Coach Tracking Study(PDF) - sports coach UK

COACH 

TRACKING 

STUDY 

A four-year study of coaching in the UK

COACH TRACKING STUDY 

Contents 

Executive Summary ..................................................................1 

Meet Joe......................................................................................2 

The Importance of Coaches to Clubs and Participation ......3 

The Changing Motivations of a Developing Coach ..............4 

Supplementing Coaching Knowledge ....................................6 

A Drift to Informal Learning..................................................10 

A Manifesto to Improve Support to Coaches......................14 

Tales of the Unexpected – the Exit from Coaching ...........16 

Appendix 1: A Profile of Coaches in this Study..................17 

Appendix 2: Methodology .....................................................21 

90766:22 © The National Coaching Foundation, 2012. Designed and produced by Coachwise Limited. All images © Alan Edwards unless otherwise stated.


© Action Images Limited/Reuters 

1 Executive Summary 

This report is based on a unique 

four-year study of coaches in the 

United Kingdom. Each year, over 400 

coaches completed a survey, providing 

details on their coaching practice, 

professional development and motivations. 

We have used this data to better understand 

coaches and track their changes over time. 

The coaches in this study represent a distinct section 

of the national coaching population. They are better 

qualified and more experienced than average and could 

easily be referred to as the core of any coaching 

workforce. As such, their views on coaching are worth 

listening to and acting upon. 

Below are six points to take away from this report: 

1 Coaches play a vital role in participation. The 417 

coaches in this study alone provided coaching to 

over 13,000 participants. As club membership 

increased, it was often these coaches who stepped in 

to fill the coaching gaps. 

2 Although coaches often have very practical reasons 

for starting coaching (eg there was no one else 

available to do it), as they develop, they experience a 

range of different and more personal benefits. 

There is the satisfaction that comes from seeing 

athletes develop and a feeling of giving something 

back to the sport/club/community. 

3 Coaching allows people to stay involved in their 

sport. It provides a social interaction with players 

and, for some, provides a continuing involvement in 

the competitive element of sport. 

4 As coaches gain more experience, they start to 

supplement their technical and tactical knowledge 

with more interpersonal and reflection skills. There is 

also a drift towards more informal learning sources, 

which reflects the different knowledge being sought. 

5 There is a depressing trend in coaches feeling less 

supported by their governing body of sport and 

national partners. While the majority still feel 

supported, if this trend is allowed to continue, we will 

reach a stage where, by the end of what has been 

called a decade of sport, less than half of 

experienced, qualified coaches feel supported. 

6 The decision to stop coaching is rarely planned in 

advance. Eight out of 10 coaches who stop coaching 

did not intend to do so the previous year. 

NEXT STEPS 

This report provides information on themes 

that emerged from the research. The next 

step will be to create a series of detailed 

reports concentrating on specific subjects 

for appropriate audiences. 

1


Meet Joe 

If there were such a thing as a typical 

coach from this study, it would be Joe. His 

fictional coaching story summarises the 

findings from the Coach Tracking Study. 

I was always a very sporty person. Looking back, I 

think I must have played about 15 sports. Some were 

more serious than others, and I even made it to 

county level in a few. I think that’s why my club 

approached me in the first place – they were short of 

coaches and figured I knew the game and had the 

commitment to turn up every week. 

I liked the idea of giving something back to the club 

that had given me so much, and I was happy to help. 

While I remembered my old coach, I wanted to make 

sure I was doing the right thing so I signed up for a 

Level 1 course. It was worth it. After the course, I had 

a lot more confidence to coach as I felt my knowledge 

was more up to date. 

After a few years, I wanted to take my coaching to the 

next level so I completed my Level 2 qualification, but 

nowadays, I like to learn more on my own time. 

When I started coaching, it was tactics and drills I was 

after. While I’m still looking for these, what I really want 

to do is develop myself as a coach. If I’m going to ask 

my players to improve, it’s only fair I should try to 

improve myself. I’ve learnt to reflect on my own 

coaching and, these days, I would probably learn more 

talking to other coaches than listening to someone 

standing at the front of a classroom. 

Over the years, I found the amount of coaching I did 

just kept increasing. Our sport would have a 

recruitment drive, and lots of new people came to the 

club, but we didn’t have any extra coaches! It was 

usually me who had to fill in the gaps. I enjoyed 

working with new people, but there’s only so much 

one man can do. 

What I really like about coaching is seeing my players 

improve and knowing I had something to do with it. 

Of course, it’s even better when we win – that’s just 

like the good old days when I was out on the pitch 

myself. But ultimately, it’s about the players I work with. 

I want them to have the opportunity to develop, but 

they’ve also got to have fun. That’s what I love about it! 

I haven’t coached for two years now. I just didn’t see 

that coming! What happened was I changed my job 

and just didn’t have the same time to devote to my 

players. Hopefully, I can get back into it in some form 

as I have a lot of skills and experience to offer. 

Joe 

2


© SWpix.com 

2 The Importance of Coaches to 

Clubs and Participation 

Over half of the coaches in this study 

originally started coaching because 

there was no one else available, 

and this trend appears to have 

continued throughout their career. Last year, 

one third of coaches had undertaken more 

coaching than before, and the most common 

reason for doing so was an increase in 

participation and thus a greater demand for 

coaches. Thirty per cent (30%) of additional 

coaching was due to increased demand 

within the club, while 27% was the result of 

taking on a new coaching role with increased 

responsibility for more participants. 

Interestingly, about a third of coaches mentioned that 

increased demand had been stimulated by a club 

recruitment drive or a governing body/county sports 

partnership (CSP) sponsored programme (eg Chance to 

Shine in cricket, Get Back Into squash, Sky Ride). 

Here are a series of comments from coaches as to why 

they have done more coaching. 

They show the link between increased participation 

and coaching: 

• A growing need at our club, I have taken up football 

coaching as well as cricket. 

• The club has more teams, meaning, to get better 

improvement, I must spend more time coaching. 

• Local clubs have made a big effort to recruit new members 

so more basic coaching is required. 

• Increased demand by our club and local authority 

(LA)/primary care trust (PCT) projects and opportunities. 

• Pressure from my club due to increased success of an 

expanding membership. 

• Increase in players needing coaching. 

• Loss of other staff. Taken on another squad group. 

These findings show the vital role coaches play in 

absorbing demand created by new participation projects. 

Equally important are the skills these more experienced 

coaches bring to a session that ensure new participants 

receive a good first impression of the sport and are 

encouraged to maintain their participation. 

This is in line with exercise psychology research that has 

found the important role coaches can play in participation. 

Weinberg and Gould (2003) suggest: 

Most people starting a programme need extra motivation and 

the coach/leader’s encouragement, enthusiasm and knowledge 

are critical in this regard...Good coaches/leaders also show 

concern for safety and psychological comfort [and] develop 

expertise in answering questions about exercise. 1 

These are precisely the skills that experienced coaches can 

provide to new participants. 

1 

Weinberg, R. and Gould, D. (2003) Foundations of Sport and Exercise Psychology. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. ISBN: 978-0-736064-67-5. 

3


3 The Changing Motivations 

of a Developing Coach 

Plenty has been written on the needs 

of participants and the benefits they 

receive from coaching, but less has 

been said about what coaches get out of this 

relationship. From this study, it appears that, 

as coaches gain experience, so the benefits 

they receive change. 

It is often the case that coaches initially got involved in 

coaching for practical reasons. The two most common 

reasons for starting coaching were an existing shortage 

of coaches at a club (stated as a reason by 49% of 

coaches) and as a way to give something back to 

their club/sport/community (stated as a reason by 58% 

of coaches). 2 

By Year Four of the study, we see a change. Now, the 

reasons for coaching are more personal and reflect the 

satisfaction that coaches receive from seeing their 

athletes/participants improve and knowing that they had 

something to do with it. There is also an important social 

aspect for coaches who enjoy the interaction with players. 

Nine out of 10 coaches identified these three reasons as 

their motivation to continue coaching. 

2 

Coaches could have more than one reason for starting coaching and therefore the percentages do not add up to 100. 

4


Table 1: Motivation to continue coaching (Year Four) 

Motivation Number % 

I like the interaction with athletes/players/participants. 393 98.3 

I like seeing athletes/players/participants develop their skills and improve. 391 97.8 

I like the buzz when athletes/players/participants do well, knowing that I had 

something to do with that. 

365 91.3 

It provides me with opportunities for personal development. 286 71.5 

It allows me to maintain involvement in sport now that I don’t play/participate 

any more. 

270 67.5 

I like the thrill of competition. 219 54.8 

I do it so that I can help my old club/team. 190 47.5 

I enjoy coaching because it is a good career in terms of benefits 

(eg work-life balance). 

167 41.8 

It enhances my career development. 166 41.5 

I do it so that I can help my child in his/her sport. 105 26.3 

It is a good social alternative. 89 22.3 

It is a good career in terms of pay. 67 16.8 

A secondary, and apparently less expected, benefit is that 

coaching becomes a continuation of participation. Less 

than a third of coaches started coaching to stay involved at 

the end of their sporting career, but by Year Four, that had 

more than doubled. Now, the proportion of coaches citing 

‘maintaining involvement in a sport I don’t play any more’ 

as a motivation to coach had risen to 68%. 

Similarly, there has been a significant increase in coaches 

stating that enjoying the thrill of competition is a 

motivation to coach. Since this question was first asked in 

Year Two, the percentage of coaches who mentioned the 

‘thrill of competition’ has also more than doubled from 

26% to 55%. 

These findings on coaching as a continuation of 

participation and competition need to be viewed within 

the context that these coaches predominantly operate in. 

Only a third of these coaches work with beginners or 

improvers, and less than half work with children under 11. 

It is doubtful these results would be the same for coaches 

working with younger children or in a more 

participation-focused environment. 

Very few differences emerged between the motivations of 

male and female coaches. Male coaches rated the following 

motivations more highly: maintaining involvement; the thrill 

of competition; and helping their children. For female 

coaches, career development was a more important 

motivation for coaching, but this may reflect the fact that 

two thirds of female coaches in this sample were either 

part-time or full-time coaches. 

It is not just participants who wish to achieve something 

from their sporting experience. For coaches, a consistent 

set of objectives has emerged, with nine out of 10 agreeing 

the following were essential objectives: 

• improving the team/athlete in terms of performance, 

physical conditioning and skill 

• providing fun and enjoyment 

• improving life skills. 

Of these, improving performance, skill and fun were rated 

as very important by over 70% of coaches. 

Over the four years, the importance given to each 

coaching objective has remained constant. The only 

exceptions were an increase in importance for objectives 

related to competition (albeit by less than 5%). This is in 

line with what was said earlier about the changing 

motivations of coaches. 

5


4 Supplementing Coaching 

Knowledge 

There is no doubt that coaches believe 

there is a benefit to learning and 

development. Ninety-five per cent 

(95%) believed it was important to improve 

or widen coaching knowledge and practice. 

Three themes that emerged from coaches as 

to why learning is important to them 

revolved around: the need to avoid 

stagnating; a link between coach 

development and player improvement; and 

providing better coaching sessions. 

Coaches often mentioned that you cannot stand still, as 

sport is always changing, and that you never stop learning: 

• To continue to improve my coaching, I must have access 

to coach development, new/fresh ideas and opportunities 

to learn. 

• Without continuing improvement personally, any 

coaching skills and abilities would stagnate and, with it, 

a loss of enjoyment in my chosen lifestyle and impact 

on clientele. 

• It doesn’t matter how experienced a coach is, they 

can never stop learning or improving how to improve 

their knowledge. 

They also see a link between the coach developing and 

improvement in the player: 

• To be able to get the gymnasts in my care to achieve their 

full potential. 

• To help improve the performance of the athletes. There has 

to be a strong knowledge base to supplement effective 

questioning/discovery methods. 

• Sports coaching is always developing/changing. I need to 

keep abreast of important changes so that I can pass on 

any relevant knowledge/skills to my students to improve 

their knowledge/skills. 

Thirdly, coaches felt that improving their skills led to 

better sessions: 

• To make my sessions/lessons relevant, specific to their 

needs and up to date. 

• I want to improve the way I deliver my thoughts and ideas 

to players, to simplify as much as possible and facilitate 

their development. 

• This will keep me fresh so that, when I deliver, my sessions 

are new and fresh. 

Information sought by coaches 

When coaches were asked what types of knowledge and 

information they sought, technical/tactical knowledge 

emerged as the most important. This and knowledge of 

other coaching skills, such as providing feedback, planning, 

motivation, observation and analysis, were sought by 

around two thirds of coaches. 

However, these more experienced coaches also accessed 

information associated with learning from their own 

practice. Skills such as listening, self-reflection and 

evaluation were also in the top 10 knowledge/information 

sources sought. 

6


Table 2: Knowledge/information sources sought by coaches (Year Four) 

Knowledge/Information Sought Number % 

Technical/tactical knowledge 308 77 

Providing feedback 280 70 

Planning sessions: structure, format, content 272 68 

Listening 268 67 

Motivating athletes 264 66 

Observation and analysis 262 66 

Self-reflection and critical thinking 257 64 

Evaluating sessions/programmes 254 64 

Knowledge of a wide range of coaching methods 249 62 

Providing instruction 245 61 

Understanding/evaluating athlete/player development 243 61 

Questioning 241 60 

Planning programmes (over a season, year, cycle) 228 57 

Responsiveness/adaptability to situation/person 228 57 

Organisation of sessions (eg facilities, equipment, health and safety) 218 55 

Decision making 196 49 

Managing the coaching environment 196 49 

Facilitating 188 47 

As they gain experience, it appears coaches look to supplement their existing coaching knowledge with new types of 

information. Figure 1 shows how usage of these different sources of knowledge (ie those outside the top 10 in Table 2) 

has increased since Year Two while more traditional knowledge, such as planning and organising sessions, has been sought 

out less. 

7


Facilitating 

Planning programmes (over a season, year, cycle) 

Evaluating sessions/programmes 

Decision making 

Observation and analysis 

Understanding/evaluating athlete/player 

Knowledge of a wide range of coaching methods 

Managing the coaching environment 

Responsiveness/adaptability to situation/person 

Self-reflection and critical thinking 

Technical/tactical knowledge 

Motivating athletes 

Providing feedback 

Listening 

Questioning 

Providing instruction 

Planning sessions: structure, format, content 

Organisation of sessions (eg facilities, 

equipment, health and safety) 

-3 -2 -1 

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 

Percentage point change 

Figure 1: Change in knowledge/information sources sought by coaches 

(percentage point difference Year Two to Year Four) 

The value placed on 

information sources 

While coaches continue to seek out learning 

opportunities, there has been a decline in the importance 

they assign to various types of knowledge and information. 

Although these changes are relatively small (and as 

Table 3 shows, 88% of coaches still agree that all types 

of information are important), what is of more interest is 

that this shift confirms a recurring trend of traditional 

coaching knowledge being supplemented by interpersonal 

and reflection skills. 

Table 3 shows that basic coaching skills around the 

planning and organisation of a session are the most likely 

to have decreased in importance for coaches, while those 

information sources that maintained their value in the eyes 

of coaches involved more interpersonal skills (such as 

motivating, listening, providing feedback, and 

responsiveness) and evaluation skills. 

8


Table 3: The percentage of coaches who believed an information 

source was important, and the change from Year Two 

Year Four 

(%) 

Year Two 

(%) 

Difference 

Planning programmes (over a season, year, cycle) 88.7 97.6 -8.9 

Organisation of sessions (eg facilities, equipment, health 

and safety) 

89.9 97.4 -7.5 

Decision making 92.2 98.9 -6.7 

Facilitating 92.1 98.2 -6.1 

Planning sessions: structure, format, content 93.6 98.9 -5.3 

Providing instruction 94.7 100 -5.3 

Managing the coaching environment 91.5 96.7 -5.2 

Self-reflection and critical thinking 95.4 99.6 -4.2 

Technical/tactical knowledge 95.4 99.4 -4 

Questioning 95.5 99.2 -3.7 

Knowledge of a wide range of coaching methods 95 97.9 -2.9 

Evaluating sessions/programmes 96.2 99.1 -2.9 

Understanding/evaluating athlete/player development 95.9 98.7 -2.8 

Observation and analysis 97.3 100 -2.7 

Responsiveness/adaptability to situation/person 97.4 99.5 -2.1 

Listening 98.2 100 -1.8 

Providing feedback 98.2 100 -1.8 

Motivating athletes 97.6 98.5 -0.9 

All the evidence points to an understandable trend in the 

knowledge sought by coaches. Initially, the basic skills 

needed to run a coaching session were most important, 

but as coaches gain more experience, so they want to 

improve their coaching by adding different skills and start 

to reflect on their own practice (a process that in itself 

requires new knowledge). Of course, this doesn’t mean 

that coaches are no longer looking for tactical and 

technical knowledge – these are still the most commonly 

sought types – rather, it shows coaches are interested in 

increasing their breadth of knowledge. 

Coaches have also become more discerning about the 

quality of knowledge being offered. Common reactions 

from coaches about the best learning sources in the 

previous year demonstrate how they value new 

information to develop their sessions. Comments 

suggested that new information gives me different aspects 

and new ideas or helped by revitalising session by introducing 

new ideas. 

However, there is also a danger of coaches feeling they are 

learning nothing new and therefore the value of the 

learning source is reduced. As one coach commented: 

It was interesting but of little real use as it didn’t introduce 

much that was new to me beyond some tactical analyses. 

Otherwise, it was frustrating. 

9


5 A Drift to Informal Learning 

The last four years have seen a change in how coaches acquire knowledge. They have moved away from 

more organised, formal sources towards more informal learning. 3 Table 4 shows that the primary 

sources used by coaches to develop their knowledge and skills tend to be informal sources of learning. 

Table 4: Percentage of coaches using different learning sources 

Source of Learning % 

Coaching practice 86.5 

Reading coaching books, magazines and journals 83.8 

Reflecting on past coaching 81.0 

Working with athletes/players/participants 78.3 

Working with/observing coaches from your sport 73.0 

Experiences as an athlete/player/participant 63.8 

Watching DVDs, videos, CD-ROMs 63.3 

Advice from family/friends 53.0 

Online learning 54.5 

Workshops 57.8 

Governing body coaching qualification 44.8 

Coaching conferences 48.0 

Working with/observing coaches from other sports 43.3 

Non-coaching-related education 41.0 

Experience at work outside coaching 44.3 

Formal sources of learning 

3 

For the purpose of this study, formal learning is regarded as an organised and structured presentation of knowledge/information to coaches (eg 

qualifications, workshops and, to a lesser degree, conferences). Informal learning takes place outside of these formal situations (eg learning from 

experience, talking with other coaches) or is self-directed (eg reading a book or searching the Internet). For a more detailed explanation of formal 

and informal learning, see the sports coach UK website: www.sportscoachuk.org/resource/coach-learning-and-development-review-literature 

10


This drift towards informal learning is best demonstrated 

by comparing learning sources used in Year Four to 

Year One. While coaching practice remained the 

number one learning source, formal sources have 

dropped down the rankings. The biggest drop has been 

for governing body qualifications, which have gone from 

third most popular in Year One to 11th in Year Four. 

Other sources dropping down the rankings have been 

workshops (seventh to 10th) and conferences (10th 

to 12th). 

The other source that dropped down the rankings was 

‘experiences as an athlete’. This is perhaps not surprising as 

coaches are now relying more on their experiences as a 

coach than as an athlete. This is demonstrated by the rise 

up the table for both ‘reflecting on past coaching’ and 

‘working with athletes/players/participants’. 

Table 5: Ranking of learning sources used by coaches in Year Four and changes from Year One 

Source of Learning 

Year Four 

Ranking 

Change from 

Year One 

Coaching practice 1 0 

Reading coaching books, magazines and journals 2 2 

Reflecting on past coaching 3 3 

Working with athletes/players/participants 4 4 

Working with/observing coaches from your sport 5 0 

Experiences as an athlete/player/participant 6 4 

Watching DVDs, videos, CD-ROMs 7 2 

Advice from family/friends 8 4 

Online learning 9 5 

Workshops 10 3 

Governing body coaching qualification 11 8 

Coaching conferences 12 2 

Working with/observing coaches from other sports 13 2 

Non-coaching-related education 14 4 

Experience at work outside coaching 15 2 


11


A clue to why this is the case may be the importance placed on each source. Top-ranked sources in Year Four have 

changed little in importance, but outside this, there are significant decreases in the importance given to a learning source. 

Keeping the results in context, it must be remembered that even those sources declining in importance are still valued by 

around three quarters of coaches. 

Table 6: The importance of learning sources to coaches in Year Four and the change since Year One 

Source of Learning 

Percentage of 

Coaches Stating 

Learning Source 

was Important 

Change in 

Importance 

(Percentage 

Points) 

Coaching practice 98.7 -1 

Reading coaching books, magazines and journals 92.4 -1 

Reflecting on past coaching 96.1 -4 

Working with athletes/players/participants 98.3 -1 

Working with/observing coaches from your sport 94.2 -5 

Experiences as an athlete/player/participant 84.4 -6 

Watching DVDs, videos, CD-ROMs 68.7 -30 

Advice from family/friends 72.2 -22 

Online learning 80.1 -16 

Workshops 85.2 -14 

Governing body coaching qualification 74.6 -24 

Coaching conferences 75.9 -23 

Working with/observing coaches from other sports 76 -23 

Non-coaching-related education 70.6 -26 

Experience at work outside coaching 64.7 -32 


12


© sports coach UK 

Another reason for a drift to informal learning is that 

formal learning may create practical issues that informal 

learning avoids. Just under one third of coaches 

undertaking a governing body qualification identified 

problems of costs, location and timing. 

The comment below from one coach aptly sums up 

the feelings of coaches who are drifting towards 

informal learning: 

I feel that I am now at a stage where I will only learn more by 

speaking to more qualified coaches or initiating my own 

studies via the Internet. I do not see myself having the time to 

take additional courses, not that I could afford a Level 3 

course anyway. 

While there has been a drift towards more informal 

learning, this should not be taken as a criticism of formal 

learning. Rather, it is the case that the skills coaches are 

now seeking are different and more likely to be accessed 

outside formal environments. Importantly, there is no 

evidence that the quality of formal learning has impacted 

on this change. 

When coaches were asked what the most influential 

learning source used in the previous year was, opinions 

were split. 58% suggested informal learning sources, with 

42% suggesting formal. Considering the drift towards 

informal learning in the last four years, you would have 

expected a similar increase in the percentage of informal 

sources being considered the most influential. Instead, 

the results have remained consistent. Why these informal 

sources have not increased in influence in line with 

their usage is a question that needs to be addressed in 

future research. 

‘I feel that I am now at a stage where I will only 

learn more by speaking to more qualified coaches or 

initiating my own studies via the Internet.’ 

13


© Mark Bullimore 

6 A Manifesto to Improve 

Support to Coaches 

Firstly, it needs to be stated that over 

two thirds of coaches feel supported 

overall by their governing body of sport 

and other partners. But this figure has been 

in decline over the last four years (down from 

75% to 67%), and if this trend is allowed to 

continue, less than half of coaches will feel 

supported at the end of what was supposed 

to be a decade of sport! 

These coaches have already been identified as the 

backbone of coaching and their sport, but increasingly, they 

feel the support system is a remote, bewildering 

bureaucracy with structures and processes that make it 

difficult for coaches to understand. In particular, they feel 

let down by support with identifying the opportunities that 

are available and what their next steps in coaching are. 

(Around one third of coaches feel ‘not supported at all’ in 

these areas.) 

Embracing these experienced, qualified and dedicated 

coaches offers considerable benefits to any sport looking 

to develop and grow its participants. As part of the 

research, the coaches were asked to put forward their 

suggestions for improving support to coaches. Here, the 

most common suggestions are consolidated into their 

manifesto for improving support. 

Five key areas to this manifesto are: 

1 better communication 

2 increased access to funding 

3 more mentors 

4 more individual support 

5 better use of technology. 

Better communication 

Coaches want better communication from the top down. 

In particular, they want a greater focus on raising 

awareness of opportunities for coaches. However, they 

also see communication as a two-way process and feel 

they have a lot to contribute if people will only listen. 

Comments on communication included: 

• More lines of communicating, far too easy to be left out of 

the loop after coaching qualification has completed. 

• If I didn’t phone, I wouldn’t hear from them unless they 

wanted me to do something for them (eg fill in a form!). 

• If you don’t find it on the website, then you don’t know 

it exists. 

• Governing bodies to listen when you want to give 

feedback. Talk. 

• They could invite coaches for meetings to discuss how 

they could help more. I read a lot and have almost 

20 years’ experience. 

14


Increased access to funding 

As well as awareness of opportunities, coaches want 

support with funding to take advantage of them when 

they arise. Coaches’ issues and suggestions concerning 

funding included: 

• As always, I think it comes down to funding. Courses are still 

prohibitively expensive for some people. 

• I will not be coaching for the forseeable future as I can no 

longer afford the cost. Unless something is done about this 

issue, I am sure many other coaches in various sports will 

be forced into taking similar drastic action. 

• Making grants available to upskill (eg psychology, strength 

and conditioning). 

More mentors 

A regular comment from coaches is that they want to take 

advantage of more mentors. Working with an experienced 

coach is regarded as a key developmental opportunity 

closely linked with taking the next step in their own 

coaching career. It also addresses a desire for more 

individualised support. 

• (More) assigned mentors for coaches who are qualified and 

aspire to reach the highest coaching level they can. 

• Grass-roots coaches should have more opportunities to 

see/watch/work with high level performance coaches to 

maintain motivation and see new ways of working. 

• To have a mentor who understands governing body of 

sport/LA/school to impact and have the opportunity to 

move forward. 

More individual support 

There is a feeling that support needs to be based around 

the needs of individual coaches. Coaches suggested this 

was best achieved through a more localised network, 

development officers and mentors. 

• Work closely with coaches to establish their strengths and 

weaknesses to help develop in all areas. Not just set up 

generic courses but establish specific workshops that cater 

for the individuals’ needs. 

• Lip service is paid to individual coach development. 

Conferences encompass beginners to expert at the same 

courses. I would ask coaches what their needs are on an 

individual basis instead of coming up with the same 

courses with different names. 

• Having a coach network, where you can ring to obtain 

advice on any sport, more drills to be made available for 

coaches to aid their development, perhaps a local rep for 

each area who could be used as a sounding board. 

• The development of regional training managers has been 

an excellent addition to an already good system. 

• Better linked in development officers from governing bodies 

of sport. 

Better use of technology 

To a lesser degree, coaches also suggested IS solutions 

would improve their access to information and 

training resources. 

• More free advice available through courses or information 

on the web. 

• Online support, provision of computer-based 

learning/experience that can be accessed at a time 

convenient to the coach. Conferences/workshops etc, 

although very useful, require time to attend. 

• There needs to be a concerted forum/resource across the 

various sports to provide the latest ideas/documents/ 

models/concepts in coaching with free access for all levels 

of coach on which to share best practice. 

© SWpix.com 

15


7 Tales of the Unexpected – 

the Exit from Coaching 

Eight out of 10 people who stop 

coaching did not intend to do so. Over 

the course of this four-year study, 130 

coaches who stopped coaching provided 

information on why. Of these, only 18% had 

stated the previous year that they intended 

to stop coaching. 

The most common reasons for stopping coaching were 

personal (71% of all responses). These included changes in 

work, education, family circumstances or health. As these 

are often unexpected events, it is not surprising that the 

coaches did not expect to stop coaching. Only 15% of 

coaches are full-time, and it is not surprising that their life 

outside coaching has as big an influence on their coaching 

careers as what happens in the sporting arena. 

System-related reasons accounted for under a third of 

coaches stopping coaching. These were mainly a lack of 

support and opportunities. This is consistent with other 

results in that coaches are satisfied overall with the support 

they receive, but there is a small percentage who are 

dissatisfied. Dealing with the reasons behind this 

dissatisfaction will likely improve coach retention, rather 

than trying to deal with personal issues outside the control 

of a governing body. 

The previous section of this report is a perfect starting 

point for addressing system-related reasons for the exit 

from coaching. 

Work 

Education 

Health 

Family 

16


Appendix 1: A Profile of 

Coaches in this Study 

The coaches in this study represent a 

distinct group of experienced and 

qualified coaches. While this research 

project originally set out to sample a wide 

range of coaches, by Year Four, the sample 

had contracted into this group. 

Demographically, the coaches are similar to the typical 

coach profile 4 , but the key differences for the coaches in 

this sample are: 

• 94% have a qualification, compared to 53% of the 

overall coaching population 

• they are more likely to hold a higher level qualification 

• they are less likely to be working as a volunteer 

(45% compared to 76% nationally) 

• they are more likely to be working with higher level 

participants and in a club setting. 

Qualifications 

The most striking difference between the coaches in this 

study and the general coaching population concerns 

qualifications. In this study, 94% of coaches have a 

qualification compared to the national average of 53%. In 

addition, these qualifications tend to be at a higher level 

than average. 

Table 7: Qualifications of coaches in this study compared to the 

average for all coaches 

Highest Level Qualification 

Coach Tracking 

Study (%) 

All Coaches (%) 

No qualification 6 47 

Level 1 14 18 

Level 2 27 19 

Level 3 34 10 

Level 4/5 19 6 

4 

Figures for the national average for all coaches are taken from sports coach UK (2010) Sports Coaching in the UK 3, 

available to download from the sports coach UK website: www.sportscoachuk.org/resource/sports-coaching-uk-3 

17


Employment status 

Another key difference to bear in mind is that the coaches in this study are more likely to be paid (in some capacity) for 

their coaching. Only 45% are volunteers compared to the national average of 76%. 

Table 8: Employment status of coaches in this study compared to the 

average of all coaches 

Coach Tracking 

Study (%) 

All Coaches (%) 

Full-time 15 3 

Part-time 40 21 

Volunteer 45 76 

Demographics 

The demographics of this group show they are primarily male, non-disabled and white, although, in truth, this varies little 

from the current coaching population. 

Table 9: Coaches in this study by gender, disability and ethnicity 

compared to the average of all coaches 

Coach Tracking Study 

All Coaches 

Number % % 

Gender 

Male 311 75 69 

Female 106 25 31 

Disability 

Disabled 15 4 8 

Non-disabled 393 96 92 

Ethnicity 

White 389 96 97 

Black and ethnic minorities 9 2 3 

Prefer not to say 7 2 0 

Total 417 

18


Age 

The average age of these coaches was 45, and 83% of coaches were aged over 35. The average age at which these 

coaches started was 28 so they are also an experienced group of coaches. 

Table 10: Average age of coaches in the Coach Tracking Study 

Number % 

15–24 years 15 4 

25–34 years 58 14 

35–44 years 71 17 

45–55 years 156 38 

55+ years 115 28 

Groups coached and coaching setting 

The coaches in this study are more likely to be found coaching at club or representative level (eg regional, national). Around 

one third work with participants described as beginners or improvers (compared with the national coaching average of 57%), 

and 7% work in recreational settings. This has increased slightly since Year Two, which would be consistent with evidence 

discussed earlier that these coaches are helping to meet the needs of new participants coming into the sport. 

Table 11: Level of participant groups coached in Year Four compared to Year Two 

Year Four 

Year Two 

Number % Number % 

Beginner 124 31 121 29 

Improver 145 36 139 33 

Club 215 54 204 49 

County 99 25 78 19 

Regional 71 18 74 18 

National 61 15 45 11 

International 34 9 24 6 

Recreational 27 7 22 5 

Mixed 14 4 n/a n/a 

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Half of all coaching carried out by these coaches takes place in clubs, and 17% takes place in schools. The remaining sessions 

(which account for one third of all coaching) are evenly spread between private, community and education settings. Direct 

comparisons with the national average are not possible as the settings used in other surveys are different. However, it is fair to 

say that the coaches in this sample are more likely to coach in clubs and less likely to coach in schools. 

Table 12: Setting in which coaching sessions take place 

Coaching Setting Number % 

Club 357 51 

School 122 17 

Governing body 64 9 

Private 46 7 

Leisure centre 23 3 

Local authority 23 3 

Community project 20 3 

University 19 3 

College/further education 18 3 

Youth club 6 1 

Sports institute 2 0 

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© Mark Bullimore 

Appendix 2: Methodology 

Over the course of this project, coaches 

were asked to complete a detailed 

questionnaire once a year. The 

questionnaire used a mixture of closed and 

open response questions and, as much as 

possible, tried to ask the same questions 

from year to year. The participants were 

allowed six months to complete and return 

the questionnaire. For those participants 

who had not returned their questionnaire by 

post, regular reminders were sent via 

Coaching Edge and by email. 

The questionnaire was divided into the following 

thematic sections: 

• Section A: Personal changes over the last 12 months 

• Section B: Coaching changes over the last 12 months 

• Section C: Coaching experience in the last 12 months 

• Section D: Coach objectives 

• Section E: Coach development experiences and 

knowledge in the last 12 months 

• Section F: Coach qualifications 

• Section G: Coaching careers 

• Section H: Evaluating your own performance 

• Section I: Support services 

• Section J: The next 12 months. 

Participants were offered three options for completing 

the survey: 

• Paper submission: All participants were sent a paper 

version of the questionnaire along with a prepaid 

envelope to return it in. 

• Online submission: Participants with Internet access 

were sent a secure web link to an online version of the 

questionnaire. The link, unique to each coach, allowed 

participants to complete the questionnaire over time 

and submit once completed. 

• Over the phone: Coaches were also able to 

complete the questionnaire over the phone with the 

principal researcher. 

A key issue for the project, given its longitudinal design, was 

to minimise attrition and maximise retention of 

participating coaches. Given that data collection occurs on 

an annual basis, it was important to maintain regular 

contact with participants. As an incentive to maintain 

participation in the project, all coaches were offered a free 

subscription to Coaching Edge, a magazine that presents 

information on coaching, coaching methods, development, 

leading practice and case studies. The magazine is a 

quarterly publication, which ensured that participants were 

receiving communication from the project team every 

three months. 

As an additional incentive, all participating coaches were 

entered into an annual prize draw for the UK Coaching 

Awards, one of the most high profile events celebrating the 

best of coaching in the UK. Information and updates 

regarding the project, as well as the experience of the 

coaches attending the UK Coaching Awards, were featured 

in Coaching Edge, thereby reinforcing to coaches the 

importance of the study and illustrating its impact. 

21


Response 

The project sought to recruit as wide a sample of coaches 

as possible using the following methods: 

• Contact was made with governing bodies of sport 

development officers to raise interest in the study and 

establish contact with clubs and coaches. 

• Information regarding the study was posted on the 

sports coach UK website. 

• Interested participants were urged to register their 

details through a dedicated web page or contact the 

principal researcher by phone or email. Information was 

also posted on the coaching pages of a number of 

governing body websites. 

• A press release was sent to local press nationwide. 

• Details of the study were included in sports coach UK’s 

quarterly magazine, Coaching Edge, which, at the time, 

had a circulation of 2000+ coaches. 

• sports coach UK’s minimum operating standards 

workshops saw 15,000 flyers distributed through sports 

coach UK’s coach development network and regional 

coaching conferences. 

• More than 7000 coaches, including 1000 community 

sports coaches, were directly invited to take part in the 

study via a postal mail-out. 

Table 13: Response rates for the four years 

Year 

One 1264 

Two 851 

Three 585 

Four 417 

Respondents 

Of the 1264 coaches who participated in Year One, one 

third remained in the programme and returned the 

questionnaire each year. The majority of coaches who did 

not re-engage with the study did not communicate reasons 

for their withdrawal, but 130 coaches did indicate that they 

had stopped coaching and provided reasons for doing so. 

This information is included in the report. 

As has already been stated, the sample of coaches became 

concentrated on experienced and qualified coaches. It is 

suggested that these are the most interested in coaching 

and therefore the most likely to spend time completing the 

annual surveys. This raises some interesting methodological 

issues for research with other groups who may be harder 

to engage with. 

Analysis 

Given the longitudinal design of the project and its stated 

aim of tracking coaches’ progress over four years, it was 

important to compare Year Four results with those in Year 

One. To facilitate this, Year One results were recalculated 

on the basis of the Year Four sample (417 coaches) to 

provide direct comparability. 

22


Acknowledgements 

The Research Team at sports coach UK would like to thank all the coaches who took time out of their busy schedules to 

take part in this research. 

We would also like to thank Melina Timson-Katchis and Julian North who no longer work at sports coach UK but were 

instrumental in developing and running this project. 

© SWpix.com 

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