08 Jun 2018
More than 9m Brits 'benefit from sports coaching'
BY Tom Walker
Around 9.3 million adults in the UK receive some form of sports coaching each year, according to new research by YouGov.
The study – conducted on behalf of UK Coaching – also revealed that a majority of people find coaching to be an "overwhelmingly positive experience", contributing to the improvement of their physical and mental wellbeing.
The findings were released as part of Coaching Week, which is taking place across the UK from 4 to 10 June.
The week's activities and projects are led by UK Coaching – the agency for coaching in the UK – which marked the event by unveiling its newPrinciples of Great Coaching guidance, designed to assist coaches at all levels.
Centred on the acronym 'PEOPLE', the principles aim to promote coaching which is:
Person-centred
Empowering
Organised
Positive
Learning
Engaging
UK Coaching has worked alongside a range of partners and national governing bodies of sport to deliver this year's Coaching Week – an annual platform to "empower athletes and coaches to celebrate great coaching".
Emma Atkins, director of Coaching at UK Coaching said: “Great coaching utilises sport and physical activity to meet our motivations, benefit and transform our lives.
“As the lead organisation for coaching excellence, it’s our vision to help create an active nation inspired by great coaching.
"Through the new Principles, the general public now have a guide to understand what that is and what effect it can have on them and society at large.
"It is vital that we showcase how over 3 million people, who are currently coaching in the UK, are out there to support others through the medium of sport and physical activity.
"This is especially important during a time where we are seeing a range of societal issues, such as rising obesity; rising levels of mental health issues; and a growing epidemic of loneliness with both our young and elderly populations.
The campaign has received the support of a number of leading agencies – including high-performance organisation UK Sport.
“It is about time that we have an awareness week for coaching in the UK," said UK Sport chair, Dame Katherine Grainger.
"The stories and success of our athletes are often well known but for millions of coaches, who work across the broad range of sport and activity from grassroots to high performance, their names, sacrifices and achievements usually go unnoticed.
“Coaching Week sets to redress this by providing a platform to allow athletes and coaches to celebrate the great work going on day in, day out, across the UK."
Tennis coach Judy Murray, mother of double Olympic and two-time Wimbledon champion Andy Murray added: “I’ve been coaching for almost 30 years so I’m extremely passionate about promoting coaching and am very happy to be celebrating Coaching Week along with the rest of the UK.
“I started as a volunteer at Dunblane Tennis Club when my kids were tiny and discovered that I loved teaching tennis just as much as I had enjoyed playing.
“Great coaching is about sharing an enthusiasm and understanding of sport with others and helping your pupils improve while having fun, regardless of their age and ability.”
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