Community Sports Coach Profile Research

This report contains profile information on 576 of the 1314 DCMS funded Community Sports Coaches at the end of March 2006.

Aims & Objectives

• To undertake a profiling exercise of Community Sports Coaches (CSCs) in terms of their demographic, coach education, continuous professional development (CPD), employment and athlete/participant characteristics
• To make recommendations about future profiling work

Methods

• Primary data collection through an on-line web survey
• Secondary data analysis

Key Findings

• The CSC scheme has gone some way to addressing existing equity imbalances in the coaching workforce. A higher proportion of CSCs are female (30%) and from a Black and Ethnic Minority (BEM) background (8%) compared to previous research on coaches in the UK. However, it is clear there is still a long way to go - especially with female coaches - to solve these issues
• The CSCs are well qualified (89% have a Governing Body endorsed qualification) and have a high level of commitment to CPD (85% had undertaken CPD in the last 12 months)
• Full-time CSCs are delivering an average of 22 hours coaching per week; part-time CSCs are delivery an average of 11 hours. It is estimated that CSCs deliver over 600,000 hours coaching per year
• CSCs work with an average of 57 athletes each; 87% of all CSCs were coaching children; including 52% coaching the under 12s.

Final Report
Appendix One - Profile Questionnaire