COACHING IN AN ACTIVE NATION - THE COACHING PLAN FOR ENGLAND - Sport England

 
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COACHING IN AN ACTIVE NATION - THE COACHING PLAN FOR ENGLAND - Sport England
COACHING IN AN
                 ACTIVE NATION
                          THE COACHING PLAN FOR ENGLAND
                          2017-21
Sport England: Guide to Research
COACHING IN AN ACTIVE NATION - THE COACHING PLAN FOR ENGLAND - Sport England
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION                                               4

COACHING IS CHANGING                                       6

WHY COACHING?                                              8

COACHING AND BEHAVIOUR CHANGE                              11

THE CURRENT STATE OF PLAY                                  16

GOAL SETTING: CLARIFYING THE OBJECTIVES                    18

RISING TO THE CHALLENGE: HOW WE WILL OPERATE               19

THE ENABLERS                                               21

THE TACTICS BOARD COACHING IN AN ACTIVE NATION             22

WHAT DOES THE COACHING PLAN FOR ENGLAND SEEK TO ACHIEVE?   29

WHAT WILL THE COACHING PLAN FOR ENGLAND MEAN FOR ME?       30

SOURCES AND LINKS FOR MORE INFORMATION                     32
COACHING IN AN ACTIVE NATION - THE COACHING PLAN FOR ENGLAND - Sport England
INTRODUCTION
               Good coaches inspire people to get active and      think about coaching and how we talk about
               stay active. Good coaches also guide those         coaching. It is a challenge to transform how
               on a journey of improvement, including those       we find good coaches and how we support
               with talent, to progress faster and further than   them. It is a quest to find new ways to improve
               they could on their own1,2. Additionally, the      the quality of coaching and extend its reach.
               act of coaching brings individual and personal
               wellbeing to the coach and the participant as      Turning the Coaching Plan for England into a
               well as making valuable, social and economic       reality will take creativity, courage, collaboration
               contributions to society.                          and leadership. Most of all it will take the skill
                                                                  and ingenuity of you, the coaching community:
               In short, good coaching has benefits for the       your ability to understand the people you
               people who participate and benefits for the        engage with; your experience of working in
               people who coach. Good coaching is good            difference places and spaces.
               for everyone!
                                                                  Together we have the skills and resources to
               At the moment, coaching predominantly              develop coaches capable of providing excellent
               supports the people who already have a regular     experiences - engaging and rewarding
               sporting habit. These people are important, and    experiences that bring a host of benefits:
               improving their experience is a key aspiration.    health, confidence and new abilities for the
               But for the first time, we also want to unleash    participant; pride, respect and new opportunities
               the power of coaching for all of those people      for coaches; cohesion and expanded
               taking their first steps to becoming more          horizons for communities. Together, we can
               physically active so that they too can benefit     change the way people experience sport
               from the support that good coaches provide.        through Coaching in an Active Nation.

               To achieve this, there is a need to reconsider     #excellenteverytime
               the way that coaches are recruited, developed
               and deployed so that they can reach a wider
               audience and support more people to reach
               their goals: whether that’s achieving a new
               personal best, attending a session with friends
               every week or getting some support to help
               complete that marathon that they thought
               they couldn’t do.

               The Coaching Plan for England has been
               developed following an extended period
               of consultation and research to establish a
               series of guiding principles, commitments
               and actions that will cultivate a community of
               coaches that are so inspiring and motivational
               that our active nation is drawn to participate.
               The Coaching Plan for England represents a
               ‘call to action’ for everyone in the coaching
               community in England to modernise how we

Coaching in an Active Nation – The Coaching Plan for England                                                             5
COACHING IN AN ACTIVE NATION - THE COACHING PLAN FOR ENGLAND - Sport England
COACHING IS CHANGING
               THE ‘COACHING FAMILY’                                       A NEW DEFINITION
               IS GROWING                                                  OF COACHING                                           GRAHAM’S STORY

               Coaching is changing. New coaching roles are                Sport England has developed a new and broader         “I became a volunteer first, then I started    Graham volunteers each week at numerous
               emerging in response to new participant needs.              definition of coaching in line with our strategic     getting more and more active. Now I coach      community clubs. Graham is also a first
               These new coaching roles are being taken up                 commitments to support a broader range of             to help others to get involved.”               port of call for support at events. Emma
               by people with different backgrounds, reflecting            participants in sport and physical activity:                                                         Cranston, Club Development Officer
               the audience they are working with. The style                                                                     This story from Disability Sports Coach, a     commented, “Graham is a hit wherever he
               of coaching is often less about technique, and              “IMPROVING A PERSON’S EXPERIENCE                      London based organisation working to get       goes. He is a superb example of how sport
               more about the experience.                                  OF SPORT AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY BY                     disabled people more active, illustrates how   can turn around the life of a young person
                                                                           PROVIDING SPECIALISED SUPPORT AND                     volunteering and coaching is supporting        with a learning disability.”
               The Coaching Plan for England seeks to create                                                                     people in multiple ways.
               more of these roles and to make it easier for
                                                                           GUIDANCE ALIGNED TO THEIR INDIVIDUAL
                                                                                                                                                                                Over the last 3 years Graham’s coaching
               people to perform them. Once they have                      NEEDS AND ASPIRATIONS.”
                                                                                                                                 Graham was not very active and spent           skills and the manner in which he conducts
               started their coaching journey, the plan also sets                                                                most of his time bored watching television.    himself within sessions has gone from
               out clear actions to help them do the best they             This definition challenges us to reconsider how
                                                                                                                                 In 2013 Graham was looking for work and        strength to strength. Graham’s dedication
               can for the participants they work with.                    we think about coaching. Some people may
                                                                                                                                 stumbled across an advert at Southwark         in the last year has led to being recognised
                                                                           not consider themselves as a coach in the
                                                                                                                                 Volunteer Centre in 2013.                      externally. In 2015 and 2016 respectively he
                                                                           traditional sense but they will be using coaching
                                                                                                                                                                                was short-listed for volunteer of the year in
                                                                           skills to engage people and deliver a great
                                                                                                                                 Since that day Graham has developed a          Westminster and Wandsworth. Graham this
                                                                           experience so they will fall under this definition.
                                                                                                                                 love for coaching and become an integral       year also received an honourable mention at
                                                                                                                                 part of the team, “Before I joined, I only     The London Sport Awards.
                                                                           Placing greater emphasis on identifying and
                                                                                                                                 watched football and boxing on the TV. Now
                                                                           developing people with these behaviours, values
                                                                                                                                 I play sport 3 times a week and want to be     In January this year, London Sport supported
                                                                           and attitudes, the so called ‘soft’ coaching
                                                                                                                                 a sports coach. The staff and coaches here     Graham to complete his FA Level 1 football
                                                                           skills, will be a priority. Finding more people
                                                                                                                                 are some of my best friends.”                  qualification. Graham has since been mentored
                                                                           like this will help to produce a new generation
                                                                                                                                                                                to take more of a lead in sessions.
                                                                           of coaches better equipped to engage people
                                                                           and help them change their behaviour.

               The experience providers

                                                                                                COACH
                  HELPER                                       ACTIVATOR
                                                                                                INSTRUCTOR
                  HOST                                         LEADER
                                                                                                TEACHER
                  COORDINATOR                                  ASSISTANT COACH
                                                                                                LEADER/GUIDE

                   LESS                                EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING                                   MORE

Coaching in an Active Nation – The Coaching Plan for England                                                                                                                                                                    7
COACHING IN AN ACTIVE NATION - THE COACHING PLAN FOR ENGLAND - Sport England
WHY COACHING?
THE BENEFITS COACHING BRINGS TO PARTICIPANTS
AND THE COMMUNITIES IN WHICH THEY LIVE

                       PHYSICAL WELLBEING                        MENTAL WELLBEING
                       Encourage physical activity               Improve mental wellbeing

                       •	Adults who are coached                 •	Coaching provides
                          are less likely to stop                   motivational climates that
                          participating than those                  can increase people’s
                          who are not.                              self-esteem, self-worth,
                                                                    enjoyment, vitality and
                       •	Coaches can promote the
                                                                    resilience of sporting habits
                          benefits of physical activity
                          to the next generation of              •	Coaching others does all
                          children and young people,                of the above for the coach
                                                                                                                     A DUAL IMPACT…                                          Reducing the
                          establishing a resilient habit                                                                                                                      likelihood of
                                                                                                                     Our insight shows that a poor coaching                someone having a
                          early on
                                                                                                                     experience can put people off engaging in sport        poor experience
                                                                                                                     and physical activity in the future. The activities
  ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT                                                                 INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT        included within the Coaching Plan for England
                                                                                                                     provide a ‘dual impact’: reducing the likelihood
  Increase economic                                                                    Promote individual            of someone having a poor coaching experience                               Helping people
  growth through coaching                               COACHING                       development                   on the one hand and creating more coach-led                               start and keeping
                                                     CONTRIBUTION TO                                                 experiences that encourage people to get                                 them motivated to
  •	Volunteer coaches                              HEALTH, WELLBEING                  •	Coaches build
                                                                                                                     going and keep going.                                                          continue
     contribute up to four                          AND DEVELOPMENT                       confidence, character
     hours per week                                    OF SOCIETY                         and connection in sports
                                                                                          participants
  •	Coaching provides
     employment                                                                        •	Coaching promotes
     opportunities – More                                                                 self efficacy and          A DUAL BENEFIT…
     than 200,000 people                                                                  draws people into a                                                              Coaching contributes
     make their living                                                                    community of other         In ‘Towards an Active Nation’ we outlined our           to the wellbeing
                                         SOCIAL AND COMMUNITY
     through coaching                                                                     people committed to        aspiration to develop a volunteering strategy         and development of
                                         DEVELOPMENT
                                                                                          self development and       that recognises that volunteers obtain wide               participants
                                         Enhance social cohesion                          personal growth            ranging benefits from the act of volunteering,
                                         / promote inclusion                                                         as well making a valuable contribution to the
                                                                                                                     sporting experience for other people.
                                         •	Coaching can be used as a powerful
                                                                                                                                                                                         Coaching contributes
                                            tool to engage young people in
                                                                                                                     As 3/4 of the coaching family is voluntary we                       to the wellbeing and
                                            positive activities and reduce anti-
                                                                                                                     aim to recognise this same ‘dual benefit’ in                         development of the
                                            social behaviour (e.g. Kicks, Street-
                                                                                                                     voluntary coaching and view coaching as a                                  coach
                                            games, Positive Futures, etc.)
                                                                                                                     specific form of engagement in sport which
                                         •	Exposure to a coach can have                                             provides individual benefits that should be
                                            lifelong positive consequences                                           encouraged for its own sake.

Coaching in an Active Nation – The Coaching Plan for England                                                                                                                                                       9
COACHING IN AN ACTIVE NATION - THE COACHING PLAN FOR ENGLAND - Sport England
COACHING AND
               THE DUAL BENEFIT OF COACHING
               GOOD FOR THE PARTICIPANT – GOOD FOR THE COACH                                                                 BEHAVIOUR CHANGE
                 KATE’S STORY

                  As head coach of Manchester Triathlon                     Then there is the series of women’s ‘Go Tri’
                  Club, Kate looks after the interests of over              days the club has organised as an introduction   COACHES HELP PEOPLE GET ACTIVE                     ENGAGING INACTIVE PEOPLE
                  500 participants “Coaching is everything to               to triathlon racing, and which provide that      AND STAY ACTIVE                                    - COACHES CAN MAKE OR BREAK
                  me,’ she says ‘Because I am part of such                  all-important stimulus to nudge people from                                                         ATTEMPTS TO GET ACTIVE
                  a big club, you really see how much it                    contemplation to action.                         We’ve all been there. We make a commitment
                  touches people’s lives.                                                                                    to ourselves to be more active and get more        For most people, taking the first steps to
                                                                            “These are for women who might never have        exercise. We set our sights on a goal that         getting more active is difficult and intimidating.
                  “One lady is managing a serious condition                 really thought about triathlon. Some who         really matters to us. We know it is good for       Millions of people want to be more active,
                  ‘struggling to even walk from the lounge to               have got involved were still breastfeeding,      us, and we know we’ll feel much better when        and have an intention to do so. But emotional
                  the kitchen a few years ago’, Kate has been               some have low self-esteem. It was great to       we’ve done it, but taking those first steps        barriers like fear of judgement, shame, and
                  there for her every step of the way, including            help give them that feeling of empowerment.      is difficult and – even if we manage to keep       feeling that you’re not good enough can stop
                  at the finish line when she completed                                                                      it going for a while – it can be easy to slip      us before we get started. Some of us carry
                  her target of running the Manchester half                 “You become aware that, actually, you can        back into old habits. Getting more active          strong negative memories of our experiences
                  marathon.                                                 provide that necessary nudge and can             and staying active is really hard work. Having     of sport and physical activity from the past.
                                                                            influence people to believe in themselves        someone who really understands what you            Some of us feel that our days of being active
                  “For me, it is things like this that make                 a bit more.”                                     want to achieve, and guides the journey in a       are behind us because our lives and our
                  coaching almost more fulfilling than when I                                                                way that works for you, can be the difference      abilities have changed.
                  was competing,” she says. “You still get that                                                              between keeping going and slipping back.
                  big buzz from being part of something.”                       “COACHING IS                                 Effective coaching is much more than the
                                                                                                                                                                                It takes courage and effort to overcome these
                                                                                                                                                                                barriers and get involved in a new activity.
                                                                                EVERYTHING TO ME”                            clichéd picture of people in tracksuits shouting
                                                                                                                             instructions from the side-lines. Good coaching
                                                                                                                                                                                The quality of the first few experiences for
                                                                                                                                                                                people trying to get into activity will make or
                                                                                                                             is about connecting with people, understanding     break their attempts to keep going. A good
                                                                                                                             their needs, and helping them to do something      coach can create a great experience for a
                                                                                                                             that they might struggle to do by themselves.      person in at this stage by being welcoming,
                                                                                                                                                                                understanding, encouraging and supportive.
                                                                                                                             Coaches can play an integral supporting
                                                                                                                             role in helping people to get active and stay      Connection, understanding and great
                                                                                                                             active. Behaviour change can be thought            experiences – important ingredients that can
                                                                                                                             of as a journey, and coaches have a major          help people to change their behaviour.
                                                                                                                             opportunity to influence that journey at
                                                                                                                             particular stages.                                 Just ask Kizzie Payne from Our Parks, her
                                                                                                                                                                                ‘Parkers’ come out in all weather to attend
                                                                                                                                                                                her sessions.

The Coaching
Coaching in anPlan
               Active
                   for Nation
                       England:
                              – The
                                 Coaching
                                    Coaching
                                          2.0 Plan
                                              – A new
                                                   for England
                                                        operating system for coaching                                                                                                                                                11
COACHING IN AN ACTIVE NATION - THE COACHING PLAN FOR ENGLAND - Sport England
ENCOURAGING A REGULAR HABIT                           how rewarding it feels to do it. We now know
                 KIZZIE’S STORY                                                                                             – ‘DIVERSITY BRINGS DIVERSITY’                        that it can take a person anything from
                                                                                                                                                                                  3 months to 2.5 years for a physical activity
                                                                                                                            Taking part in an activity once, twice, or even       habit to feel strong.
                 Kizzie Payne, 40, discovered her passion for         “I know what it is like to make those first steps
                 coaching through ‘Our Parks’ – an initiative         and how easy it is to be put off so I want to         three or four times does not guarantee that
                                                                                                                            we will stick with it. Building any new habit is      So how can coaches make it easier for people
                 bringing free exercise classes to local parks        make sure that every session is as welcoming
                                                                                                                            difficult, and building a new sport or physical       to stick at it? Coaches can’t, of course,
                 throughout London.                                   as possible – I also know how important
                                                                                                                            activity habit is really challenging because of       remove the effort involved in actually doing an
                                                                      those ‘nudges’ on social media are!’
                                                                                                                            the amount of effort it takes to actually do the      activity, but tailored coaching that meets the
                 “As a teenager, if you’d told me one day I’d be
                                                                                                                            activity, as well as the effort it takes to arrange   needs of individuals - in terms of their activity
                 a coach I’d think you were joking! At school         Born Barikor is the founder of Our Parks.
                                                                                                                            our lives around it. Building habits is all about     and their lifestyles - can really encourage and
                 I wasn’t sporty – and I also have Ankylosing         He says that people like Kizzie are the basis
                                                                                                                            how many times we repeat something, and               motivate people to keep going.
                 Spondylitis [a form of spinal arthritis] so wasn’t   of the success of the initiative that has
                 necessarily very healthy either. It’s a condition    encouraged over 30,000 people get involved
                 where you have to keep moving or you seize up,       in their fun fitness activities. “Kizzie jumped out
                 so as an adult I had to do some exercise.            because of her enthusiasm, you could really
                                                                                                                             URSULA’S STORY
                                                                      tell that she connected with people and could
                 “I heard about Our Parks through a friend.           create a buzz, and that is what we look for in
                 I went along and carried on going because            a coach. She has a natural sense of how                “I met my coach over a Cadbury’s mini roll!          “He reminds me that I’ll get there when I get
                 I really enjoyed it. I’m someone who likes           people feel when they first come which is                                                                   there and the weight loss is just a bonus to
                 being motivated by other people. I love that         priceless and really puts them at ease. There          “I had some success using the ‘couch to 5k’          all the other main benefits. Like I’m no longer
                 feeling, when a class is getting hard, and you       are lots of people out there with qualifications       app and had lost a bit of weight with it. But I      out of breath when walking the dog! I can
                 catch someone’s eye and have a little joke.          but if you haven’t got the people skills then          lost motivation when my weight loss slowed           walk and talk - which I know everyone can
                                                                      you won’t be the right fit for us.”                    down and I ended up putting on weight                but I used to have to stop to catch a breath!
                 “As my fitness improved I wanted to share                                                                   again. I was pretty miserable and didn’t really
                 the benefits of exercise with other people by                                                               know which way to turn.                              “I really can’t believe it! I have tried losing
                                                                                                                                                                                  weight and exercising for many years, only
                 becoming a trained instructor. Being a good
                 instructor is about personality. People don’t
                                                                          “I WANTED TO SHARE                                 “I met my coach at a school picnic, he saw           to lose a bit, give up and then put what I’ve
                 want to be told off – it’s about empowering              THE BENEFITS OF                                    me refuse a Cadbury’s mini roll because I
                                                                                                                             was trying to be good and we got chatting.
                                                                                                                                                                                  lost on and then gain another stone, now
                                                                                                                                                                                  I’m just 1.5 lb shy of losing 2 stone, I feel
                 them. It’s vital to offer adaptions of exercises
                 to people with different abilities, then they            EXERCISE WITH                                      He helped me to realise that exercise isn’t
                                                                                                                             just about losing weight, it should become
                                                                                                                                                                                  fantastic, I have loads of energy and I’m
                                                                                                                                                                                  actually enjoying it!”
                 achieve without feeling inferior to others in
                 the group.                                               OTHER PEOPLE”                                      a part of my life and it should go along with
                                                                                                                             improving my diet. We made a simple plan
                                                                                                                             (on the back of a napkin!) and I check in with
                                                                                                                             him on Facebook once a week to update my                 “I MET MY COACH
                                                                                                                             progress. It helps that he is approachable
                                                                                                                             and non-judgemental and he doesn’t look                  OVER A CADBURY’S
                                                                                                                             like some kind of muscle man – that would
                                                                                                                             be too intimidating.                                     MINI ROLL!”

Coaching in an Active Nation – The Coaching Plan for England                                                                                                                                                                          13
COACHING IN AN ACTIVE NATION - THE COACHING PLAN FOR ENGLAND - Sport England
ENCOURAGING A REGULAR HABIT                           We cannot – of course – rid ourselves of these           SUPPORTING PROGRESSION                          Working with talented athletes is hard.
               - COACHES CAN HELP PEOPLE                             disruptions. They are a fact of life. The aim is that,   – COACHES HELP THOSE WITH                       The skills required to challenge adolescent
                                                                     when our circumstances change - and therefore                                                            participants to stretch themselves and explore
               OVERCOME DISRUPTION                                   what we need from sport and activity changes –
                                                                                                                              TALENT TO PROGRESS AND                          the limits of their potential, are far reaching
                                                                     that the next opportunity that fits our new life
                                                                                                                              EXPLORE THE LIMITS OF THEIR                     and very often misunderstood.
               Even when people have built a strong habit –                                                                   POTENTIAL
                                                                     is clear to us. And that means that coaches have
               we cannot take them for granted. Even for the
                                                                     a huge opportunity to help people to bridge                                                              Coaches are widely regarded as an essential
               most committed, sometimes the big moments                                                                      Everyone’s personal goals are different. Some
                                                                     those moments of disruption. Evidence from                                                               ingredient to an effective talent development
               in life get in the way and can really disrupt sport                                                            people may simply want to attend a session
                                                                     Sports Coach UK3 shows us that good quality                                                              system and yet, the coach development provision
               and activity habits. Events such as starting                                                                   regularly, while others wish to improve their
                                                                     coaching is linked to more resilient habits:                                                             in many sports talent pathways is often lacking,
               university, moving house, changing jobs, starting                                                              performance and technique. The coaching         especially for coaches working at the entry
               or ending relationships, and retirement are           •	People who receive quality coaching have              plan aims to provide the essential support      point in the talent pathway. Given that this is
               all major practical and emotional disruptions            an increased enjoyment of sport and                   to equip coaches to create learning and         the point where the pathway is at its most
               in our lives that shake our habits to the core.          commitment to it                                      development environments which enable           inclusive, the Coaching Plan for England will
               Some people can bounce back, but many                                                                          all people to prosper, and this is especially
                                                                     •	They participate more often, enjoy it                                                                 work to ensure that the right levels of support
               find it hard to get active again in a way that                                                                 important for those with talent.
                                                                        more, and are less likely to stop playing                                                             are provided placing specific emphasis on
               fits their new circumstances.
                                                                                                                                                                              those coaches with the greatest need.
                                                                     •	For the majority these positive impacts of
                                                                        coaching do not diminish over time.

                                                                                                                              CASE STUDY:
                 IZZY’S STORY                                                                                                 THE ‘DIGITAL COACH DEVELOPER’
                                                                                                                              - USING TECHNOLOGY TO HELP
                 “On those cold, rainy nights, I know my coach       “My coach suffered a serious injury when he was
                 is going to make it fun and challenging, it is a    younger, which left him disabled and stopped
                                                                                                                              COACHES LEARN
                 big part of why I turn up.”                         him from playing. He switched to coaching
                                                                                                                              Sport England has been working in               What the coaches said:
                                                                     as a way to continue his participation, and
                                                                                                                              partnership with UK Sport for the past two
                 Izzy is a strength and conditioning coach,          he takes it really seriously. The best thing
                                                                                                                              and a half years to deliver a coach support     “My communication with the athletes
                 so she knows a thing or two about motivation        about him is that he really gets us as a group
                                                                                                                              programme called ‘Project Connect’. The         has improved… My self-awareness has
                 and helping people to get fit. But when she         of players and he knows how to motivate us
                                                                                                                              programme provided a ground-breaking            improved, which has ultimately lead to better
                 isn’t coaching she is playing and she recognises    by making things fun as well as challenging.
                                                                                                                              combination of residential learning, video      relationships with the athletes that I work with.
                 the job that her coach does in keeping her
                                                                                                                              feedback, virtual one-to-one mentoring,         Finally I feel a lot happier in my personal and
                 and her team-mates motivated to play.               “Last week we were being a bit unfocused at
                                                                                                                              webinars and online discussion groups to 51     professional life as I feel like I can now set
                                                                     the start and most of us were more interested
                                                                                                                              Talent Development coaches selected from 8      objectives and I have some of the necessary
                 “I moved house and was looking for a new            in chatting about work or life than warming
                                                                                                                              sports. The project was experimental as 80%     tools to meet and surpass them.
                 team to play for. The first club I went to they     up properly. He stopped us and pointed
                                                                                                                              of the learning took place remotely using a
                 just did a load of boring drills and the coach      to the gates by the pitch and said ‘those
                                                                                                                              range of digital communication platforms.       “I am delivering more efficiently than I
                 didn’t really make me feel very welcome. It         are the gates of freedom, when you come
                                                                                                                                                                              previously thought and my behaviours are
                 wasn’t a lot of fun. I was considering giving       through those gates you can leave work
                                                                                                                              The project demonstrates that using             being tailored to the needs of the group…”
                 up at that point as I had just started a new job    behind and be free to enjoy yourselves’.
                                                                                                                              technology to develop coaches was not only
                 and I was really busy. Then a friend suggested      It was brilliant! We all laughed but it got us
                                                                                                                              an efficient approach (1 coach developer was    We will take the learning from Project
                 I go along to her club and give it a try, and I     focused again and we had a great session.”
                                                                                                                              able to engage over 50 coaches) but also        Connect and explore ways in which the
                 was immediately drawn back in again.
                                                                                                                              extremely effective as the ‘real time nature    methods adopted can be extended to a
                                                                                                                              of the intervention meant that the coaches      broader range of settings.
                 “MY COACH IS GOING TO MAKE IT FUN AND                                                                        were able to discuss challenges while they
                                                                                                                              were still fresh in the mind rather than days
                 CHALLENGING, IT IS A BIG PART OF WHY I TURN UP.”                                                             or weeks afterwards.

Coaching in an Active Nation – The Coaching Plan for England                                                                                                                                                                      15
COACHING IN AN ACTIVE NATION - THE COACHING PLAN FOR ENGLAND - Sport England
THE CURRENT STATE OF PLAY                                                                                                    THE DIVERSITY OF THE COACHING COMMUNITY IN ENGLAND
                                                                                                                             The numbers of coaches from under-represented groups varies depending on the measure that
                                                                                                                             you use, however, the one constant measure is the percentage of people from each group that
                                                                                                                             have obtained a recognised coaching qualification.

               OVERALL                                                                                                       Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME)                 Socio-economic groups coaches split:
                                                                                                                             communities:
               The scale of the coach audience is significant. Sports Coach UK conducted a YouGov study in
               October 2016 to provide more accurate data on coaches and those receiving coaching.                                                        37%                                                          53%
                                                                                                                                                                                                                       COME FROM THE HIGHER
                                                                                                                                                          OF PEOPLE FROM BAME                                          SOCIO-ECONOMIC GROUPS
                                                                                                                                                          COMMUNITIES TAKE PART
               The study, which included a robust, nationally representative sample of the population,                                                    IN SPORT
               estimated that:                                                                                               HOWEVER…                                                                                  25%
                                                                                                                                                                                                                       COME FROM LOWER
                                3.1 MILLION                                               11.4 MILLION                                                    ONLY 5%                                                      SOCIO-ECONOMIC GROUPS
                                ADULTS                                                    (1/4 OF ADULTS)                                                 OF PEOPLE RECEIVING A
                                                                                                                                                          COACHING QUALIFICATION
                                IN ENGLAND COACHED SPORT OR                               IN ENGLAND REPORTED THAT THEY                                   EACH YEAR ARE FROM         Women in coaching:
                                PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN THE PREVIOUS                         HAD COACHED AT SOME POINT IN                                    BAME BACKGROUNDS4
                                12 MONTHS                                                 THEIR LIFETIME                                                                                                               31%
                                                                                                                                                                                                                       OF THE SPORTING
                                                                                                                             Disability and coaching:                                                                  POPULATION ARE WOMEN
                                6.2 MILLION                                               23 MILLION                                                                                 BUT ONLY…
                                                                                                                                                                        *
                                ADULTS                                                    (1/2 OF ADULTS)                                      UNDER 2%
                                IN ENGLAND RECEIVED COACHING IN                           IN ENGLAND HAD RECEIVED COACHING                     OF COACHES WITH A DISABILITY                                            17%
                                THE PREVIOUS 12 MONTHS                                    AT SOME POINT IN THEIR LIFETIME                      HAVE OBTAINED A COACHING                                                OF QUALIFIED COACHES
                                                                                                                                               QUALIFICATION SINCE 2009                                                ARE FEMALE

                                                                                                                                                                                     While this proportion has increased from 14% in
                                                                                                                                               *Sports coach UK, 2015

                                3.3 MILLION                                                                                                                                          2008, there is still clearly a long way to go to attract
                                CHILDREN                                                                                                                                             coaches that reflect female participation profiles.
                                RECEIVE COACHING EACH YEAR

                                                                                                                             There is a lack of high quality data on the number of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Transgender
               Coaches provide an estimated:                                                                                 (LGBT) coaches. Establishing insight on representation will be a priority, as there is some
                                                                                                                             evidence that negative attitudes towards LGBT people are preventing people from engaging in
                                7.6 MILLION                                               66%                                coaching roles.
                                COACH-LED PARTICIPATION                                   OF COACH-LED EXPERIENCES ARE
                                EXPERIENCES PER WEEK                                      DELIVERED IN SPORTS CLUBS

                                                                                                                             BARRIERS                     COST OF
                                                                                                                                                           QUALIFICATIONS
                                                                                                                                                                              LACK OF
                                                                                                                                                                               CONSISTENT,
                                                                                                                                                                                                   L ACK OF SUPPORT
                                                                                                                                                                                                    FOR COACHES NOT
                                                                                                                                                                                                                          THE VALUE OF
                                                                                                                                                                                                                          ONE-OFF, AD-HOC
               A breakdown of coaches’                                   Although full time coaches make up only
                                                                                                                                                                               CONTINUED            CONNECTED TO A        COACHING
               employment status:                                        12% of the coaching population, these               There are a range of                              PROFESSIONAL         CLUB (RESULTING       QUALIFICATIONS
                                                    74%                  coaches deliver:                                    common barriers to           LACK OF              DEVELOPMENT          IN ISOLATION OF       THAT APPEARED
                                                    OF COACHES DO                                                            engagement reported          MENTORING, PEER-     ALONGSIDE THE        COACHES)              TO HAVE NO
                                                                                                                                                          OBSERVATION, AND     ONE-OFF TRAINING                           RELEVANCE
                                                    SO VOLUNTARILY                                                           by people from under-        EXPERIENTIAL         COURSES                                    OR IMPACT ON
                                                                                           45%                               represented groups,          LEARNING                                                        ONGOING COACH
                                                    12%                                    OF THE WEEKLY
                                                                                           COACHING HOURS
                                                                                                                             such as:                                         INACCESSIBLE
                                                                                                                                                                                                   FORMAT OF
                                                                                                                                                                                                   ASSESSMENT
                                                                                                                                                                                                                          DELIVERY WAS
                                                                                                                                                                                                                          ALSO QUESTIONED
                                                    OF COACHES MAKE                                                                                                           AND INFREQUENT       FOR COACHING
                                                    THEIR LIVING FROM                                                                                                         TRAINING COURSES     QUALIFICATIONS
                                                    COACHING FULL TIME
                                                                         There is more work to do to understand what
                                                    14%                  the full time coaches do and who they do
                                                    RECEIVE SOME         this with, but it’s also clear that employed
                                                    PAYMENT FROM
                                                    COACHING ON A        coaches can offer a significant amount of           The Coaching Plan for England aims to find creative solutions to overcoming these barriers to
                                                    PART TIME BASIS      support to the sports community.                    increase the diversity of the coaching family.

Coaching in an Active Nation – The Coaching Plan for England                                                                                                                                                                                    17
COACHING IN AN ACTIVE NATION - THE COACHING PLAN FOR ENGLAND - Sport England
GOAL SETTING:                                                                                                             RISING TO THE CHALLENGE:
CLARIFYING THE OBJECTIVES                                                                                                 HOW WE WILL OPERATE
               THE PEOPLE STRATEGIES                                                                                      The ambition of this plan is considerable.         COLLABORATION
               QUALITY BEFORE QUANTITY                                                                                    We readily acknowledge that we do not              ‘TOGETHER EVERYONE
                                                                                                                          have all the answers yet, nor do we have
                                                                                                                          all the information that would help find the
                                                                                                                                                                             ACHIEVES MORE’
                                                                                                                          answers. In this respect, our approach to
                                                INSIGHT                          CULTURE                                                                                     Most coaches will have an acute understanding
                                                                                                                          implementation will require adaptability,
                                             The impact of                      Emphasis on                                                                                  of the value of teamwork, more and more,
                                                                                                                          creativity and collaboration; many of the skills
                                             good and bad                     the needs of the                                                                               coaches are working with a range of specialists
                                                                                                                          associated with good coaches.
                                               coaching                          participant                                                                                 to support the athletes they work with.
                                                                                                                                                                             In the talent context they will work with
                                                                DIVERSITY                                                                                                    strength and conditioning experts and sports
                                                               More ‘people
                                                                                                                          AN ‘ADAPTIVE’ APPROACH                             psychologists. In a community setting they
                                                                like me’ in                                               INNOVATING AND LEARNING                            might be working with exercise referral teams
                                                                 coaching                                                 THROUGH EXPERIENCE                                 or community social workers.

                                                                                                                          Good coaches have a clear plan before they         By working together with local and national
                                                                                                                          start but the best coaches are able to adapt       organisations that understand the needs of
                                                                                                                          their approach depending on the response and       the participants they engage, the delivery
                                                                                                                          feedback of the participants in front of them.     of the plan will be greatly enhanced, and
                                                               PERCEPTION                                                                                                    the chances of success will increase
                                    Increased understanding of what ‘good’ coaching looks like                            The Coaching Plan for England is breaking          accordingly. Developing relationships with
                                                                                                                          new ground in developing a new generation          new partners and co-creating innovative
                                                                                                                          of coaches that can support people from a far      solutions with them will be a key feature to
               The Coaching Plan for England sits alongside           Change Culture                                      broader array of backgrounds with a different      the implementation approach.
               volunteering and professional workforce within         Coaches are far better equipped to provide          range of needs.
               a family of ‘people strategies’ that are being         experiences based on the needs and goals
               developed by Sport England. A common theme             of the individual being coached.                    In order to meet this challenge the
               to approaching these strategies is a focus on                                                              implementation approach will adopt an ‘agile
                                                                      Gather Insight
               gaining a clear understanding of the quality of                                                            methodology’ which seeks to use reflection
                                                                      Understand more about how, where and why
               experience and diversity of the audience before                                                            and ongoing analysis to advance the system
                                                                      coaching has a negative impact on people
               attempting to increase numbers.                                                                            and improve continuously.
                                                                      participating and reduce the likelihood of that
                                                                      happening.
               England already boasts a significant population
               of coaches so it is clear that the emphasis            Increase Diversity
               should not be purely on increasing the quantity        Create a more diverse coaching workforce so
               of coaches. Instead the focus must be more on          that more participants are able to be coached by
               the quality of the experiences that they provide.      people who are immediately empathetic to their
                                                                      needs and reflective of their social environment.
               To this end, the plan has the following
                                                                      Improve Perception
               aspirations:
                                                                      Change the perception of coaching among
                                                                      the wider public and create a new model of
                                                                      what ‘good coaching’ looks like.

Coaching in an Active Nation – The Coaching Plan for England                                                                                                                                                                   19
GUIDING THE JOURNEY                             TRACKING PROGRESS
                                                                                                                 THE ENABLERS
               ‘PROCESS PRECEDES                               ‘PERFORMANCE ANALYTICS’
               PERFORMANCE’
                                                               Any good coach will use a range of measures       EMBRACING TECHNOLOGY                                   PARTNERSHIPS
               Good coaches understand that the best           to track progress. The use of performance
               way to get people to change behaviour is to     analytics in coaching has become an               The rapid rise in digital communication                Given the scale and complexity of the task at
               involve them in developing a new course of      indispensable tool in helping athletes to         platforms and the technological                        hand, we will need the support of a range of
               action that will be beneficial for them. The    improve. In a similar way, the development        advancements in human performance and                  expert partners to help us to achieve the
               effective coach then endeavours to keep         and deployment of a range of measures that        human interaction present a significant                objectives. In 2017 we will actively seek to
               them on the ‘critical path’ that they have      are able to monitor the quality of the coaching   opportunity for the development of coaching.           engage with new partners to deliver specific
               established by focusing on the process of       experience and its impact on participant                                                                 interventions that will help to support the
               achieving the goals rather than focusing on     behaviour, will be essential to ensure that our   However, the advancement of technology is              delivery of the plan.
               the outcome.                                    approach to improving coaching achieves           moving so fast that the ability for coaching leaders
                                                               maximum impact.                                   to remain current and accurately evaluate the
               The Coaching Plan for England has been                                                            most effective tools and solutions without wasting     RESEARCH AND INNOVATION
               developed through extended consultation                                                           valuable resources is a considerable challenge.
               with people in the coaching community                                                                                                                    The world of coaching is continuously exploring
               and represents the key elements expressed                                                         We will contribute to the development of a             new approaches and ways of working, in order
               by those consulted. In essence, the plan                                                          digital strategy which will identify the needs of      to find better ways of meeting the needs
               represents the ‘critical path’ for improving                                                      the coaching industry and we will find ways to         of participants. We want to harness this
               coaching and the implementation approach                                                          provide those solutions efficiently and effectively.   ‘entrepreneurial spirit,’ and invest in innovative
               will guide the process towards achieving                                                                                                                 projects and solutions that will help coaches
               these co-created aspirations.                                                                                                                            become even more effective.

                                                                                                                 BUILDING THE ‘COACHING HOUSE’

                                                                                                                 MISSION
                                                                                                                                                                 Improve the experience
                                                                                                                                                        of the participant by providing specialised
                                                                                                                                                      support that meets their needs and aspirations

                                                                                                                 OBJECTIVES
                                                                                                                                   A more diverse coaching         Change the culture and          Increase ‘good’
                                                                                                                                         community                 perception of coaching            experiences

                                                                                                                 STRATEGIC                                                              Measuring the
                                                                                                                 APPROACHES          Making it          Foster an         Transfer                           Enhance
                                                                                                                                                                                         change and
                                                                                                                                   easier to start    improvement       learning into                      the delivery
                                                                                                                                                                                        communicate
                                                                                                                                     coaching            culture          practice                        infrastructure
                                                                                                                                                                                          the impact

                                                                                                                 ENABLERS          Partnerships                   Technology                  Research & Innovation
                                                                                                                                   Identify and invest in         Invest in technological     • E
                                                                                                                                                                                                 xperimenting to find
                                                                                                                                   specialist partners            advancement to support        out what works
                                                                                                                                   to help deliver the            improvements in the         • F
                                                                                                                                                                                                 inding solutions to the
                                                                                                                                   objectives                     coaching experience           problems we encounter
                                                                                                                                                                                                along the way

Coaching in an Active Nation – The Coaching Plan for England                                                                                                                                                                 21
THE TACTICS BOARD
COACHING IN AN ACTIVE                                                                                       1. MAKING IT EASIER TO START COACHING

NATION                                                                                                 There is evidence that many people,
                                                                                                       especially those from under-represented
                                                                                                       groups, find becoming a coach very
                                                                                                       difficult. The Coaching Plan for England
                                                                                                                                                      people from a wider range of backgrounds
                                                                                                                                                      to join the coaching community. At the same
                                                                                                                                                      time, The Coaching Plan for England will
                                                                                                                                                      place specific emphasis on strengthening
                                                                                                       challenges those organisations that educate    the quality standards and safeguards
              The following 5 strategic approaches, associated tactics and success factors drive the   and develop coaches, to modernise their        that are important to building a coaching
              implementation of the Coaching Plan for England:                                         approaches and make it easier for more         community that is ‘safe to practice’.

                                                                                                       Tactics                                        What will success look like?

                                                                                                       •   Improve coaching qualifications so        By June 2017, Sport England will ensure
                 1. MAKING IT EASIER TO START COACHING                                                     that they more accessible, deliver a      that an independent review of the UKCC will
                                                                                                            higher quality learning experience for    have been conducted. By Jan 2019, the aim
                                                                                                            coaches and ensure that coaches           is for the review recommendations will have
                                                                                                            are safe to practice.                     been implemented.
                 2. FOSTER AN IMPROVEMENT CULTURE
                                                                                                       •	
                                                                                                         Create a new competency framework            By March 2018, a series of trailblazer
                                                                                                         to recognise the skills and abilities of a   organisations will have begun trialling a ‘direct
                                                                                                         wider range of coaching roles and ensure     assessment’ approach to coach qualification
                 3. TRANSFER LEARNING INTO PRACTICE                                                     that coaches are safe to practice            and ongoing development. By 2021, 50% of
                                                                                                                                                      organisations will be working in this way.
                                                                                                       •	
                                                                                                         Work in partnership with key
                                                                                                                                                      By March 2019, a new approach to
                                                                                                         organisations to establish new
                 4. MEASURING THE CHANGE AND COMMUNICATE THE IMPACT                                                                                  developing bespoke competencies for
                                                                                                         professional standards for the range
                                                                                                                                                      specific roles will be in operation.
                                                                                                         of roles required to meet different
                                                                                                         participant needs.                           By 2019, a new range of professional
                                                                                                                                                      standards will have been developed that
                 5. E NHANCE THE DELIVERY INFRASTRUCTURE                                              •	
                                                                                                         Work with key insurance providers to
                                                                                                                                                      provide an increased range of opportunities
                                                                                                         provide reduced insurance premiums for
                                                                                                                                                      for people engage in coaching roles.
                                                                                                         coaches qualified under the new
                                                                                                         competency and assessment framework.         By 2020, insurers will have bespoke
                                                                                                                                                      insurance products for specific coaching
                                                                                                       •	
                                                                                                         Change the way coaches obtain                roles, reducing premiums through more
                                                                                                         qualifications to be based on direct         effective risk assessment and management.
                                                                                                         assessment rather than attendance at
                                                                                                                                                      By 2021, it will be much easier to obtain a
                                                                                                         training courses.
                                                                                                                                                      coaching qualification and more people will
                                                                                                       •	
                                                                                                         Identify and work with partners to           have gained one.
                                                                                                         provide more work-based training and         By 2021, the cost and time involved in
                                                                                                         employment opportunities for coaches         obtaining a qualification will have reduced
                                                                                                         (such as apprenticeships).                   significantly, but the quality of coaching
                                                                                                       •	
                                                                                                         Proactively recruit coaches from within      delivery will have improved dramatically.
                                                                                                         the communities where we seek to             By 2021, we will have supported 1,000 young
                                                                                                         increase participation.                      people to obtain coaching apprenticeships.
                                                                                                                                                      90% of all apprentice coaches will have
                                                                                                                                                      graduated and they will be actively engaged
                                                                                                                                                      in coaching related employment.

Coaching in an Active Nation – The Coaching Plan for England                                                                                                                                              23
2. FOSTER AN IMPROVEMENT CULTURE                                                                 3. TRANSFER LEARNING INTO PRACTICE
                  Our insight shows that many coaches,             then stop learning and improving. The            Many coaches working in community              and development by employers, deployers,
                  particularly those from under-represented        Coaching Plan for England seeks to change        sport are at the frontline of providing the    peers and colleagues5’. In this respect
                  groups, struggle to engage in ongoing            this paradigm and create a learning and          participation experience. In many cases        organisations that employ or deploy coaches
                  learning. There is also evidence to suggest      development culture where coaches are            they become the ‘customer service team’        need to recognise their responsibility to manage,
                  that coaches obtain qualifications to meet       actively engaged in improving their ability to   of sport. Evidence suggests that developing    support and resource them effectively
                  minimum deployment standards and                 deliver and develop a lifelong learning habit.   coaches ‘…is most effective when               to ensure that they are best equipped to
                                                                                                                    coaches are supported in their learning        provide the best possible experience.

                  Tactics                                          What will success look like?
                                                                                                                    Tactics                                        What will success look like?
                  •    reate a coach development model that
                      C                                            By December 2017, all coaches will have
                      encourages a lifelong learning journey.      been given the opportunity to engage in a        •   
                                                                                                                        Develop resources and training to help     By 2019, 25% of deployers and employers
                                                                   ‘community of practice’ with coaches that            employers and deployers to support         will be recognised for their good practice
                  •    stablish a new community of expert
                      E
                                                                   are in a similar role.                               coaches.                                   in supporting and managing coaches. By
                      coach developers and mentors able
                                                                                                                                                                   2021, 50% of deployers and employers will
                      to provide coaches with live feedback        By 2018, a nationwide programme of               •   
                                                                                                                        Invest in local recruitment and coach
                                                                                                                                                                   be recognised.
                      and reflective discussion to better guide    coach development events will have taken             development projects through
                      their improvement journey.                   place. The events will be highly rated by the        appropriate local delivery partners.       By 2019, 20% of all coaches will have be
                                                                   coaches that access them. These events                                                          engaged on the coach recognition scheme.
                  •    stablish more ‘communities of
                      E                                                                                             •   
                                                                                                                        Create  an accreditation programme to
                                                                   will then run on an annual basis.                                                               By 2021, 40% of coaches will be engaged.
                      practice’ so that coaches can more                                                                recognise deployers that are committed
                      easily learn from each other.                By 2019, all coaches will have access a suite        to providing coaches with a high quality   By 2021, deploying organisations such as
                                                                   of digital learning opportunities.                   learning and development environment.      clubs, schools and community groups will
                  •    stablish networks of mobile assessors
                      E
                                                                                                                                                                   be playing an active role to support and
                      able to recognise the expertise of           By 2019, 25% of people in coaching roles         •   
                                                                                                                        Create local partnerships that bring
                                                                                                                                                                   manage coaches to deliver the best possible
                      coaches in the places they deliver.          will have access to a coach developer or             together training providers with
                                                                                                                                                                   experience for their participants.
                                                                   mentor. By 2020, 50% of people in coaching           deployers to create meaningful
                  •    rovide high quality, ‘on demand’ digital
                      P
                                                                   roles will have access to a coach developer          employment and deployment                  By 2021, people searching for coaches
                      learning and development solutions
                                                                   or mentor. By 2021, 75% of coaches will have         opportunities.                             will report that they are able to do so far
                      for coaches so that they can learn and
                                                                   access to a coach developer or mentor.                                                          more easily and effectively. This will lead
                      improve more easily.                                                                          •   
                                                                                                                        Create a recognition scheme for
                                                                                                                                                                   to an increase in people’s perception of
                                                                                                                        coaches that are committed to
                  •    uild a digital community for coaches
                      B                                                                                                                                            their experience.
                                                                                                                        improving their ability to provide great
                      so that they can learn and develop from
                                                                                                                        experiences for participants.
                      each other in an informal and easily
                      accessible way.                                                                               •   
                                                                                                                        Establish digital mechanism to enable
                                                                                                                        participants, employers and deployers
                  •    un a programme of local and national
                      R
                                                                                                                        to find coaches that meet their needs.
                      coach development events including
                      a national coaching conference for
                      community coaches and coach
                      development professionals.

Coaching in an Active Nation – The Coaching Plan for England                                                                                                                                                           25
4. M
                            EASURING THE CHANGE AND                                                                   5. E NHANCE THE DELIVERY
                           COMMUNICATE THE IMPACT                                                                         INFRASTRUCTURE
                  When people think of a coach they often        and acts like. Regularly communicating the       Our consultation highlighted that there can      it seeks to engage. Creating more joined
                  think of someone who is part of the            excellent experiences in a range of non-         often be a lack of alignment between plans       up delivery by enhancing and improving
                  traditional sport system, helping people       traditional contexts will help to ‘rebrand’      to increase participation and the equivalent     the capability and capacity in partner
                  to improve their technique. The Coaching       coaching and make its impact better              plans to develop coaches. This results           organisations is essential if we are to build a
                  Plan for England sees a coach in a different   understood. Additionally, people looking         in a coaching workforce that does not            coach development infrastructure capable
                  light, and is seeking to embrace a range       to utilise a coach will have a better idea of    necessarily meet the needs to the people         of transforming the participant experience.
                  of different people to provide enhanced        what to look for and those coaches that
                  experiences for others. The challenge here     are providing great experiences can be
                  is the need to help people understand this     recognised and rewarded for their efforts.       Tactics                                          What will success look like?
                  new conception of what a good coach looks
                                                                                                                  •    nsure all partner organisations that
                                                                                                                      E                                            By March 2017, the ‘innovation incubator’
                                                                                                                      deliver coaching activity are planning       will be established and will be actively
                  Tactics                                        What will success look like?                         and delivering in line with the principles   supporting organisations to overcome
                                                                                                                      and objectives outlined within the           complex coaching problems.
                  •    ontinuously share examples of
                      C                                          By November 2017, a coaching movement                Coaching Plan for England
                      improved coach-led participant             will be established encouraging coaches to                                                        By March 2018, all priority partner organisations
                      experiences that underpin and              play an active role in promoting their craft.    •    oordinate a learning and development
                                                                                                                      C                                            working to develop coaches will have aligned
                      promote good coaching practice.                                                                 programme for coach development              their plans to the principles and objectives
                                                                 By March 2017, the coaching champions                professionals in partner organisations.      within the Coaching Plan for England.
                  •    eveloping marketing and promotional
                      D                                          will have met and will have published their
                      resources to assist partner                first assessment of the coaching landscape       •    ork with local delivery partners to turn
                                                                                                                      W                                            By March 2018, all coach development
                      organisations to spread the word.          and made recommendations for the future.             the aspirations of the plan into reality     professionals will have access to a range of
                                                                                                                                                                   learning and development opportunities.
                  •    egularly communicate stories of people
                      R                                          By October 2017, the coaching insight            •    ork with other Home Country Sports
                                                                                                                      W
                      who have been supported by coaches         community will have been established                 Councils and strategic partners to           By 2021, coaching will be a more prominent
                      and stories of people who have been        and will have published its first insights for       develop a digital strategy which             feature in the strategic plans of partner
                      able to successfully develop coaches.      the industry.                                        determines the key priorities for            organisations, will be more closely aligned
                                                                                                                      how technology can support the               to delivery of strategic priorities and will be
                  •    ring together an advisory group
                      B                                          By October 2017, we will establish a                 improvement of participant experience        resourced accordingly.
                      of ‘Coaching Champions’ made up            baseline measure of the perception of                through coaching
                      of high profile coaches, community         coaching. We will then publish the results                                                        By 2021, there will be a thriving network of
                      practitioners and thought-leaders, to      of this measurement, annually.                   •    stablish an ‘innovation incubator’
                                                                                                                      E                                            dedicated and committed local and national
                      lead the future of coaching and make                                                            of expert advisors, including                partners actively collaborating, learning from
                                                                 By 2021 the broader definition of coaching           digital specialists, able to support         each other’s experiences and using this
                      recommendations for future action.
                                                                 will be well understood by society and               organisations to address challenges          learning to improve future approaches.
                  •    stablish robust ways to measure the
                      E                                          people will have a more positive                     emerging from the coaching landscape
                      coaching experience.                       perception of the role that coaches play             and create practical solutions.
                                                                 in their community.
                  •    stablish a ‘Coaching Insight
                      E
                      Community’ that continuously seeks to
                      provide the best available evidence to
                      improve coaching practice.

Coaching in an Active Nation – The Coaching Plan for England                                                                                                                                                           27
WHAT DOES THE COACHING
                                                                                                                        PLAN FOR ENGLAND
                                                                                                                        SEEK TO ACHIEVE?
               CASE STUDY:
               NURTURING THE NEXT
               GENERATION OF COACHES
               – ‘THE COACHING APPRENTICE’                                                                              THE COACHING PLAN FOR ENGLAND – AT A GLANCE
                 TERRELL’S STORY                                                                                         ADOPT A NEW, WIDER, MORE     MAKE IT EASIER FOR PEOPLE     DEVELOP A LEARNING
                                                                                                                         INCLUSIVE DEFINITION OF      FROM A WIDER RANGE OF         CULTURE FOCUSED ON ONGOING
                                                                                                                         COACHING.                    BACKGROUNDS TO BECOME         IMPROVEMENT AND THE
               “Becoming a coach has changed my life!               “I have recently been offered a head coach                                        COACHES.                      DEVELOPMENT OF COACHING
               Before I became a coach I didn’t have a              position at the school that I grew up at, I never                                                               EXPERTISE.
               lot of confidence and I would often act out          thought I could make my career in coaching.”
               as a way to compensate. I started doing
               volleyball because one of the coaches from           Gary Laybourne is the Programme Manager
               Greenhouse made it so much fun. I wouldn’t           at the Royal Foundation, he says:
               have played volleyball otherwise and I got
                                                                                                                          IVE THE PEOPLE WHO
                                                                                                                         G                            UTILISE TECHNOLOGY TO         BRING LEARNING TO THE
               really good playing at the top level. My coach       “In 2012, we wanted to start a programme
                                                                                                                         EMPLOY AND DEPLOY            IMPROVE THE EXPERIENCE FOR    COACH THROUGH HIGH QUALITY
               saw that I had something and suggested that          that improved the quality of coach education         COACHES THE TOOLS TO DO SO   THE PARTICIPANT, AND BUILD    COACH DEVELOPMENT AND
               I get involved coaching as a volunteer with          and provision in schools and the community           MORE EFFECTIVELY.            AN ‘ON DEMAND’ LEARNING AND   MENTORING.
               some youngsters in my community and then I           whilst also providing young people from                                           DEVELOPMENT CAPABILITY FOR
               got enrolled on the apprenticeship with Coach        challenging areas with an opportunity to                                          COACHES.
               Core. Since I became a coach I have become           remain engaged and progressing in education
               way more sure of myself and I can interact           and employment. Since that date, we have
               in any situation…I even travelled to the USA         brought together 30 different high quality
               with Prince Harry and had to do a speech in          sports employers in 6 cities around the UK
                                                                                                                         GIVE COACHING A STRONGER     ENHANCE THE CAPACITY          ENSURE THAT THE IMPACT OF
               front of 500 people!                                 to utilise our innovative apprenticeship model
                                                                                                                         VOICE AT STRATEGIC LEVELS.   AND CAPABILITY OF THE         COACHING IS UNDERSTOOD AND
                                                                    and provide places of employment as well as                                       PROFESSIONAL COACHING         RECOGNISED.
               “When you go into a school to coach you have         unique experiences and learning to the young                                      WORKFORCE.
               a group of diverse kids and it’s all about what      people at the heart of it.
               they want to learn. Maybe it’s a new skill – or
               just enjoying what they’re doing. You help them      “With nearly 100 graduates to date and a 98%
               build it up and get a real buzz when they achieve.   success rate of those young people going
                                                                    into full time employment and/or education,
               “Some coaches are all about telling you what         we are proud that our expansion plans will
                                                                                                                         CHANGE HOW PEOPLE            ACTIVELY MEASURE AND          ESTABLISH MORE COACHING
               to do. Instead, I like asking the people I coach     allow more 16-24’s the chance to access this         THINK AND FEEL ABOUT         IMPROVE THE EXPERIENCE OF     APPRENTICESHIPS
               questions – then they’ve got to find the answers     intense and high quality education whilst also       COACHING BY SHARING          THE PARTICIPANT AND THE
               out for themselves. I love coaching coaches,         providing even more challenging communities          STORIES OF GREAT COACHING    COACH.
               because they’ve been where I used to be. It’s        with role models and coaches that are                EXPERIENCES.
               helping them be confident and independent,           focussed on life long, positive relationships
               so they don’t need me anymore!                       with sport and exercise and not just about the
                                                                    technical quality of their coaching.”

Coaching in an Active Nation – The Coaching Plan for England                                                                                                                                                     29
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 29
WHAT WILL THE COACHING
               PLAN FOR ENGLAND                                                                                    •	
                                                                                                                     Any learning you undertake from                FOR EMPLOYERS AND DEPLOYERS

               MEAN FOR ME?
                                                                                                                     whatever source will be recognised if you      (CLUBS, SCHOOLS, COMMUNITY
                                                                                                                     can show that it makes a difference to the
                                                                                                                     experience that you provide
                                                                                                                                                                    GROUPS, LEISURE CENTRES, ETC)
                                                                                                                   •	
                                                                                                                     If you have the ability and the desire, you    By 2021…
                                                                                                                     will be recognised and encouraged to
                                                                                                                                                                    •	
                                                                                                                                                                      It will be easier to find the right sort of
                                                                                                                     progress regardless of your background
                                                                                                                                                                      coach that you need.
               FOR PARTICIPANTS…                                FOR COACHES                                        •	
                                                                                                                     You will be part of a national community
                                                                                                                                                                    •	
                                                                                                                                                                      It will be easier to ensure that coaches
                                                                                                                     of coaches dedicated to being as good
               By 2021…                                         By 2021…                                                                                              have the correct training, expertise and
                                                                                                                     as they can be
                                                                                                                                                                      suitability for the role.
               •	
                 You will find many more opportunities to       •	
                                                                  It will be much easier and cheaper to get        •	
                                                                                                                     You will see stories of other coaches
                 participate in sessions led by excellent         started                                                                                           •	
                                                                                                                                                                      You will be able to access support and
                                                                                                                     doing great things that will help to inspire
                 coaches.                                                                                                                                             resources to help you recruit, train and
                                                                •	
                                                                  There will be far less paperwork and               you and keep you motivated to improve
                                                                                                                                                                      support coaches.
               •	
                 It will be much easier to find a coach that      writing needed                                   •	
                                                                                                                     You will feel pride and a sense of purpose
                 meets your needs.                                                                                   from being recognised as a coach
                                                                •	
                                                                  If you choose to be assessed you will be
               •	
                 You will be so enthused by your                  assessed in the place you usually coach,
                 experience that you will want to return          coaching the people that you usually coach
                 and you will find yourself encouraging
                                                                •	
                                                                  Your assessment will be based on the
                 others to come as well.
                                                                  experience you provide for the participants
               •	
                 If you need it, your coach will provide you
                                                                •	
                                                                  You will have access to a mentor to help
                 with support outside of the session itself –
                                                                  you improve and guide your learning
                 helping you keep on track with your goals.
                                                                •	
                                                                  You will have access to support from
               •	
                 If you want to progress, your coach will
                                                                  other coaches like you so that you can
                 be able to refer you to someone who
                                                                  learn from each other
                 can help or they will be able to help you
                 develop a plan to guide you to your goals.     •	
                                                                  There will be a new range on online learning
                                                                  opportunities that help you improve
               •	
                 If you are a talented performer you will
                 have access to coaches that can help           •	
                                                                  If you want to do more coaching, you will
                 you maximise your potential.                     be able to find opportunities to coach more
                                                                  easily and people and organisations that
                                                                  are looking for coaches like you, will be able
                                                                  to find you and employ you more easily

                                                                •	
                                                                  The place that you coach (school, club,
                                                                  community group, etc) will provide you
                                                                  with support to help get you started and
                                                                  make sure you are on the right track

Coaching in an Active Nation – The Coaching Plan for England                                                                                                                                                        31
SOURCES AND LINKS
FOR MORE INFORMATION

               Department of Media, Culture and Sport (2016) Taking Part Survey https://www.gov.uk/            FOOTNOTES
               government/organisations/department-for-culture-media-sport/series/taking-part
                                                                                                               1	Sports coach UK (2016) The Impact of Coaching on Participants and additional internal
               Sport England (2013) Active People Survey http://www.sportengland.org/research/active_
                                                                                                                  research http://www.sportscoachuk.org/resource/impact-coaching-participants-year-3-2016
               people_survey.aspx
                                                                                                               2   Sports coach UK (2016) Getting People Active: the potential of coaching and coaches
               Sports coach UK (2011) Sports Coaching in the UK 3 http://www.sportscoachuk.org/resource/
               sports-coaching-uk-3                                                                            3	Sports coach UK (2016) The Impact of Coaching on Participants http://www.
                                                                                                                  sportscoachuk.org/resource/impact-coaching-participants-year-3-2016
               IFF Research (2012) Evaluation of the Active Women Programme – Interim Report http://www.
               sportscoachuk.org/blog/quality-coaching-heart-female-participation-sport                        4	Sporting Equals (2011) Insight: BME Coaching in Sport http://www.sportscoachuk.org/
                                                                                                                  resource/insight-bme-coaching-sport
               University of Oxford (2005) Understanding Participation in Sport http://www.sportengland.org/
               media/39119/understanding-participation-in-sport-2005.pdf                                       5	Nash, C. (2008) The role of coach education in the development of expertise in coaching,
                                                                                                                  Edinburgh: University of Edinburgh
               Sports coach UK and Women’s Sport and Fitness Foundation (2012) Women and Informal
               Sport’s Participation http://www.sportscoachuk.org/resource/women-and-informal-sport-
               research-report

               Leeds Metropolitan University (2014) Sporting experiences and coaching aspirations among
               Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) groups http://www.sportscoachuk.org/resource/sporting-
               experiences-and-coaching-aspirations-among-black-and-minority-ethnic-bme-groups

               Loughborough University (2013) The Role of Psychological Factors in Recreational Sport
               Participation http://www.sportscoachuk.org/resource/role-psychological-factors-recreational-
               sport-participation

               Sports coach UK (2014) Coaching Outside Clubs http://www.sportscoachuk.org/sites/default/
               files/Coaching%20Outside%20Clubs%20FINAL.pdf

               Sports coach UK (2104) Coaching, Social Media and New Technology http://www.
               sportscoachuk.org/resource/coaching-social-media-and-new-technology

               Sports coach UK (2014) Market Segmentation of coaches http://www.sportscoachuk.org/
               resource/market-segmentation-coaches

               Sports coach UK (2015) Disabled Coaches in the UK http://www.sportscoachuk.org/sites/
               default/files/disabled%20coaches.pdf

Coaching in an Active Nation – The Coaching Plan for England                                                                                                                                                 33
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Coaching in an Active Nation – The Coaching Plan for England   December 2016
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