Sports coaching is vital if we are to develop the sports stars of the future. It doesn’t matter whether it is coaching in schools, or volunteer coaching at a local club or organisation. It is about making children and young people realise the importance of sport and how it can have a positive impact on their lives.
With childhood obesity on the rise there is a drive across the country to increase the amount of sport that is done by children, particularly in schools. In early 2015 the Government launched a new sports coach website which is intended to capitalise on the success of the London Olympics in 2012 and use Olympic legacy funding to recruit and train coaches for primary schools. Team sports in schools are important as they encourage participation and teamwork to achieve a common goal, even for those children where sport may not be their strongest subject.
How to be the best coach
There are many things that make a good coach, not least the fact that you need to be knowledgeable about your sport. It is not so much about having coaching qualifications, although these are important; it is more about having the temperament and personality to coach and inspire. You need to have the ability to lead by example and provide a positive sporting role model for those you are responsible for. The BBC has published some tips on being a good coach which should help you to succeed.
What a good coach needs
Every good coach needs knowledge about their sport but also the ability to plan coaching and tactics, particularly if you intend to coach competitively. Whatever your sport, whether it is cricket, rugby, football, hockey or netball, there is strong team ethic and this needs to be brought out in your players. Training and practice are vital as is an element of ‘classroom’ time. It can be as important to be outside doing netball drills, set pieces in football or practising your batting or bowling, as it is to be watching your future opposition at work on the football field or view a netball drill video from sportplan.
Hopefully this has inspired you to get involved in sports coaching so that you can inspire a new generation of athletes and sports stars.
