Learning and Development survey results and next steps

Water Polo Australia would like to thank our members who took the time to complete the Learning and Development Survey.

With a good response rate, we were able to capture a snapshot of how we can better support our coaches and officials, so that we can help to enhance capability to enable growth in our sport. At all levels of our sport!

The survey provided many valuable insights, with five key findings highlighting the needs and wants of our members:

• Motivation to learn and grow is high
• Our coaches and officials rely heavily on Water Polo Australia as their main source of learning and development
• Strengths of the current framework are the online format and content
• Satisfaction with the current systems is average/low
• Desired changes include:
  • Lower cost of Learning and Development
  • Provide more opportunities for mentoring
  • Range of formats for learning (online, face-to-face, mentoring, tip sheets etc)
  • Improve assessment processes

WPA General Manager - Learning & Development Katie Foulkes thanked members for their input, noting the next steps for the organisation.

"Id like to extend our gratitude to the members that took the time to complete the Learning and Development survey," Foulkes said.

"Your input into this process is vital and thanks to your feedback we were able to understand the areas of the current system that work well, and some areas that need to be improved.

"We have an ambitious roadmap and are committed to engaging with our coaches and officials on a journey of deliberate and continuous learning.

"As part of this we are revising the existing Coach and Official Development Framework, but we acknowledge that his framework is not the end product but instead a vehicle for the change that we hear is needed," she said.

WPA will continue to work on the new look Coach and Official Development Framework with some notable changes to be made.

"The new framework will be affordable and accessible to all coaches and officials, offering learning opportunities via a range of delivery methods," Foulkes said.

"The focus will be on the development of our coaches and officials, and the impact they have on our athletes - going above and beyond attaining accreditations and certificates, to a culture where learning is rewarded by opportunities and personal mastery.

"Water Polo Australia are committed to the holistic development of our coaches and officials, and to building a culture of deliberate and ongoing learning," she said.

Water Polo Australia will provide updates at appropriate times throughout the revision phase, with roll out of the new framework expected in September 2021.