The Appetite for Online Coach

Education: Now and the Future

January 2013

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Executive Summary

This report details the key findings from a survey of around 500 coaches who were

asked about their usage and preferences for online resources to help develop their

coaching knowledge and practises. The research was carried out to provide sports coach

UK and its partners with market intelligence to assist with future decisions on the format

of educational and developmental resources.

The following are the key points highlighted by the research:

Coaches are using (and continue to be likely to use) online resources to help

them develop their skills and knowledge; they are doing so on a weekly basis

from home and they feel very confident in doing so.

Differences by age and employment status are evident in some instances

however on the whole there appears to be little variation within the coaching

population of question in terms of demographics and personal characteristics.

Coaches state the most useful resources include digital sources (CD-ROMs, videos

etc.), generic sport / coaching websites, NGB websites and sports coach UK

website.

The most useful experiences of using online resources are those that allow the

sharing of ideas and networking within and across sports and being able to watch

video footage / You Tube clips to learn and gain ideas.

Overall however when given the choice of face to face networking and learning

versus online versions, the majority state they would be more likely to use the

face to face methods unless it is for the purposes of taking a test.

The conclusion that can be drawn from these findings is that on the whole coaches like

the availability of online resources to aid them in their development. Coaches perceive

online resources to offer them greater flexibility to learn in their own time and to access

information that would otherwise be hard to find. However, online resources can only go

so far in developing their skills and knowledge. There comes a point where the

impersonal nature of online resources clashes with the interactive and practical nature of

coaching and therefore limits what the coach can learn. Furthermore challenges can

occur when the reliability of a source is questioned and technical difficulties associated

with accessing the internet are encountered. Consequently we can be confident in the

knowledge that there is an appetite for online resources to aid coach development

however these should be viewed as complimentary to face to face traditional learning

methods that a coach can use as and when they meet their needs.

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1. Background

Throughout the past couple of decades the world has seen significant advances in

information technologies which has promised, and in many respects bought about,

equally significant changes in the culture and environment of education and learning. For

example in 2006 The Department for Employment and Learning published an E-Learning

Strategy for the Further Education Sector, which set out the department’s proposals to

further embed e-learning within the further education sector. Needless to say it is

acknowledged by many that the possibilities created by internet applications, PC and

MAC software and Institutional based intranet systems can potentially transform the way

in which individuals learn.

Within the coaching industry a number of organisations have established learning

resources and packages developed around access to computers and the internet that

support coach education and development. However, despite the considerable interest

shown in the application of information technologies to coaching there is little

documented or substantive literature that captures the essential parameters of learning

through the assistance of information technology.

sports coach UK was therefore keen to gain a greater understanding of how online

resources in coach education are currently being used by coaches. Namely this was

to establish the current appetite for the use of online resources within coach

education and to identify any differences across sub groups for example age,

longevity of service / experience, level of coach etc. In doing so it is hoped that

Governing Bodies and sports coach UK alike will be more strategically placed to

design and deliver educational learning resources that are better suited to the

individual coach.

2. Research Aims

The aims of the research were as follows;

a) To profile coaches in terms of age, gender, educational background, voluntary or

paid who make significant use of online resources.

b) To understand how coaches make use of online resources to assist and develop

their practice and knowledge.

c) To identify the most popular online resources / sources.

d) To understand how online resources can facilitate the exchange of knowledge

between coaches and across sports.

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3. Methodology

In order to identify any demographic differences in the use of online educational

resources amongst the coaching population it was important to obtain as large, and as

broad, a sample as possible. It was decided that an online survey would be the most

efficient way of gathering data from a large sample of coaches, especially given the

large database of coaches held by sports coach UK – one which few, if any other,

organisations would be able to match.

An email explaining the research and inviting recipients to complete the survey was

sent to sports coach UK’s Members (network, standard and full members) who had

opted in to receive email communications. At the time that the research was carried

out (August 2012) there were around 24,000 network members, 140 standard and 240

full members who had opted into receive a monthly e-newsletter and other related

communications. In addition, the survey was advertised on sports coach UK’s website

homepage and twitter account.

To encourage a good response rate those who completed the survey were offered entry

into a prize draw to win one of five £50 shopping vouchers to be spent at a range of

high street shops. sports coach UK relationship managers were also enlisted to

promote the survey amongst their key contacts within County Sports Partnerships

(CSPs) and National Governing Bodies (NGBs) of sport. The CSPs and NGBs who

agreed to assist in the promotion of the survey amongst their coaches were offered a

summary report of results relating to their coaches.

Due to the uncertainty of the response rate the survey would achieve it was not

possible to impose quotas on the sample – in other words to screen respondents based

upon their demographics and characteristics, however demographic information was

collected from all respondents to facilitate the analysis.

It should be noted that it was planned for paper questionnaires to be administered had

the online survey suffered a poor response rate. In the eventuality this alternative

method was not necessary.

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4. Results

Please note, where differences exist between subgroups of coaches based upon

demographics and personal characteristics these are highlighted within the relevant

sections.

4.1 Demographics and Coach Characteristics

Below is a summary of the main demographics and coach characteristics of interest.

The full details can be found in the appendix.

Demographics

In total 491 coaches responded to the survey, 21% of which were women and

77% men (2% preferred not to say).

The average age of the coaches was 41 years, ranging from 17 to 80 years.

Nearly two thirds (60%) of coaches fell into the 35-54 age bands, with

marginally more in the 45-54 group (33% versus 27%) (See Figure 1 in

Appendix A).

This is a fairly similar picture to that reported in sports coach UK’s Coach

Tracking Study (2012), with both studies reporting the largest proportion of

coaches in the 45-54 age group. However the Coach Tracking Study reported

twice as many coaches in the 55+ age band than the present study (28% vs

14%) (See Figure 2 in the appendix).

Main sports coached

The coaches in the survey were from a range of over 35 different sports (See

Figure 3 in the appendix).

Qualifications

88% of the coaches reported having an up to date governing body recognised

qualification. Further to that, 38% reported having at least two, 11% reported

having at least three, 5% had at least four and 2% had at least five. (See

Figure 5 in the appendix for the proportion of awards held at each level).

When asked about any other coach related training 91% had undertaken at

least one, 81% at least two, 68% at least three, 49% at least four and 26% at

least five.

Coaching Practices

62% of the coaches reported to typically coaching as a volunteer, 27% reported

to be paid part-time and 10% to be paid full-time for their coaching.

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These figures fall somewhere between the national averages and those reported

in the Coach Tracking Study (2012). Consequently we can conclude that the

coaches in this survey are slightly more likely to be paid (whether part-time or

full-time) for their coaching than the national average.

Those aged 35-44 are the most likely to be volunteers (74%), followed by those

aged 45-54 (67%). Conversely those aged 17-24 and 25-34 are the most likely

to be paid full time (14% and 19% respectively) (See Figure 6 in the appendix

for more detail). When asked on average how often they have coached in the

past year, three fifths (60%) said at least once a week, one fifth (18%) said

almost every working day and a tenth (8%) said every working day.

4.2 Internet Usage

Coaches were asked how frequently they use the internet for work / studies, social and

personal, and coaching purposes. The results are shown in figure 7.

Figure 7. Frequency of internet usage by purpose

Unsurprisingly the vast majority reported accessing the internet on a daily basis for

social and personal reasons (88%) and for work / studies (83%). Only 30%

reported that they access the internet on a daily basis for coaching purposes. The

largest proportion reported that they access the internet for coaching on a weekly

basis (43%). This is perhaps unsurprising knowing that 62% are volunteers and

27% are only paid part-time.

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

Work / Studies Social & personal Coaching

Daily

Weekly

Monthly

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Figure 8 shows the breakdown of internet usage for coaching purposes by age. The

youngest group of coaches (17-24 years) are the group most likely to use the intent

on a daily basis, and those aged between 25-54 are the groups most likely to use

the internet on a weekly basis. Those aged 55+ seem to be equally split between

weekly and daily usage.

Figure 8. Internet usage (for coaching) by age

Similarly when we breakdown internet usage for coaching purposes by coach

employment status we see a not altogether surprising result. Those who coach

primarily in an unpaid or part-time paid environment are most likely to access the

internet on a weekly basis (46%) whereas those who coach in a full-time paid

environment are marginally more likely to access the internet on a daily basis. The

interesting pattern that can be seen in this data is the gradual increase in those

who access the internet on a daily basis for coaching purposes from unpaid, to part-

time paid to full-time paid as exemplified by the arrow in figure 8 overleaf.

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

17-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55+

4431 26 31

39

3246

46

51 40

Daily Weekly Monthly Less than monthly Never

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Figure 9. Internet usage (for coaching) by employment status

When asked where they most commonly access the internet from, the majority of

coaches said ‘home’ (55%).

Figure 10. Internet access locations

Looking at internet access locations by age group the results remain unchanged.

However when looking at the second most common location we see a slight variation.

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Unpaid Paid part-time Paid full-time

2835

44

4946

42

Daily Weekly Monthly Less than monthly Never

55%34%

10% 1%

Home

Work

Smart phone

Public area

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For those coaches aged 17-24 years the second most common location for accessing the

internet is via their smart phones, whereas for coaches of all other ages (25+) the

second most common location is at their place of work. This may partly be influenced by

fewer 17-24 year olds being employed and therefore having a place of work to access

the internet from, but it is also possible that this reflects a higher degree of smart phone

usage and confidence in using smart phones amongst this younger age group of

coaches. Without further research however, this is purely speculative.

In terms of how confident coaches feel using the internet three quarters described

themselves as very confident. It is worth noting that the sample of coaches involved in

this research were approached via email and online mediums, therefore it is reasonable

to assume they already possessed a degree of computer and internet literacy. Similarly

those less confident using the internet may have shied away from completing the survey

altogether.

Figure 11. Level of confidence using the internet

Breaking confidence down by age reveals that those coaches aged 17-24 are the most

confident of all coaches when using the internet. Equally there is slight dip in confidence

from 45 years onwards, but overall there is very little difference across age groups as

can be seen in figure 12 overleaf.

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

1 - Not at all confident

2 3 4 5 - Very confident

0 05

19

75

9

Figure 12. Level of confidence using the internet by age

One quarter of coaches report that they use an iPad or equivalent tablet to help with

their coaching practice and delivery. Perhaps unsurprisingly the proportion of those who

use an iPad or equivalent tablet is higher amongst those who coach full time (37%)

compared to those who coach voluntarily or are paid part-time (22% and 26%

respectively).

0

20

40

60

80

100

17-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55+

11

2113

21

30

8976

8274

61

1 - Not at all confident 2 3 4 5 - Very confident

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4.3 Online resources to assist coach development

Coaches were asked about the frequency they access a variety of online sources to assist

with their development and practices as a coach. Figure 13 overleaf shows the

percentage of coaches who access a range of sources daily, weekly, monthly or less than

monthly.

Figure 13. Percentage of coaches accessing sources

Source % accessing it

National Governing Body Websites 96

sports coach UK website 82

Other sport / coaching websites 81

Online courses 66

Webinars 37

Online forums 60

Digital resources e.g. CD Roms, video / audio footage 81

Social networking sites (Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin) 70

Other 37

Breaking this down by the frequency with which coaches accessed each source we are

able to identify which sources are most likely to be accessed daily, weekly, monthly, less

than monthly and never. For example the source most likely to be accessed daily was

social networking sites, the source most likely to be accessed weekly was other sport /

coaching websites and so on (see figure 14 below).

Figure 14. Sources most frequently accessed daily, weekly, monthly...

Daily Social networking sites (32%)

Weekly Other sport / coaching websites (36%)

Monthly NGB websites (31%), sports coach UK website (30%)

> Monthly Online courses (43%)

Never Webinars (60%), Online forums (40%)

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The coaches who said they visit ‘other sport / coaching websites’ (81%) were then asked

to detail what these are. The following is a list of the most commonly mentioned

sources;

Specific club / team websites

County Sports Partnership websites

BBC Sport website

Various overseas websites / foreign Governing Body websites

Athlete or coach blogs / personal websites (e.g. Brian Mac Sports Coach, Brian

Mac Better Rugby Coaching)

Google / search engines

You Tube

Similarly the coaches who selected the general ‘other’ option (37%) were asked to detail

what these are. The following were the most commonly mentioned;

Books

Magazines / periodicals

Other coaches

UK Sport / Sport England websites

When we look at the percentage of coaches accessing the sources by coach employment

status, overall we see little variation across employment groups as can be seen in figure

15 below. However where there are notable differences these figures are highlighted in

bold.

Figure 15. Percentage of coaches accessing resource

Online resource % Volunteers % Paid part-

time

% Paid full-

time

NGB websites 95 97 98

sports coach UK website 76 93 90

Other sport / coaching

Website

78 87 86

Online courses 62 73 73

Webinars 36 39 39

Online forums 61 60 57

Digital resources 94 90 88

Social networking sites 66 77 76

Other 35 40 46

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The main conclusions of interest that can be drawn from this are that coaches who are

paid part-time or full-time are more likely than volunteer coaches to access sports coach

UKs website, other sport / coaching websites, online courses and social networking sites

to help with their development as a coach.

The usefulness of each source was then investigated. Figure 16 lists the sources in order

of usefulness to some extent (fairly and very useful).

Figure 16. Usefulness of online resources

Source % useful to some extent % very useful

Digital resources 93 44

Other sport / coaching

website

93 39

NGB websites 92 36

sports coach UK website 88 32

Online courses 83 22

Social networking sites 76 26

Online forums 75 20

Webinars 66 10

Other 53 23

4.4 Experiences of using online resources

Following on from this, coaches were asked to describe their most useful experience of

using online / computer based resources to help them develop their coaching knowledge

and practice. Of the 91% of respondents who provided an answer the following common

themes emerged;

Sharing ideas and networking with other coaches, including those working in

the elite environment (20% of comments)

Watching videos / You Tube clips for practical examples (19% of comments)

Accessing ideas for drills and / or session plans (16% of comments)

Being able to access resources as and when they are needed in addition to the

flexibility to access resources regardless of location and time of day (11% of

comments)

Being able to complete courses online rather than going to a specific venue at a

set time (7% of comments)

Finding research papers, publications and articles on relevant topics (6% of

comments)

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Being able to access information from international sports and coaches (3% of

comments)

4.5 Preferences and likelihood to use

When presented with a range of formal and informal learning methods the majority of

coaches opted for the face to face format rather than the online version in all but one

instance.

Coaches stated they would be more likely to use; face to face workshops rather than

online webinars (95% versus 62%), face to face networking rather than online networks

(88% versus 63%) and face to face communities of practice rather than online forums

(86% over 73%). However when it comes to tests more coaches stated they would be

likely to do an online test than a written test (85% versus 69%).

Looking at preferences for formal and informal online methods of learning across coach

employment status’ reveals little differences, however when looking at the results by age

group more difference can be seen.

When asked about the likelihood of using online tests and online networks the

percentage of those who said they would be very likely to do so gradually decreased as

age increased as shown in figures 17 and 18.

Figure 17. Percentage of coaches very likely to use online networks by age

Age group % very likely to use

17-24 63

25-34 44

35-44 34

45-54 27

55+ 25

Figure 18. Percentage of coaches very likely to use online tests by age

Age group % very likely to use

17-24 57

25-34 48

35-44 43

45-54 41

55+ 33

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Logically it might then be assumed that the likelihood to use face to face networks would

increase with age. However no real pattern to this effect emerged as can be seen in

figure 19.

Figure 19. Percentage of coaches very likely to use face to face networks by

age

Age group % very likely to use

17-24 37

25-34 54

35-44 43

45-54 46

55+ 57

Similarly, contrary to what might be assumed, the largest proportion of coaches who

said they would be very likely to use online forums were those aged 45+.

Figure 20. Percentage of coaches very likely to use online forums by age

Age group % very likely to use

17-24 37

25-34 49

35-44 37

45-54 51

55+ 51

Despite the overwhelming preference for face to face learning practices, the ease of

accessing resources online to help with coach development was considered to be easy to

some extent by three quarters of coaches (53% fairly easy; 20% very easy). Again,

contrary to what one might predict the perception of how easy it is to access resources

online did not vary considerably by age. Neither did it vary considerably by coach

employment status.

Furthermore when asked how likely it is that they will use online and computer based

resources to help develop their coaching knowledge and practices, 94% said they would

be likely to (61% very likely; 33% fairly likely). When analysing the responses by age

the percentage of those saying they would be likely (very and fairly) to use online

resources remains fairly constant, with only a very slight decrease with age (see figure

21).

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Figure 21. Percentage likely to use online resources by age

Age % likely (very and fairly) to use online resources

17-24 98

25-34 99

35-44 95

45-54 95

55+ 89

In terms of coach employment status the likelihood to use online resources also appears

to be fairly constant.

Employment status % likely (very and fairly) to use online resources

Volunteer 95

Paid part-time 94

Paid full-time 93

4.6 Areas to develop, advantages and disadvantages

When asked whether there are any other areas of coach education and development

they would like to see being made accessible online, 55% of coaches provided a

response. The comments generally fell into one of the following eight themes;

More courses available to complete online, including more course content /

materials available to access online and the ability to revalidate qualifications

online (22% of comments)

No further changes required. Everything I need is accessible online (20% of

comments)

Cross sport forums / facilities to share ideas with other coaches (13% of

comments)

More topic specific features and information, e.g. nutrition, strength and

conditioning, psychology etc. (12% of comments)

More online video examples and demonstrations of coaching skills and techniques

(7% of comments)

More webinars and streaming of conferences (3% of comments)

The ability to take part in online mentoring (3% of comments)

One central location / library for coaching resources, publications and research

papers (3% of comments)

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Coaches were asked what they considered to be the key advantages of using online

resources to develop their coaching knowledge and practices. Of the 84% of respondents

who provided an answer the following common themes emerged;

Ease of accessibility. In particular this referred to the flexibility to access

information in their own time, wherever they might be; being able to download or

print off information; being able to revisit information; the lack of / minimal cost

of accessing information (79% of comments)

Accessing expert opinions and sharing ideas (15% of comments)

The availability of a wide range of information all in one place (10% of

comments)

The information available is likely to be up to date and current (9% of comments)

Being able to access visual resources for individual learning and to share with

athletes (5% of comments)

Equally coaches were asked what they considered to be the key disadvantages of

using online resources to develop their coaching knowledge and practices. Of the

78% of respondents who provided an answer the following themes emerged;

The impersonal nature of the internet; Not being able to clarify points, ask

questions or get feedback easily; The lack of contact reduces the ability to

share ideas, have discussions and network (43% of comments)

The reliability and quality of the information on the internet is not always

known (13% of comments)

It requires access to the internet. There are sometimes issues with

accessibility and connectivity speeds. It is not always practical to take an iPad

/ laptop into a training session (13% of comments)

It is sometimes difficult to find exactly what you need as there is so much

information on the internet (13% of comments)

The information on the internet is not always specific enough or relevant to

individual needs. It is questionable at times how relevant the information is to

the real world (9% of comments)

Online resources often lack any form of practical examples. Many coaches

believe they cannot learn merely by reading, they need practical examples

and demonstrations (9% of comments)

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When given the opportunity to provide any further comments 19% of respondents did

so. The comments provided largely fell into one of the four main themes listed below;

Online education is a positive facility that needs to be developed further, including

the introduction of more online courses, webinars and information sharing

portals, especially those linking to the ‘top’, elite coaches (40% of comments)

Online education and development is a useful tool but should be used in

conjunction with face to face, practical learning and is more relevant for CPD than

formal qualifications (13% of comments)

Online education needs to become more consistent across the sports (4% of

comments)

Face to face interaction and learning is preferable to online education (3% of

comments)

5. Summary

This research tells us that coaches are using (and continue to be likely to use) online

resources to help them develop their skills and knowledge; that they are doing so on a

weekly basis from home and that they feel very confident in doing so.

On the whole there appears to be little variation within the coaching population of

question in terms of demographics and personal characteristics. For example a coaches’

likelihood to use online recourses and their confidence in using them seems to differ little

across age groups. However we do see a trend where older coaches are less likely to use

online tests and online networks than their younger counterparts.

The most useful resources include digital sources (CD-ROMs, videos etc.), generic sport /

coaching websites, NGB websites and sports coach UK website. To that end the most

useful experiences of using online resources are those that allow the sharing of ideas

and networking within and across sports and being able to watch video footage / You

Tube clips to learn and gain ideas. Overall however when given the choice of face to face

networking and learning versus online versions, the majority state they would be more

likely to use the face to face methods unless it is for the purposes of taking a test.

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Therefore the conclusion that can be drawn from these findings is that on the whole

coaches like the availability of online resources to aid them in their development. As

stated in the advantages of using online resources, coaches perceive online resources to

offer them greater flexibility to learn in their own time and to access information that

would otherwise be hard to find. However, online resources can only go so far in

developing their skills and knowledge. There comes a point where the impersonal nature

of online resources clashes with the interactive and practical nature of coaching and

therefore limits what the coach can learn. Furthermore challenges can occur when the

reliability of a source is questioned and technical difficulties associated with accessing

the internet are encountered.

Consequently we can be confident in the knowledge that there is an appetite for online

resources to aid coach development. However these should be viewed as complimentary

to face to face traditional learning methods – just because a coach may be very likely to

use online resources this does not necessarily mean that they would be unwilling or

unlikely to also use face to face methods of learning. The two are not mutually exclusive

and a balance of the two seems to be a key factor. Whilst online resources may help

overcome some of the barriers such as travel time and costs associated with face to face

courses and events, the impersonal nature of online learning does not suit everyone all

of the time.

6. Conclusions and Questions Raised

The results of this research provide an insight into the current usage, appetite and

regard for online coach educational resources amongst a sample of coaches known to

sports coach UK. This latter point is important to note, as the very nature of being

known to sports coach UK and having an email address means that the coaches who

took part in the research were already computer and internet literate to some degree.

Similarly it should be remembered that this research does not provide all the answers

and, as is often the case with research, may generate more questions and highlight

further areas for research. In particular we believe the following are questions and

considerations that those responsible for coach education may wish to take heed of:

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The results of the research confirm that current online learning cannot completely

replace face to face learning. It would appear that although the initial rush to get

into digital for digital’s sake is over, the industry is still in its infancy. Anecdotally

sports coach UK have identified that learning providers are still learning and

testing as they go, with no single recipe for success emerging. Subsequently

there are very few examples of engaging e-learning to be found. Those who are

keen to develop online educational resources for coaches should consider how

they can make them a truly engaging and interactive experience for the coach.

The findings of this research are further supported by previous observations by

sports coach UK which highlight that although online education for coaches

cannot completely replace face to face learning, there are certain areas where it

appears to be particularly well suited and desired. These include;

o Pre-learning in advance of a face to face course

o Post-learning following a face to face course to consolidate knowledge

o Requirements for obtaining a license to coach

o Part of a subscription bundle where members are offered access to a

range of resources

o An alternative to those who cannot afford the time and costs of travelling

to a face to face course

Coach education providers wishing to develop online platforms may wish to

consider the above points when designing the content and format of materials

and when planning other work areas.

Wireless technology appears to be a fast growing area for coaches – the first

iPads were available to buy only two years ago in 2010, however already one

quarter of coaches report to using one (or equivalent). Similarly we know that

smart phones are the second most common tool for young coaches to access the

internet. This information fits with the knowledge that for 87% of coaches

learning on the job is their most popular source of learning (Coach Tracking

Study, 2012). Wireless technologies, such as iPads (or equivalent) and smart

phones allow the coach to use them on the job, in situ as it were, pitch side, pool

side, track side etcetera.

Furthermore the industry is already starting to see new performance analysis

products emerging that allow the coach to record, categorise and analysis their

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own behaviour. Organisations responsible for coach education may wish to

consider how compatible their websites and learning materials are for these new

wireless technologies. Furthermore with the expanding use of Apps for smart

phones and iPads learning providers may wish to consider whether resources can

be adapted to embrace this market.

Some of the disadvantages associated with using online resources that were

mentioned included concerns over the reliability and relevance of the information

that can be found online. This is not an uncommon issue or one that is unique to

coaching. With the presence of websites such as Wikipedia which are well known

for their ‘open’ and ‘un-policed’ nature where anyone can edit the information

regardless of its accuracy, and the relative ease at which anyone can create a

website and publish ‘information’, individuals are well advised to only seek out

trusted and accredited sources.

To that end, we ask whether there is the market for an accreditation of quality

resources to be developed. Trusted websites or organisations could be awarded

with an accreditation to assure coaches of the quality of the information

presented. Alternatively one central system could be created that identifies

suitable sources for coaches and provides sport specific content. Whatever the

solution organisations responsible for coach education should be considering how

they ensure the information provided to coaches is reliable and of a high quality.

Assessment was the only element of coach education where more coaches stated

they would be likely to use online tools; 85% of coaches said they would be likely

to do an online test compared to 69% who said they would be likely to do a

written test. Organisations responsible for coach education may wish to consider

firstly whether this is an assessment format they are comfortable using, and

whether there are any OFQUAL regulations restricting the usage of online tests,

and secondly whether their systems would support this format.

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Appendix

Figure 1. Age profiling of coaches

Figure 2. Age profiles by study

Age Coach Tracking Study Online Coach Education Study

15-24 4% 7%

25-34 14% 18%

35-44 17% 27%

45-54 38% 33%

55+ 28% 14%

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

17-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-80

22

Figure 3. Most commonly coached sports

Sport No. of Coaches % of coaches

Rugby Football Union 209 43

Football 66 13

Other 57 12

Athletics 48 10

Cricket 48 10

Canoeing 32 7

Swimming 26 5

Hockey 24 5

Basketball 17 3

Cycling 16 3

Badminton 15 3

Netball 15 3

Gymnastics 14 3

Archery 12 2

Judo 11 2

Rowing 11 2

Tennis 11 2

Triathlon 11 2

Squash 10 2

Volleyball 8 2

Table tennis 7 1

Weightlifting 7 1

Fencing 6 1

Golf 6 1

Handball 6 1

Boccia 5 1

Snowsports 5 1

Boxing 4 1

Equestrian 4 1

RFL 3 1

Taekwondo 3 1

Lacrosse 2 0

Bowls 1 0

Goalball 1 0

Wheelchair basketball 1 0

Wheelchair rugby 1 0

Wrestling 1 0

N.B. The percentage column totals more than 100 because respondents could tick more than one sport.

23

It is worth bearing in mind that to help obtain a substantial sample size some NGBs

were asked to send the survey link out to their coaches, the RFU of which were one.

Therefore this is likely to explain the large proportion of RFU coaches who completed

the survey.

Figure 5. Proportion of NGB awards by Level

Figure 6. Employment status by age of coach

Age Paid full-time Paid part-time Unpaid

17-24 14 29 57

25-34 19 40 42

35-44 7 19 74

45-54 8 25 67

55+ 9 33 58

46%

28%

20%

4% 2%

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Level 4

Level 5