Understand mental health better with new coaching course
If you’re a coach or looking to get into a career in coaching, then mental health is something you’ll need to be aware of.
With one in four people in the UK experiencing a mental health problem each year, 1st4sport, Mind, Sport England and UK Coaching have collaborated to create a new online mental health coaching course to help sports coaches and physical activity providers increase their knowledge of mental health, and confidence when applying the learning into their coaching practice.
With funding from Sport England and the National Lottery and subject matter expertise from Mind, Mental Health Awareness for Sport and Physical Activity will not only equip everyone who delivers coaching in clubs, community sport and physical activity with the skills to support and engage people experiencing mental health problems, but also support more people with mental health problems to become and remain physically active.
Specifically, the new course will help learners to:
- Welcome and support people living with mental health problems in their sport and physical activity sessions
- Increase their knowledge of mental health problems
- Apply the learning in their coaching practice
- Make their club or organisation more inclusive
The launch of the mental health coaching course coincided with Coaching Week, the national campaign for coaching, which brings together clubs, coaches, community groups, education, businesses and the public to showcase and explore how coaches can play a greater role in building healthier, happier communities.
“We are proud to have worked collectively with Mind on this project to develop a learning programme that helps coaches support people if they’re experiencing mental health problems and need help,” Mark Gannon, CEO, UK Coaching
“With over 3 million coaches providing sport and physical activity to over 14 million adults and children every year, it is paramount that coaches have access to guidance and learning that equips them to guide, support and inspire their participants so that they might thrive.”
“We know that people with mental health problems face additional barriers to getting physically active, whether that’s self-consciousness, cost or symptoms like feeling tired or putting on weight,” says Hayley Jarvis, Mind’s Head of Physical Activity. “That’s why we’re pleased to have worked closely with Sport England, UK Coaching and 1st4sport to create this new eLearning course.
“We hope that convenient, accessible training for coaches will ultimately mean more people with mental health problems feel able to get active, as well as giving coaches more resources in their locker to look after their own mental health, as well as their peers.”
UK Coaching’s own research has demonstrated the positive association between coaching and mental health; mutually benefiting both the coach and the participant. And just recently, Minister for Sport Mims Davies set out her priorities for ‘increasing access to sport and improving health and well-being’ in her speech at the launch of UK Sport’s future funding strategy. She talked of the positive impact that sport and physical activity has on the nation’s health and well-being, as well as taking the pressure off our health and social care systems.
Everyone who delivers coaching in clubs, community sport and physical activity – such as coaches, activators, sports administrators, front of house staff and volunteers – will benefit from the course.
The online course costs £15 (excluding VAT) and is available for everyone to access through ukcoaching.org.
1st4sport recognised centres can access the online course for groups of learners via www.1st4sport.co.uk and can enjoy volume discounts.
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