Sports coach

Sports coach/instructor job description: Typical employers | Qualifications and training | Key skills | Useful links | Find jobs and courses

Coaches are responsible for planning, organising and delivering an appropriate range of sports activities and programmes for individuals and teams.

Typical responsibilities include:

• teaching relevant skills, tactics and techniques
• monitoring and enhancing performance by providing tuition, encouragement and constructive feedback
• identifying strengths and weaknesses
• advising about health and lifestyle issues
• developing training programmes
• undertaking administrative tasks
• assisting with sports promotion/development.

Typical employers of sports coaches

• schools
• colleges
• local authorities
• fitness centres
• sports clubs
• holiday camps
• sports national governing bodies
• sports councils.

Competition for vacancies varies: popular sports (such as football and swimming) tend to have a greater number of jobs available than less mainstream sports (for example, basketball and lacrosse). Opportunities are advertised online, in local, regional and national newspapers including The Times Educational Supplement, publications such as Opportunities, Leisure Management, Leisure Week, and vacancy lists produced by local authorities.

Qualifications and training required

All candidates must obtain the National Governing Bodies (NGB) qualifications for the appropriate sporting discipline. These broadly correspond to National Vocational Qualifications (NVQ) Levels 1-4.

In addition to the NGB qualifications, relevant practical work experience is also essential. This can be gained via voluntary, part-time or paid employment as a coach, fitness instructor, recreation assistant or leisure or fitness centre attendant.

A degree in sports science, sports management, recreation or leisure studies, physiology or psychology may be beneficial. A specialist postgraduate qualification (for example, an MSc in coaching studies) can be useful - although courses are often aimed at those with substantial coaching experience.

Key skills for sports coaches

• physical fitness
• excellent interpersonal skills
• communication skills
• team working skills.