2026 COACH DEVELOPMENT WEEK STRENGTHENS COACHING WORKFORCE
Thirty-six coaches, including ten women, came together in Stratford-upon-Avon from 20th to 24th July 2026 for BF’s annual Coach Development Week.
BF’s annual Coach Development Week took place in Stratford-upon-Avon between 20th July and 24th July 2026, bringing together coaches from across the fencing community for a week of learning, development, and collaboration. The week included qualifications across all three weapons, supported the development of new coach educators, and contributed to all five areas of BF’s 2030 Strategy.
A total of 36 coaches participated in the programme, including ten women, with support from the recently launched grant scheme. The new grant scheme is designed to increase participation and create opportunities for more women to progress along the coaching pathway.
The week featured a comprehensive programme of coach education courses, including the Introduction To Coaching Fencing (ITCF), Coaching Fencing Level 2 (CFL2) qualifications across all three weapons, and Weapon-Specific Level 3 (WS3) courses. Coaches attending represented a broad range of experience and environments, from those supporting participation and community-based programmes, through to coaches working within performance settings.
Alongside coach qualifications, the week also strengthened BF’s capacity to support future coach development. Two members of the Fencing Development Team underwent training to deliver both Level 2 and Level 3 coaching courses, increasing the BF’s ability to provide high-quality coach education opportunities across the country.
Coach Development Week demonstrated the breadth of coaching activity taking place across the sport, contributing to the long-term ambitions set out within BF’s 2030 Strategy. With coaches attending from both the performance and social impact areas of fencing, the programme contributed to all five strategic areas of the strategy through workforce development, learning opportunities, and enhanced coaching support.
Developing a diverse, skilled, and connected coaching workforce remains a key priority for BF, helping to create positive experiences for participants at every level of the sport.
For upcoming courses and qualifications, view the calendar via Sport:80 here.
This news post relates to the BF 2030 Strategy Goal 3, to Create A Sustainable Future. Find out more about the BF Strategy here.