We sat down with Mr Chris Paech who is Head of Sport P-12 to gain his insight into his successful student coaching program, and why we love what it does for our community.

Why do we have Student Coaches?

We do it because the students love doing it. They volunteer to do it without really being pushed and some of them have had student coaches in the past so they've been really inspired by that. I think also think about giving back to the programme, recognising the  value they’ve received from the sporting programmes.

Do the Student Coaches work on their own?

It depends on the individual student. Students can either work on their own with a team or in pairs, primarily with younger teams in the Junior and Middle Schools. Myself and the coaching staff oversee the program and offer guidance where required.

How long have been going?

The program has been active for about four or five years, but it has grown exponentially in the last two. We started off with just a couple of senior students who were our sports captains and were helping out. We now we have number of coaches (approx. 25 to 30) across volleyball, futsal and basketball, and also that is helping with the Junior School teams. Across those three sports the majority of them are working in pairs just because it's a safer space for them and they have someone to bounce their ideas off. But importantly, they love the ownership of actually working with the kids.

What are the benefits?

The benefits are many. Firstly, students learn best from their peers as they are just a step ahead of them. They can envision themselves in similar roles in the near future, fostering a sense of relatability and aspiration. This initiative also nurtures relationships among students of different age groups, building a strong sense of community.

It then also builds relationships amongst the student body with middle and senior school students which is which is great to see. It's a massive benefit for our programmes because the kids are actually organising the kids so it's leadership in a peer form.

Furthermore, coaching enhances the skills and understanding of the students themselves, as they must articulate and convey their knowledge to others. Their game actually improves as they have more of an understanding of the skills and strategies required to improve which they will learn to explain to others.

In essence, student coaching isn't just about sports—it's about developing character, fostering leadership, and perpetuating a cycle of giving back. It's a testament to the strength of our community and the values we uphold.

Do you find they want to stay on after school?

For some of them, absolutely. Some of our current alumni coaches were student coaches or were coached when they were in school, so they’ve got that desire to keep going and actually giving back to the programme that they got so much out of. 

We've got university students or people in the workforce and they're still actually coming into coach to give of their time. The good thing about Calvary is the community and they continue to contribute to that. I think that’s really important.

Mr Chris Paech

Head of Sport - P-12 at Calvary Christian College

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