We recently spoke with over 600 coaches about their role, motivations, and how coaching has changed in 2020. As we get closer to a new year, we wanted to reflect together on what we’ve learned. The coaches we interviewed had an average tenure of six years as a coach, with 46% identifying as experienced. Click through the SlideShare or scroll through the stats below to hear what we learned.
92% of coaches say they were previously athletes in the sport(s) they now coach.
23% say a reason they coach is because it allows them to continue to be a part of a sport they love.
8 in 10 coaches agree that playing sports is critical to a child’s overall development.
86% believe that sports provide excellent opportunities for socialization and social growth.
80% say that sports allow children to put important traits, like being part of a team, into practice.
2/3 of coaches stated their positions were paid while 1/3 are volunteer.
With 79% of paid coaches saying that coaching was their full-time or primary job.
48% of coaches knew they wanted to coach and actively sought out opportunities to do so.
43% of coaches believe that they can be a positive role model for kids with 39% believing they can have a lasting impact.
34% say that they were inspired by their own coaches when they were young and 25% believe that coaching provides them the opportunity to mentor kids/ athletes.
31% took up coaching in order to be more involved with their community.
82% of coaches interviewed have children.
79% say that their child/children are on the team(s) they coach.
35% state that a reason why they coach is because they get to spend time with their own kid(s).
85% of coaches believed that their impact as a coach was bigger than just teaching athletics skills.
93% of coaches felt that improving upon their athlete’s skills over time was important.
85% believed that training exceptional athletes was important.
84% said that winning games and competitions was important.
88% of coaches felt identifying more talent and introducing them to new opportunities was an important part of their role.
88% also said that educating both parents and athletes about long-term participation in the sport was an important facet of their overall roles.
92% of coaches cited teaching teamwork as important.
91% felt that instilling confidence in their athletes was important.
9 in 10 said that helping their athletes achieve their personal goals was important.
89% of coaches said that keeping their kids safe was important.
42% cited managing team practice schedules (42%) and games (32%).
37% said they spent time training/supporting fellow coaches (assistant coaches, etc) while 36% focused on training for themselves.
34% said time is spent communicating with the league (34%) and athlete’s parents (32%).
50% of coaches time is actually spent coaching.
Amidst COVID, 74% of coaches reported their sports back up and running in some capacity.
65% of those playing amidst COVID are doing so with modifications.
With only 9% of those playing amidst COVID playing with no modifications.
85% of coaches reported resuming or continuing their role as coach since COVID-19 started.
90% are in agreement that there are differences in their role as a coach since the start of COVID-19.
With 78% saying they spend their time as a coach differently.
And 3/4 acknowledge that the goals for their athletes and teams in 2020 changed due to the pandemic.
46% of coaches that have not returned to their positions said they are not confident their sport can be played during the pandemic.
38% have personal/family health concerns about returning during the pandemic.
36% say their registration rates dropped and their role was no longer funded.
96% of coaches today feel that improving upon their athlete’s skills over time is important.
95% of coaches say that instilling confidence in their athletes is important.
94% note it is important for them to help their athletes achieve their personal goals.
55% coaches say that instilling confidence in their athletes is more important now than pre-COVID.
51% say that helping their athletes achieve their personal goals is now more important to them.
And half cite teaching their athletes teamwork as more important now than before the pandemic.
80% of coaches agreed that today they see part of their coaching responsibility as keeping kids safe and healthy.
And 2/3 cite that keeping kids safe is more important now than it was pre-COVID.
78% of coaches agree that they now spend more time on administrative task since the start of COVID-19 than they did previously.
85% of our coaches said that kids don’t show up as consistently to games and practices.
79% say managing attendance is more complicated since the start of COVID-19.
81% agree that scheduling games and practices has become more complicated.
71% of coaches cited having concerns about the spread of COVID-19 due to participation in their sport.
94% of coaches say that today they feel confident that athletes can stay healthy while participating in their sport.
And 84% believe that right now, it is critical for kids to continue to play sports.
For more on the state of coaching in 2020, including tips on how to navigate return to play, check out our latest ebook.
