Coaches help people of different ages and abilities to develop and improve within sport and activity. They can have a positive influence on people’s activity levels, and can be seen as role models, not only by the people they support to be more active, but also by their families. As you can see, coaching is not all about being sporty and knowing all technical aspects of playing a sport.

How do people view coaches?

Coaching in the UK is viewed overwhelmingly positively. When thinking about coaches people use words like:

• Competent
• Honest
• Friendly yet tough
• Respected
• Good communicators
• Passionate

As a coach, fundamentally you have to be able to talk to people, build relationships and support them to get out of their sport or activity what they want to achieve. It is not all about knowing everything about sport and playing it to elite/professional level.

There are different levels of coaches in the UK. Let’s have a look at what knowledge and skills you would need at each level and what you would be expected to do at each level. The following information only shows the first few stages of coaching and should just be used as  a guide for your informaiton as it may differ from sport to sport.

Activator

An Activator’s role includes organising and leading activity for individuals and small groups which promotes enjoyment and gets more people active.

Role Description

• Be a positive role model to encourage physical activity
• Maintain high standards of customer care
• Raise awareness of your activity and get people involved
• Organise and run fun, safe activity
• Provide information to further sports activity and clubs in your local area

Coaching Assistant

Assists the delivery of sports sessions

Role Description

• Assists with coaching sessions and helping the coach out
• If confident, to lead warm up, cool down and reinforce points to small groups under supervision
• Learning how to perform basic coaching functions, with guidance from the coach
• Help the coach understand how the group is getting on

 

Club Coach

A fully independant coach who delivers sessions over a whole sports season

Role Description

• Plans, leads and evaluates coaching sessions and blocks of progressive sessions
• Cognitive and prac­tical competences to perform basic coaching functions of plan, do review independently within an open yet structured environment
• Leads own ses­sions, may work under supervision as part of a programme’s coaching staff
• Supports Coach­ing Assistant’s and pre-coaches / leaders in their development
• Has extended knowledge
• Ability to carry out a basic evaluation of sports coaching leading to self-reflection and to simple changes in practice