This Coaching page has been set up to provide information for coaches, helpers and anyone who's interested in coaching athletics. 

Contributions are welcome from anyone and we're interested in your views and comments on coaching at Southport Waterloo whether you're a coach yourself, a parent or an athlete. 

All our coaches are volunteers who give up their spare time to help Southport Waterloo athletes enjoy and improve their abilities in athletics and we are all interested in your comments on how we're doing and how we can improve our sessions.

We are always looking for new coaches. If you are interested or are aware of anyone else who might be interested in coaching, please contact the Coaching Secretary below and he will advise about courses etc.

All our active coaches are listed on the Contacts Page.

Coaching Secretary:

Merseyside Athletics Network - Support for coaches

Coaching licences

All UKA coaches are licensed following attendance at courses and undergoing assessment. UK Athletics has a coach education structure which is explained on the Coaching Qualifications and Pathway page of the UKA web site.

Athletics Leader is a basic introduction to the coaching process for those working with young children or athletes in the early stages of their development. There is a 1-day course

Coaching Assistant is the first level for those thinking of developing towards the Athletics Coach award.This equips the future coach with a wide range of skills and enables the coaching assistant to help out at training sessions under the supervision of a qualified coach. There is a 2-day weekend course

Athletics Coach is the fully equipped coach leading coaching sessions at clubs. To gain the award, there is a 2-day course, followed by a 3rd day followed by an assessment day, spread over a number of months.

Children's Coach is over 4 days including a final assessment day.

In addition, there are coaching awards for those leading road running groups.

Leadership in Running Fitness is the basic award and enables coaches to running groups. A 1-day course

The Coach in Running Fitness is a much more detailed coaching award, similar to the T&F based Athletics Coach but related to endurance running events. Like the Athletics Coach award, there is a 2-day initial training course, followed by a Day 3 and then followed by an Assessment Day. The cost recognises the more intensive training.

England Athletics publish current coaching courses in the North of England.

It is the policy of Southport Waterloo to meet the cost of training courses for coaches working with club members. The club won't pay if the applicant simply wants an award on their CV. For those already coaching club members, the club will pay the course cost up front. Otherwise the coach will be reimbursed after demonstrating a commitment to coaching within the club other several months.

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checking

For the protection of all our young athletes, Southport Waterloo's coaches need to be cleared through Criminal records. This is known as DBS checking. To get your DBS clearance, you need to 'follow the procedure set up by UKA / England Athletics for athletics volunteers.

You then need to take the completed form to one of Southport Waterloo's 'local verifiers' (Chris Henders) together with documentary evidence of identity.

Risk assessments

Risk assessments are designed to help ensure the health and safety of our athletes and to meet UK Athletics' standards. Although paperwork alone doesn't prevent incidents, it does demonstrate that we've considered the risks and provides a means of recording appropriate ways of minimising them. The need for SWAC coaches to carry out risk assessments is limited to training and other activities which are put on by the Club rather than something that a group of members chose to do amongst themselves. The attached example is for one of Ron Scott's training sessions which may help you prepare your own assessments. Most of the hazards and precautions will, I imagine, be common to other coaches' sessions.

Essentially this means coached training runs (e.g. on roads / beach etc.); training at Greenbank High School and Christ the King High School. There may be others - if you're in doubt please check with Chris Henders. There is no need for SWAC coaches to prepare risk assessments for training at Litherland Sports Park because exemplar assessments have been developed by UK Athletics that cover all relevant activities at certified tracks. However, it is essential that SWAC coaches refer to these documents and implement the precautions specified in them. The assessments are available on the H&S Section of the UKA web site.

There is no need to prepare assessments, e.g.for a seniors' Sunday morning pinewood run and similar runs which, although they involve primarily SWAC members, are considered to be events that individuals choose to do amongst themselves rather than organised coached events.

Risk assessments should be sent to the Coaching Secretary for approval.

Coaches information pack

Resources available to qualified Club coaches include an Information Pack. This provides all the basic information you need but contact the Coaching Secretary if you need anything else. All the documents in the Pack are listed in the downloads panel. There is also a new Members Leaflet, not available online but can be obtained from the Secretary, Chris Henders.