Level 1 Youth Coach

🏃‍♀️ The Youth Coach accreditation program is the entry point for all coaches working with young (ages 3-12) or beginning athletes.
Please ensure that you are familiar with the course structure prior to registering.

Program Overview

The Level 1 Youth Coach accreditation is designed for coaches who want to work with athletes aged 3-12 years old, and want to be involved in the early stages of athlete development (Fundamentals I and Fundamentals II in Australian Athletics’ Training and Competition Guidelines for Children and Adolescents).

The primary objective of a Youth Coach is to utilise a games-based approach to develop fundamental movement skills (such as running, jumping, and throwing) and foster physical literacy in an encouraging environment.
This accreditation is most suitable for athletes transitioning to coaching, Assistant Coaches, Little Athletics Coaches, and Primary School Teachers.

Program Curriculum

Why You Coach: Defines your core values and coaching philosophy, helping you develop a clear vision for your goals as a coach.

How You Coach: Covers physical literacy, effective communication, instruction, observation, and feedback techniques for working with junior athletes.

Who You Coach: Explores the motivators and barriers for young athletes, group management strategies, tips for working effectively with parents, and using the STEPS principle to make athletics accessible to all.

What You Coach: Focuses on teaching the technical aspects of running, bounding, jumping, hopping, and throwing, along with delivering structured Kids’ Athletics programs, which you can run in any training environment.

How You Plan: Introduces principles for creating effective training sessions and strategies to progress training for junior athletes.

Teaching Hours

Facilitated Learning: 7 hours
Online Learning: 5 hours

Course Structure

Start by registering for the Level 1 Program here. Once registered, work through the two components of the accreditation.

Step 1

Online Modules

Complete the following online courses:

Complete the Community Coaching Essential Skills online course.

Complete the Level 1 Youth Coach online modules.
Complete the Child Protection and Safeguarding online course.

Step 2

Facilitated Learning Course

Attend a 1-day face-to-face course
OR
Five x 90 minute online sessions.

Course Information

Tap the tiles below for more detailed information about the Level 1 Youth Coach Program.

Module 1: How You Coach
- Understanding Physical Literacy and Applying it to Your Coaching
- The Five Pillars of Good Coaching: Relationships, Instruction, Demonstration, Observation, and Feedback.
- Effective Communication
- Safety
Module 2: Why You Coach
- Establishing Your Core Coaching Values and Group Behaviours
Module 3: Who You Coach
- The Youth Sporting Landscape
- Stages of Development
- Principles of Motivation of Young Athletes
- Organising Groups
- Managing Behaviour
- Inclusion Using the STEP Principles
Module 4: What You Coach
- Elements of a Training Session
- Creating a Warm Up Using the RAMP Protocol
- Conditioning Exercises for Young Athletes
- Teaching and Coaching Running, Jumping, and Throwing
- Coaching the Kids’ Athletics Program
Module 5: How You Plan
- Structure of a Training Session
- Understanding Notation and Terminology
- The 7 Steps of Building a Great Session
To earn your Level 1 Youth Coach badge, here’s what you need:
- Age: Must be 16 or older.
That's it! No special skills or prior knowledge needed! It's perfect for anyone who enjoys working with young athletes and wants to kick-start their coaching journey.
The cost of the Level 1 Youth Coach accreditation is determined by the State/Territory Athletics Association, so it may vary slightly depending on your location.
Generally, the course costs around $270, which includes both the practical course and online modules. Plus, if this is your first coaching accreditation, you’ll also get one year of complimentary coaching membership and insurance.
For more detailed pricing information, please contact your local Athletics State Association.
The first step is to register for a one-day, practical course (organised by your State / Territory Athletics Association).
To see a list of all upcoming coach accreditation courses, please refer to the Coach Education Calendar.
Note: once you have enrolled into the course, you will be given access to the online modules and assessment tasks via the Athletics Learning Centre.
The Level 1 Youth Coach course offers flexibility with both online and face-to-face options available.
- Practical course: Available either online or face-to-face
- Online modules: Available online only
- Assessment: Available online only
For the online practical course, you must participate in five 1-hour sessions, facilitated live. Attendance and active participation are required. These sessions will not be recorded.
The online modules and the assessment can be completed at your own pace.

Participant Feedback

Feedback from Level 1 Youth Coach Participants in 2024

“Our centre recently had several coaches complete the Level 1 course, and it’s had a great impact... The course provided a fresh perspective on how to coach young athletes, with a strong focus on their enjoyment and fundamental movement skills... [This has] helped transform our program into a more athlete-centered environment.”

“Since completing the course, we’ve noticed a real improvement in how our training sessions are run. Our coaches are more confident, better prepared, and able to create a positive atmosphere that encourages participation and enjoyment.”

Youth Coach Progression Pathway

Your Level 1 Youth Coach accreditation is just the start of your coach education journey. At the completion of the Level 1 Youth Coach accreditation, coaches can choose to specialise in coaching young athletes or progress to coaching older athletes at a higher level.