As a follow-up to my attempt at a typology of coaching, I took a look at how CIMSPA — the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity — define the “Coach Practitioner”.
Coach Practitioners improve a participant’s experience of sport and physical activity by providing specialised support and guidance aligned to their individual needs.
CIMSPA
And that definition of a coach as someone who provides “specialised support and guidance aligned to their individual needs” pretty much nails it, for me.
Not explicitly technical, or tactical, or physical, or psychological — just “specialised support and guidance”, which could be “any of the above”, or something else, entirely.
The full definition of a Coach Practitioner, taken from the Membership application page, further emphasises the coaching environment over tech/tac/phys/psych interventions.
Coach Practitioners improve a participant’s experience of sport and physical activity by providing specialised support and guidance aligned to their individual needs.
- You have an inspirational effect on individuals, groups and communities.
- You lead the planning, preparation, delivery, continuous evaluation and review of a series of sport and/or physical activity sessions.
- You ensure the culture and environment is designed to meet a participant’s welfare needs and allow them the opportunity to achieve their goals and meet their aspirations.
- Your activity’s central focus is the participant’s development as a person.
- You tailor and adapt to the participant’s needs whilst taking an inclusive approach.
- You work with participants, other coaches, colleagues, volunteers, parents, teachers, youth workers and health professionals, to ensure the experience is the very best it can be.
The Teesra 