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Opportunities to get into coaching

Becoming a coach is a great way of enjoying athletics. Whether you are an athlete looking for a new dimension to your role in the sport, a parent wanting to get more involved, or have been inspired by seeing how other people have made a difference to people’s lives, coaching has plenty to offer.

There are many courses for you to start your journey into coaching. Remember, if you are part of a club, you or your club can also access discounts on qualifications.

Already a Coach or Leader?

First step into coaching

Two of the courses that you can do as your first step into helping with coaching at your local club or leading a group of runners are the Coaching Assistant qualification and the Leadership in Running Fitness (LiRF) qualification. They are listed in our Courses section www.englandathletics.org/courses along with lots of other courses. Here is information about each to help you know which sounds right for you:

Coaching Assistant

Who should go on this course? Anyone aged 16 or over, who is interested in taking the first step into a coaching pathway and wants to understand the fundamental technical principles of coaching.

How many days will it take? Two days (normally delivered over the course of one weekend) with no assessment.

What will I learn? The technical coaching knowledge to underpin running, jumping and throwing activities. You’ll then learn how to apply these principles into a number of fun and exciting practical examples.

Topics covered include:

  • Understanding fundamental movement skills.
  • Managing challenging behaviour.
  • Delivering warm up and cool downs.
  • Coaching through fun, safe and enjoyable games.
  • Delivering speed work and endurance based activities.
  • Understanding the mechanics of jumping and throwing.
  • The principles of session planning.

What will I be able to do? By attending the Coaching Assistant course, you’ll have the knowledge and skills to deliver effective and engaging club sessions using task cards and session plans.

Coaching Assistants will be insured to assist in the delivery of all aspects of a session but should be supervised by a qualified Coach at the same venue.

Click here to search Coaching Assistant courses

Leadership in Running Fitness

Who should go on this course? If you have an interest in running for fitness and you’d like to lead a group, then this is the course for you.

How many days will it take? One day, with no assessment.

What will I learn? The course will focus on the safe organisation of running activity and how to lead a group of inexperienced runners.

Topics covered include:

  • The barriers that stop people from taking up running.
  • What you could do as a leader to make a difference for them.
  • How to deliver a safe and fun warm up and a cool down.
  • The different types of running activity that can make running varied and enjoyable.
  • How to deliver sessions that are safe and fun.

What will I be able to do? The course is designed to prepare you as a Leader to provide a safe and enjoyable running experience for people over 12 years of age of any level of ability, age, size and shape. As a Leader you may set up your own group and register with the RunTogether network (see runtogether.co.uk).

Your qualification as a Leader in Running Fitness will provide you with insurance to lead a group within the limits of the course content.

Click here to search LiRF courses

Leading Athletics

Note - leading athletics is a workshop rather than a coaching qualification.

Who is it for? Leading Athletics is a leadership workshop for those aged 14 years and above looking to lead athletics activities for young athletes.

Supported by a series of interactive resources, Leading Athletics is perfect for anyone wishing to lead an athletics session. A must for those new to the sport, the resources include information on the roles and responsibilities of a leader, how to lead a fun and inclusive athletics session, and further information on how to develop your leadership skills. Crammed with ‘Top Tips’ for effective delivery, the Support Resource also explores the key principles of running, jumping and throwing events whilst providing technical information which support these principles.

Click here to search Leading Athletics courses