Coaching
A highly rewarding activity
Athletics coaching is at the heart of our sport. It ensures that clubs provide junior and senior athletes with appropriate guidance on how to train and compete safely and effectively. Coaches give their pupils the best chance to improve, be it learning a new skill, beating a personal best or winning a competition. They love their sport and thrive on helping people meet their goals.
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You can begin your coaching career as an unqualified helper at a club. However, we would urge you to get on the coaching pathway and gain qualifications to better support athletes. England Athletics runs many courses which allow you to become an effective and qualified coach. Dorset Athletics and your local club can help you on this coaching journey. Check out the information below.
The coaching pathway
There are two main paths in athletics coaching: off track and track & field.
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Off track coaches are qualified to lead running groups on the road and cross country. If you regularly run with a club around your local area and want to coach a group then you will need to take a course to become qualified as a Leader in Running Fitness (LiRF) and then a Coach in Running Fitness (CiRF).
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The track & field pathway allows you to work with junior and senior athletes in the T&F environment. The first level of qualification is Coaching Assistant which allows you to teach the basics of running, jumping and throwing. The next level is Athletics Coach which additionally teaches physical preparation and core technical knowledge across seven events. An Athletics Coach will specialise in throws, jumps, sprints/hurdles or endurance. Eventually an Athletics Coach can qualify as an Event Group Coach specialising in one of those four areas.
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Click on these buttons to find out more about these qualifications: