJ), the Secretariat of State for Youth and Sport (SEJD), the National Council for Sport ( CND), the International Council for Coaching Excellence (ICCE) and the European Union.
Surf coaches thus have the opportunity to be directly involved in the dynamics that concern the Coach profession!
In order to understand the perspectives and opinions of the Coaches themselves in relation to the needs of this Association and their needs and concerns, a brief questionnaire was prepared for Surf Coaches, which can be filled out through this link.