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Sports coaches teach sports skills to individuals and teams of all abilities.
You could work: evenings / weekends / bank holidays; away from home
If you're working with schools and community groups, you'll:
If you're working with young people involved in competitive sport, you'll:
If coaching at national or international level you'll:
You could work at a university, on a sports field, at a fitness centre, at a school or at a college.
Your working environment may be physically demanding and outdoors in all weathers.
You can get into this job through:
You can take a foundation degree, higher national diploma or degree in:
You'll usually need:
You can do a general sports or coaching qualification like a:
You may be able to do a Level 3 Diploma in Coaching qualification for your particular chosen sport.
Examples of sports offered include:
If you are already working in a sports related field, your employer may encourage you to take a work based qualification such as:Level 3 NVQ Diploma in Sports Development
You'll usually need:
The following intermediate, advanced and higher apprenticeships are relevant to this role:
You'll usually need:
If you're working in sport already, for example in a leisure centre, as a sports teacher or with a sports club, you can take a professional coaching qualification recognised by the national governing body for your sport.
You could get experience as an assistant sports coach by volunteering for a few hours a week with a club or amateur team. This is a common way to start a coaching career.
You'll need to:
Coaching awards are often more important than academic qualifications. For professional coaching, some employers will expect you to have a relevant academic qualification.
You can find out more about coaching and opportunities from UK Coaching.
With qualifications and experience, you could become a coach development officer, helping other coaches develop their skills and qualifications.