Sports organisations around the UK are working very hard to get more women into sport and coaching. Women and girls need role models to show them that they can be more active – this is where you come in!

Coaching does not have to be all about spending your evenings and weekends at the local football club. Have you thought about running an activity or sports session in:

• Community centres and social clubs
• Schools: primary or secondary, schools for disabled children or ‘mainstream’ schools (depending on the school, you could coach at an after-school club, or over lunch breaks)
• Holiday sports ‘camps’ – for children and adults
• Youth organisations such as Guides, Scouts or youth clubs
• Your local park.

Ask yourself: “Why do I want to coach?”

• I want to put something back into my own sport(s)
• I want to extend my social life and create a new circle of friends
• I want to develop my range of skills?
• I am bored of watching and want to do something?
• I want to try something new and build my own self-confidence
• I want to stay involved with my sport but I am not as active as I used to be

Do I need to do some training to be a coach?

Governing bodies of sport run coaching qualifications to ensure that all their coaches provide a high quality experience for the people you are coaching. However when you are just starting out, it is recommended that you gain some introductory knowledge in key areas:

• Sport-specific technical knowledge (either from experience, further reading or governing body introductory level qualifications, for example)
• How to establish a safe coaching environment
• The welfare of your participants
• Awareness of working with the appropriate participants (eg children or disabled people).

When you first start coaching, you should never be required to:

• Provide your own coaching advice, but you will be required to reinforce the advice from the coach
• Plan or coach a session by yourself
• Be left on your own to coach the participants
• Take a child to the toilet or help him or her get changed.

Will I get paid?

Most coaching roles are voluntary, which means you won’t get paid for them, but you may be able to claim expenses back. Check with the club or team that is helping you get involved in coaching.

If you do want to attend some training or, along the line, take a coaching qualification, you may be able to apply for a bursary to cover the cost of the training course. Again, check with your sport’s governing body, the county sports partnership from where you live, or the organisation that you coach for.

How does this sound? Fancy giving it a go? Have a look at the next page to see where you start.