Course overview

The coach is responsible for instructing, training and directing the athlete or the team. Their aim is to develop the players' skills or to achieve a specific goal. But how does the coach know what methods to use? In this innovative degree you will explore the scientific approach to coaching. You will find out what areas of knowledge such as human movement, pedagogy, child development, physiology and psychology can contribute to making coaching methods more effective. Then you will go on to explore how these ideas can be best put into practice.

This degree has two main aims:

• To provide you with a sound understanding of the theory and application of the coaching and physical education process.
• To equip you with the practical, organisational, analytical, scientific and communication skills required for coaching and teaching sport.

This unique blend of the theory and the practice will turn you into a modern scientific coach who is able to coach all age groups and all types of learner.

Additional course information

In Year 1, core modules will develop your knowledge and understanding of the main theories and principles underpinning the coaching and physical education process. In Year 2 the focus is on the coaching and instructional skills. You will learn the practical tools of the trade and find out how sport in general is organised and run. In Year 3 you will apply your coaching and teaching skills by working with local teams and in schools. You also have to complete a piece of independent research. This will allow you to study an area of interest of your own choosing and conduct an in-depth analysis of the topic.

This course has been designed to allow you to develop the knowledge and teaching skills of the modern scientific coach and sports instructor. To achieve this you will study concepts related to: coaching styles and philosophies, child development, lesson planning, curriculum development, training programme design, talent identification, structures of sport, principles of fitness testing and athlete support, learning and acquiring skills, needs analysis, motivational climates, goal setting, notational game analysis and strength and conditioning. These will be supported by the key academic and coaching skills of communication, interpretation and application of information, time management, and data handling.

Module guide

Assessment

A wide range of assessments are used to test the skills learnt. This includes: presentations, practical examinations, scientific reports, data-handling exercises, computer assessments, end of module examinations and a research project. Reflective practice and self and peer assessment is also encouraged. You will also be given considerable opportunities to apply your coaching and instructional skills in real-world settings.

This will include running physical education classes at primary and secondary level in nearby schools and colleges. You will work with local teams and governing bodies of sport on coach development and club development strategies. You will also work with coaches and athletes from a wide range of team and individual sporting backgrounds to produce structured programmes for their training.

Additional assessment information

You will be given considerable opportunities to apply your coaching and instructing skills. You will: run physical education classes within both primary and secondary schools across the region; work with local teams and governing bodies of sport in relation to coach development and club development strategies; work with coaches and athletes from a wide range of team and individual sporting backgrounds; and write structured training programmes for the athlete.

Facilities

The course is supported by our in-house facilities such as the Human Energetics and Performance Centre and also through collaborative links with groups such as Core Cambridge (strength and conditioning laboratories) and local schools and colleges for hands-on coaching and teaching sessions. You will have access to a wide range of assessment tools including equipment for the analysis of team and individual performances (notational analysis), high-speed video cameras, heart-rate monitors, portable breath-by-breath oxygen analysis systems and portable equipment for field-based measurement of training loads, such as blood lactate monitors, mobile tracking devices (GPS) and accelerometers.

As a University we have sports facilities both on and off campus. This includes a fitness suite, dance studio, playing fields for soccer, rugby and hockey and a rowing club and boat house. The course is also supported by excellent computing and web facilities. The web resources are available through the University library and can be accessed from your own home computer. We have a large collection of sport and exercise science software packages available for you to use at anytime. Each piece of our equipment has its own dedicated software for the analysis of the data it produces. We also have software for performing video analysis of human movement, dietary analysis and the assessment of the metabolic cost of activity. We have an extensive, up-to-date library catalogue and subscribe to over 40 electronic and hard copy sports and exercise science journals and reviews.

Special features

Anglia Ruskin University offers scholarships and bursaries to promising athletes of up to £1000 per year.

Links with industry and professional recognition

You will be encouraged to become a student member of Sports Coach UK and students who wish to follow a career in Performance Analysis will be given the opportunity to become accredited by the International Society of Performance Analysis of Sport

Other notable organisations and bodies with whom we have links include: Living Sport, the British Paralympic Association, British Cycling, the European Judo Union, the American College of Sports Medicine, International Association of Judo researchers, and the England and Wales Cricket Board. We also have strong research and collaborative links with local school sports co-ordinators, regional and city-based sports development officers, various rugby, soccer, hockey, netball and basketball teams and several academies in the region.

Associated careers

Coaching is the career choice after this degree especially now that the government intends to make coaching a paid profession in all sport by 2012. Other careers include: physical education teacher, primary school teacher, sports development officer, strength and conditioning coach, performance analyst, military officer or physical training instructor, Schools Sports Co-ordinator (SSCo), Further Education Sports Co-ordinator (FESCo) or lecturer in higher education. It is also possible to continue in education by taking a higher degree and doing research.

UCAS Tariff points:	200
Additional Requirements:	Required subject(s): GCE A-level Science, Psychology, Physical Education or Sports Studies. Excluded subject(s): VCE A-level General Studies GCSE(s) Required: 3 GCSEs at grade C including English, Maths and Science

Entry requirements listed are for September 2013 entry. Entry requirements for other intakes may differ.