Coach
Also known as; Sports coach, high-performance sports coach, community sports coach, school sports coach
A coach will improve a participant’s experience of sport and physical activity by providing specialised support and guidance matched to the participant’s individual needs.
What could I earn as a Coach?
Your earnings will depend on the hours you work, your location, level of experience and whether you are employed or self-employed. To give you an idea, the data presented reflects the earnings listed in job advertisements across the UK from January to December 2024, as gathered via Lightcast (March 2025). Average annual earnings reflect full-time roles (>32hours/week), however average hourly earnings are a reflection of data collected from full-time, part-time and flexible hours vacancies.
Average UK earnings
Avg. annual earnings
Avg. hourly earnings
total job postings
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- Evenings
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59% of coach job adverts are hiring for full-time positions.
What does a Coach do?
Coaching is an incredibly rewarding role which helps individuals and teams to unlock their potential. Coaches are passionate about their sport and pass on their knowledge to those they are coaching. Regularly working with different groups, from preschool children to adult professionals, coaching is visible throughout the sport and physical activity sector and has a substantial impact.
Coaches can – and do – have an inspirational effect on individuals, groups and communities. They are expected to lead the planning, preparation and delivery of sport and physical activity sessions as well as to continuously evaluate and review progress and enjoyment.
Coaches ensure that the culture and environment that they are operating within meets the participants’ needs while allowing them the opportunity to achieve their goals and aspirations. Coaches are expected to tailor their sessions to the individual or group’s needs and must have an inclusive approach.
Coaches rarely work in isolation and regularly work with other professionals such as other coaches, volunteers, parents, youth workers and teachers.
Skills and behaviours
The following common or transferable skills are most frequently asked for by employers in coach job adverts across the UK:
| Skills and behaviours | % prevalence in job ads |
|---|---|
| Coaching | 43% |
| Teaching | 38% |
| Communication | 29% |
| Planning | 13% |
| Management | 13% |
| Enthusiasm | 12% |
| Interpersonal communications | 11% |
| Teamwork | 10% |
| First aid | 10% |
| Customer Service | 9% |
To find out more about the minimum knowledge, skills and behaviours an individual must understand and demonstrate to become a coach, you can visit our occupational professional standards library.
How to become a Coach
You can complete a non-sport-specific qualification such as a:
- Level 2 Certificate in Coaching Multi-Skills Development in Sport
- Level 2 Certificate in Coaching (Sport & Physical Activity)
- Level 2 Certificate in Coaching
Alternatively, you can complete a sport-specific coaching qualification with the national governing body (NGB) of your chosen sport.
Course entry requirements
Most coaching courses require you to complete a Level 1 Assistant Coach course before you can progress on to sports coach qualifications. You can check the entry requirements with the course provider.
Course delivery and cost
Coaching courses can be delivered in an online, in-person or hybrid (online and in person) format. The total course cost, study time and guided learning hours will vary depending on the delivery format, qualification and training provider you choose.
College or university
Some colleges and universities have embedded coaching qualifications into their sports coaching and development learning programmes.
You can browse our CIMSPA Endorsed Training Directory to check for colleges and universities that are recognised by CIMSPA for providing quality training to students.
In the Training Directory, you can also check what courses our endorsed colleges and universities offer as well as course entry requirements, a summary of course content/material and more information on how to apply.
Apprenticeship
You can find out more about completing a CIMSPA approved apprenticeship to become a Sports Coach via The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) website.
Professional Standards
CIMSPA is the guardian of a single professional and apprenticeship standards framework for the sport and physical activity sector – outlining the minimum knowledge, skills and behaviours an individual must understand and demonstrate for every occupation and job role in the sector.
This standards framework is driving the development of quality education products for our workforce and supporting employers in assessing which job roles an individual is qualified for.
Coach Courses and qualifications
Swim England Swimming Coach Certificate
Swim England Assistant Swimming Coach Certificate
What's the best role for you?
Career paths and progression
Career pathways
Side Steps
Next Steps
Aspirational Steps
Career progression
As well as exploring new career pathways, as a coach, you can also choose to progress your career by completing further training or continued professional development (CPD) in your role. This training can be added to enable coaches to show their expertise in additional populations, in different environments and with technical specialisms.
Examples of specialisms that may be added are:
- Working with children
- Working with people with long-term conditions
- Working in the school environment
Continuing Professional Development
Swim England Swimming Coach Certificate
Swim England Assistant Swimming Coach Certificate
Find a job as a Coach
The content of the job posts displayed on the CIMSPA jobs board are pulled in through feeds from websites which are not under the control of CIMSPA.
CIMSPA will not be liable for any false, inaccurate, inappropriate or incomplete information presented on the jobs board.