How to start coaching | What is the UKCC | What to wear when you are a coach

How to start coaching

As you become a more experienced netball player you will meet more and more players or people interested in starting to play or improving their existing skills in netball. New players may want to learn how to play netball from you so a logical step might be to become a coach. It may not even mean that you have to be a very strong player yourself you just need an ability to teach others to play.

A netball coach can become one of the most rewarding positions within the sport. You can lift teams to the heady heights of national fame or help new players enter netball; you can pass your own enthusiasm for the sport to others and see people develop in fitness and confidence. You will also become highly valued and respected by those you teach.

It may well be that you take responsibility for your own team as coach. Many older players who wish to remain within the netball world take coaching positions so they can share their experience and technical knowledge.

In order to start coaching it is best that you read a coaching manual. See netballpost.com’s book page link. If you are interested in coaching for regional or international teams the UKCC help you take the necessary steps to reach your ultimate goal.

What is the UKCC?

The United Kingdom Coaching Certificate (UKCC) is a Government led strand of work that arose from the recommendations of the Coaching Task Force that reported in September 2002. 31 sports are involved in this UK wide initiative and are recognised in 3 phases. Netball is a phase two sport and has received funding from Sport England to develop the UKCC for Netball.
The UK Coaching Certificate is an endorsement of sports-specific coach education. It ensures that sports are delivering the best available, athlete centred coaching both in recreational, development and performance environments. It is a joint Netball development between England Netball, Welsh Netball and Netball Scotland. The UKCC will significantly change the shape and quality of coach education within and across Netball. In the future England Netball will be a formalised education provider of vocational qualifications that are appropriately developed, delivered, resourced, assessed and awarded. England Netball is the lead agency within Netball for the UKCC. The Netball Associations of Wales (Welsh Netball) and Scotland (Netball Scotland) are equal partners in the developments.In September 2004, Netball submitted successful Delivery Plans to each of the Home Country Sports Councils for funding to support the development of the Netball UKCC.

How will the UKCC benefit coaches?

  • Enhance coaching skills, linked to the player pathway;
  • Raise the profile of and professionalise sports coaching;
  • More flexible coach centred training programmes;
  • UK wide recognised qualifications;
  • Provides a benchmark for employers and deployers of coaches;
  • Core coaching skills are recognised and transferable between sports;
  • A UK wide endorsement of top quality, safe coaching

UKCC Levels

Level What the qualified coach will be able to do

  1. Assist more qualified coaches, delivering aspects of coaching sessions, normally under direct supervision
  2. Prepare for, deliver and review coaching session(s)
  3. Plan, implement, analyse and revise annual coaching programmes
  4. Design, implement and evaluate the process and outcome of long-term/specialist coaching programmes
Reference: England Netball 2007, http://www.englandnetball.co.uk/, 12th October 2007.