Athlete to coach: case study series

British Athletics’ Athlete to Coach programme aims to provide athletes transitioning into coaching with the competencies required to gain a UKA accredited coaching licence.

The programme – which is open to athletes who have represented Great Britain and Northern Ireland or their Home Country as a senior – is run over five consecutive days and is made up of classroom and practical activity, plus an assessment. The process is outlined in detail on the UK Athletics website.

Athlete to Coach is not a short cut into coaching, but a bespoke programme designed to challenge the learner to shift their thinking from that of an elite athlete to one of a coach.

This short series focuses on a recent cohort of participant athletes. It asks what motivated them to apply, what they’ve learned from the process, and what advice they would share with others considering this route into coaching.

Athlete name: Adam Gemili

Qualification awarded: Athletics Coach

“I attended the Athlete to Coach course to learn a little bit more about coaching and the correct way to do it. I do some stuff helping out at my local athletics club, but to get the proper skills to really teach is what motivated me to attend, and I’m glad I did.

“There’s so much knowledge I’d like to share with athletes, but sometimes it’s actually better to let them find their own way there, to let the athlete self-correct, which is something I’d never have thought of before. Give them the cues, then go with that guided discovery side of things rather than correcting every little thing.

“If you’re thinking about doing it, then do it, you’ll learn so much and it will 100% improve what you’re doing and help your journey into coaching. A lot of athletes know the technical stuff, but it’s about the right ways to put it across to people who might not know it, and that’s one of the biggest learnings I took away.”