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Sports Coach

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Primary Secondary Post-16

A sports coach helps individuals or teams to improve their sporting skills and reach their potential. This career involves planning and leading training sessions, developing strategies, providing feedback and encouragement, and sometimes organising competitions or matches. Coaches work with a range of people, from children and beginners to elite athletes, across various sports such as football, rugby, athletics, swimming, and more. They may work in schools, sports clubs, leisure centres, or even as private coaches. Good communication, leadership, and motivational skills are very important in this role, along with a passion for sport and fitness. Many coaches specialise in a particular sport and may need specific qualifications, such as National Governing Body awards.

Sports Coach

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📊 Statistics

Average Salary

The average salary for a sports coach in the UK ranges from £16,000 to £35,000 per year, depending on experience, qualifications, and the level at which they coach.

Job Availability

According to the Office for National Statistics, there were over 30,000 people employed as sports coaches, instructors, or officials in the UK in 2023.

Typical Working Hours

Sports coaches often work evenings and weekends, with full-time positions averaging 35 to 40 hours per week, though many roles are part-time or sessional.

🚀 Careers in this path

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Youth Football Coach

Works with children and teenagers to develop their football skills, teamwork and sportsmanship in a school or community club setting.

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Tennis Development Coach

Focuses on teaching tennis to beginners and intermediate players, often running after-school or holiday club sessions.

Primary School PE Specialist

Delivers physical education lessons and extracurricular sports activities to primary school pupils, encouraging healthy lifestyles and participation in sport.

Gain Relevant Qualifications

Complete Secondary Education

Achieve good GCSEs, especially in Physical Education and Science subjects.

A strong foundation in PE and science will help you understand the theory behind training and fitness. Many coaching roles require at least five GCSEs at grades 4 or above. Consider taking A-levels or equivalent qualifications in sports-related subjects to deepen your knowledge.

Obtain Coaching Qualifications

Gain a recognised coaching qualification in your chosen sport.

Each sport has governing bodies (such as The FA for football or England Athletics for athletics) which offer coaching courses at different levels. Start with an entry-level certificate and progress to higher levels as you gain experience. These qualifications combine practical experience with theoretical knowledge.

Consider Further Study

Study for a sports-related degree or diploma, such as Sports Coaching or Sports Science.

While not always essential, a higher education qualification can improve your job prospects, especially in professional or elite sport. University courses often include work placements, giving you hands-on experience and networking opportunities.

Gain Practical Experience

Volunteer with Local Clubs

Start by volunteering with local sports teams, schools, or community groups.

Volunteering allows you to build up coaching experience and learn how to manage groups of different ages and abilities. Many clubs welcome enthusiastic volunteers and may help you access further training opportunities.

Assist Experienced Coaches

Work alongside qualified coaches to learn best practices and gain mentoring.

Supporting an experienced coach helps you develop your communication, organisation, and leadership skills. Observe how they plan sessions, handle challenges, and motivate athletes. This is also a good way to build contacts in the industry.

Develop Professional Skills and Progress

Continue Professional Development

Attend workshops, earn higher-level coaching badges, and keep your knowledge up to date.

Sports and training methods constantly evolve, so ongoing learning is important. Many governing bodies offer additional courses in areas such as safeguarding, first aid, and specific coaching techniques. This will make you a stronger candidate for advanced roles.

Apply for Coaching Positions

Seek paid or higher-level coaching roles at schools, clubs, or sports organisations.

Look for opportunities through sports governing bodies, local authorities, and job boards. Build a CV that highlights your qualifications, experience, and achievements. Be prepared to start with part-time or assistant roles and progress as you gain more experience.

🎯 View Apprenticeships

Explore relevant apprenticeships that can help you kickstart your career in Sports Coach. Apprenticeships offer hands-on experience and training while earning a wage.

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Career Progressions

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Sample Qualifications

A Football coach shares similar qualifications and responsibilities with a Sports Coach, as both focus on training athletes, developing skills, and improving team performance within a specific sport. They often work with athletes to enhance their physical abilities and tactical understanding, requiring similar knowledge of sports science and coaching methods.

How to become

You can get into this job through:

  • a university course
  • a college course
  • an apprenticeship
  • volunteering
  • specialist courses run by a professional body

University

You could study for a foundation degree or degree in a subject like:

  • football coaching and development
  • coaching science
  • coaching and performance

There are also undergraduate and postgraduate courses that combine football coaching with other subjects, such as:

  • sports business
  • management
  • talent development

You'll usually need some experience in coaching to apply for a postgraduate course.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
  • a degree in a relevant subject for postgraduate study

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College

You could do a college course, which could help you to get started in football coaching.

Courses include:

  • sports coaching
  • sport - football coaching
  • UEFA C Licence (this used to be called the FA Level 2 Coaching award)

If you hold a UEFA coaching licence, you could do a course in coaching game based football.

Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

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Apprenticeship

You could apply for a place on a Community Activator Coach Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship or the Sports Coach Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship.

These typically take 1 year and 6 months to complete and are a mix of workplace learning and study.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship

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Volunteering

You can start as a volunteer at your local amateur football club. This will help to build up your experience and could lead onto training for coaching qualifications.

You can contact your county football association to learn more about volunteering opportunities.

You can also do online introductory courses while volunteering, through England Football Learning. These include:

Other Routes

If you're currently coaching a football team, you could apply to do a coaching course or licence.

These start at foundation level and UEFA C Licence, and go up to UEFA Pro Licence aimed at coaches working in professional football.

You can also do courses which cover different age groups, abilities and types of football, such as futsal.

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Career tips

Many paid coaching positions are part time, so the salary will reflect that. Salaries for coaches in English professional football are much higher than for those working in education, the community and for smaller football clubs.

Further information

You can find out more about a career in football coaching through England Football Learning and UK Coaching.

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