Develop your approach to coaching with insights from contemporary research

This course from The Open University explores new and emerging approaches to sports coaching and aims to make you more curious and inquisitive about coaching.

Over four weeks, you’ll gain skills that will expand your understanding of a coach’s responsibilities in today’s sporting environment; responsibilities that go far beyond just a focus on winning.

Explore the role of a modern sports coach

Through the invaluable insight of a leading Open University sport and fitness expert, you’ll identify more about how coaches learn, the different ways they learn, and the role of the people who support their learning.

By examining different approaches to the way that skilled performance is developed, you will appreciate the role of a coach as a learning designer and a creator of environments that improve performance.

Gain essential knowledge to promote children and young people’s rights in sport

This course also focuses on the importance of children’s rights and why everybody working with children should ensure that every child is involved in decisions about them. You’ll discover how children’s rights influence coaching, and how coaches and all adults have a duty to respect, protect, and fulfil children’s rights in sport at all times.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to challenge your existing beliefs, have a fresh perspective on sports coaching, and an increased awareness of coaching practice.

What topics will you cover?

The role of the coach in modern sport
How coaches learn and develop
How coaches support and guide individuals to develop their sports performance
The role of the coach in supporting and promoting children’s rights

Prove you're job ready

Highlight the new, job-relevant skills you’ve gained and supplement existing qualifications with a hard-earned, industry-specific digital certificate – plus one for every course within your ExpertTrack.

Learn the latest in your chosen industry or subject.
Complete each course and pass assessments.
Receive certificates validated by the educating organisation.
Impress employers with learning outcomes you can add to your CV.
Make your career dreams a reality.

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Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

Evaluate the role of coaches in modern sport
Identify how you learn and develop as an adult or coach
Compare different approaches to designing effective coaching sessions
Investigate children's rights and how they should inform coaching

Who is the course for?

You will gain most benefit from the course if you are actively leading, coaching or supporting athletes, such as:

Professional and amateur athletes, coaches and support teams
Those with a curiosity for watching and understanding sports performances
Sports educators
Parents of children engaged in sports
Strength and conditioning coaches or fitness instructors

Who will you learn with?

Alex Twitchen

Dr Alex Twitchen is a Senior Lecturer at The Open University and has written module content on coaching and learning. He is a football coach and has an interest in coach eduction and development.

Who developed the course?

The Open University

As the UK’s largest university, The Open University (OU) supports thousands of students to achieve their goals and ambitions via supported distance learning, helping to fit learning around professional and personal life commitments.

Established
1969
Location
Milton Keynes, UK
World ranking
Top 510Source: Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2020

About this ExpertTrack

Explore key principles and current approaches in athlete training, mental preparation, and coaching to support sports performance.

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Start learning today - free 7-day trial

After your free trial you can:

Pay $39 per month to keep learning online
Have complete control over your subscription; you can cancel any time
Work at your own pace and set your own deadlines at every stage
Only pay while you’re learning; the subscription will cancel automatically when you finish
Complete online assessments to test your knowledge and prove your skills
Earn digital course certificates and a final award that you can share online, with potential employers, and your professional network
Keep access to the content of courses you complete even after your subscription ends

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Learning on FutureLearn

Your learning, your rules

Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

Join a global classroom

Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others

Map your progress

As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

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