Sports coaches or instructors teach sporting skills and techniques to players of all levels and ages, from novices to top professional sportsmen and sportswomen.
The Work
You could be:
working with schools, community groups or competitive sportspeople and teams
working with individuals or with teams, depending on the sport
planning programmes of training to meet performance targets, combining practice on the field with watching videos of games and discussions of good play
watching participants training, correcting their mistakes and giving advice and encouragement
helping players train safely and, if necessary, working on recovery programmes for injured players, including working with other specialists such as physiotherapists
fostering good team spirit among the players
monitoring the physical and psychological condition of each player and advising on nutrition
attending competitions
helping to look for possible sponsorship deals.
Pay
The figures below are only a guide. Actual pay rates may vary, depending on:
where you work
the size of the company or organisation you work for
the demand for the job.
In a full time job you might earn £16,000 to £35,000 a year. Recent vacancies for sports coaches in Scotland have been at £9 to £16 an hour. Some self-employed coaches earn much more than this as they build up a reputation and a client group.
Conditions
Full time jobs as coaches are not always easy to get – many contracts are part time.
You might work as an employee, be self-employed, or be an unpaid volunteer (many coaches of amateur groups and clubs are volunteers).
Work might be seasonal, and you might have periods of unemployment.
Evening and weekend work is common.
You could work both indoors and outdoors in all weathers.
You might have to travel to games and sometimes spend time away from home, possibly abroad.
There are many routes into sports coaching, both paid and voluntary. You may attend college or university to gain qualifications in the relevant sport or gain experience by working with a qualified and experienced coach.
An NQ or NC (SCQF Levels 4-6) in a sports subject – for some courses you need 3 subjects at National 4 or 5.
An HNC (SCQF Level 7) or HND (SCQF Level 8), degree (SCQF Levels 9-10) or postgraduate (SCQF Level 11) qualification in sports coaching and development or sports science – for entry you usually need 1-2 Highers for HNC or HND, 4-5 Highers for a degree.
The SQA National Progression Awards (NPAs) in Sports Coaching are available at SCQF Levels 4, 5 and 6 (UKCC Levels 1, 2 and 3). These qualifications are delivered through the centres that work with sportsscotland and the Scottish Governing Body of Sport. You would be expected to have at least UKCC Level 1 as a new coach.
A coaching award from the national governing body of the sport you wish to coach – some HNC, HND and degree courses include these awards.
You also need:
to be very fit and have played your chosen sport at competitive level
to know the rules of the national governing body of your chosen sport
a first aid qualification
you will require a satisfactory criminal record check from Disclosure Scotland to show that you are suitable for this type of work. Contact Disclosure Scotland for details on the type you would need.
You could work in a sports centre, gymnasium, school, swimming pool, activity centre or hotel. Coaching job vacancies are also often advertised in the journals of the governing bodies.
specialist knowledge of theory and practice of your sport
stamina and perseverance
a good awareness of health and safety.
Training
To begin coaching you will need a specific qualification from the National or Scottish Governing Body (NGB or SGB) of your sport.
To become a top coach or instructor you will need to gain more advanced qualifications from the national body of your sport.
You could also take short training courses in coaching which are run by sportscotland.
Sports Coach UK also run coaching workshops in a variety of different subjects.
Getting On
Your progress depends on your record of success.
You would also need to keep up to date with sport related topics, for example increasing your knowledge of sports psychology and nutrition.
You may start with seasonal work, perhaps moving to become assistant coach in a sports centre or with a sports club.
You may move on to become a senior coach or instructor.
You might get to coach a national team.
You could possibly become a high performance coach, coaching at a high level and passing on skills to locally based coaches.
All coaches must undergo continuous professional development (CPD) programmes to keep at the top of their game. sportscotland offer several CPD programmes. See their website for details.
More Information
For more information please see organisations listed below:
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