#GoCoach Campaign Boosts Course Bookings
England Athletics today reveals a significant spike in coaching course bookings in the first three weeks of its new #gocoach campaign. Fronted by the joint fastest woman in the world in 2018, Dina Asher-Smith, #gocoach aims to bring 10,000 new people into athletics and running coaching by 2020.
Over 700 new coaching qualification course bookings and 496 registrations for development workshops for existing coaches have been made via the new web pages on the England Athletics website, https://www.englandathletics.org/coaching/
Chris Jones, CEO at England Athletics, says: “We are delighted that in just under a month we have already achieved 7% of our 10,000 target for new coaches with over two years still to go. Being a coach or run leader is a great way to get involved in our sport, build new friendships and positively affect the lives of other people in your local community. Coaches have a tremendous impact on people’s experience of sport and physical activity, whether that’s helping them to achieve their full potential as a competitive athlete or encouraging them to become active and enjoy the many benefits of exercise. For some, volunteer coaching is a great way to reduce social isolation, become an integral part of a new community and develop new skills. For others, coaching provides invaluable experiences and life skills which can be carried through into developing new career opportunities.”
Dina says: “The relationship between any coach and athlete, whether at elite or beginner level, is pivotal in enabling you to be the best version of yourself both on and off the track. The launch of #gocoach is a great reminder of all the hard work and support that coaches and run leaders provide – often voluntarily – to help others. I hope the campaign will inspire people of all ages and backgrounds to think about becoming a coach or run leader. Our fantastic sport wouldn’t survive without them.”
The launch of the #gocoach campaign follows the huge increase in the popularity of the sport since London 2012, and provides an opportunity for everyone to get involved. There can be a misconception that you must have a sporting background to become a coach, and while for many people it is a way of widening their enthusiasm for sport, people of all ages, backgrounds and aspirations can get involved in coaching. Whatever their inspiration, it is a way of giving back to the local community by sharing their knowledge and their desire to see others enjoying an active involvement in athletics and running. Whether you are a university student, grandparent or simply someone with a little spare time, becoming a licensed volunteer coach or leader can be a life changing role.
To find out more about England Athletics’ #gocoach campaign, and to find out more about volunteer coaching visit https://www.englandathletics.org/coaching/