Finding the right athletics coach for you is important, ensuring they provide advice that fits your needs and lifestyle, and help to create a positive, sustainable relationship with the sport.

But how to go about it? Here’s our quick guide on finding the right coach for you.

Determine the help you need

Different coaches will be valuable for different people, so finding a coach who matches your needs will help get the most out of your athletics journey.

Some coaches may foster a group with a focus on making sessions as fun as possible. These coaches can be great when first finding your way into the sport, encouraging you to learn its disciplines and make you want to keep coming back.

If part of the reason you are taking up athletics is for the social interactions it creates, these coaches may be the best place to start.

Other coaches may have more of a focus on the performance side of athletics and be more appropriate for those who feel they already have an understanding of the sport and want further guidance on particular aspects of their event.

For those doing multiple disciplines, some may even choose to have more than one coach, with specialists guiding them for jumps, sprints and throws, though there are multi-discipline coaches that focus on all the events.

These performance-focused coaches can take many different forms, from experienced coaches to former athletes as well as those with a science-focused physiology background. Think of what sort of advice you would see as valuable and select your coach accordingly.

To gain a sense of the types of sessions run by coaches, take a look on social media as well as their club and/or coach websites. When you see a coach that offers the style of coaching that you want, reach out and ask if you can do a trial session.

Getting guidance on qualified coaches through Athletics Australia

Athletics Australia have a range of accreditations that are awarded to coaches in the country.

Each accredited coach holds a level of accreditation, which reflects the coaching education courses that they have attended and the coaching competencies that they have demonstrated to possess. 

Each level of accreditation focuses on a different level of athlete development.

Level 1 Youth Coaches specialise in working with athletes up to 12 years of age, developing athletes’ foundational movement skills.

Level 2 Development Coaches specialise in working with athletes 12 years and above, developing the technical model of their event group and preparing their athletes to compete in regional and state-level competitions.

Level 3 Performance Coaches specialise in working with athletes 15 years and above, developing mastery of the technical model of their event/s and using principles of sport science to facilitate optimal performance at National and International-level competitions.

Level 4 High Performance Coaches specialise in working with system supported athletes, managing a High Performance team and helping their athletes to achieve success at major international competitions.

Recreational Running Coaches specialise in coaching runners 18 years of age and older, helping them to participate in and perform to their best at events from 3km to marathons.

Coaches may hold multiple levels of accreditation, indicating that they have demonstrated the knowledge and competency to work with athletes at various levels of the sport.

Coaches may also hold Bronze, Silver, or Gold badges. These are awarded to coaches who have undertaken additional training and completed further Track and Field coaching education.

Matching personality to your outlook

Like people in everyday life, coaches will have different personalities. Some people like working with enthusiastic and loud coaches, valuing the support and clear instructions. Others prefer a softly-softly approach, with less-frequent but nonetheless valuable feedback.

Think about what you require in a coach. Speak to current group members already guided by your potential coach to gauge their personality and contemplate whether that would work for you.

Thinking beyond athletics, how does the coach fit into your life?

Ensuring you are both on the same page will create a more positive, long-lasting and sustainable relationship for athlete and coach.

Appraise yourself honestly and think about what sort of role you see athletics playing in your life. If family, work and other life commitments may affect your training, make sure you find a coach that understands that. Be honest and up front with that coach when it comes to how you see the relationship working.

A good indicator of this will be finding a coach who works with other athletes with a similar lifestyle to you, and a good way of finding this out will be heading down to the track and trying out a few sessions for yourself.

For tips on finding the right athletics club for you and getting into track running, check out the advice here.