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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.
practitioner
The role
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.
What it takes
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.
Getting in
There are several ways you can become qualified as a Coach. Look at the options below to explore what option works best for you.
You can complete a non-sport-specific qualification such as a:
Alternatively, you can complete a sport-specific coaching qualification with the national governing body (NGB) of your chosen sport.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Training
Typical earnings
Not currently available
Demand
Not currently available
Typical working patterns
Not currently available
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:
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.