Sports coaches are the unsung heroes of the athletic world, playing a crucial role in the development of athletes at all levels.They are the architects of success, moulding raw talent into skilled competitors and shaping the future of the sports we love.

However, the significance of their role is often underestimated. Coaches do far more than teach techniques; they mentor, motivate, and instil discipline, resilience and teamwork in their athletes.

Becoming a coach requires immense dedication and often involves a signifi cant amount of volunteer time. Many coaches start at the grassroots level, working with young athletes in local leagues, schools and community clubs.

Often, it’s an unpaid, volunteer role, done for the love of the game and demanding a deep passion for the sport and a commitment to developing future stars. Coaching requires significant commitment but the rewards are enormous.

The numbers game

UK Coaching provides some revealing stats

An ethnicity survey from UK Coaching revealed that 19% of coaches in the UK come from ethnically diverse backgrounds


Sports clubs are crying out for coaches. In the UK, 70% of sports clubs report a need for more support


How much time do coaches devote? Every year volunteers dedicate more than 200 million hours to sports coaching


Although the dial is slowly shifting, the numbers show coaches are more likely to be male.


Paid coaches make up just 21% of coaches in the UK (this has stayed the same since 2019)


23% of active coaches have a disability or health condition compared with 17.7% of the UK population


More than nine million adults and seven million children received sports coaching in the UK last year.

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