5 The benefits of adopting the ARC model
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As you progress through this course and learn more about each of the six principles of the ARC model of coaching practice, you will learn specifically about the potential benefits that adopting each of them can have – for your players, for you as a coach and for your own coaching development. Some of the many benefits of embedding the ARC principles into your everyday coaching are listed below.
- Coaches will gain more confidence and reduce any potential fear, concern or anxiety that may be present when supporting players from diverse ethnic backgrounds, enabling coaches to embrace and celebrate cultural diversity rather than ignore or downplay its influence and existence in your coaching settings.
- The ARC model will help coaches create environments and interactions that will enable all players to thrive and enjoy themselves – ensuring they can be their true selves and not feel they have to change who they are to ‘fit in’ or be included.
- Adopting ARC principles is a practical way for those involved in youth sport to embody the anti-racist message and be a key agent of change to help make sporting environments inclusive, welcoming and make a contribution to local community cohesion.
- Adopting ARC principles will simply help make you a better, more skilled and effective coach – while it is specifically designed to support your coaching of ethnically diverse groups of young people, many of the core features of ARC are also increasingly recognised as good coaching practice.
- Gaining experience in adopting ARC principles can also be important part of your own professional development – in an ever more competitive sport coaching industry it can help you to stand out from the crowd and confidently discuss your anti-racist and inclusive approach to coaching.
Activity 3 Using ARC in your practice
Take a moment to reflect on what you have learned across this first session. Use the text box below to capture your initial thoughts on the following points:
- what you are hoping to get out of completing the course
- which aspect/s of the ARC model you are most interested in finding out more about
- what you have learned that has already made you think a bit differently about any aspect of your coaching.
Discussion
Across this course you will be encouraged to reflect on your learning and how it might relate to, and impact on, your own practice as a coach or another role supporting children and young people in sport. These can be important opportunities to pause and consider your key take-aways.
You have now completed the first session of the course – well done! The final section that follows provides an overall summary of the learning from this session, including a short quiz to test your knowledge.