Over 11,000 Australian coaches have enrolled in the free online Beginning Coaching General Principles course developed by the Australian Sports Commission.

The course, released in January 2007, has been developed to assist coaches to learn the basic skills of coaching. It is especially aimed at those coaching children. A major benefit of the online course is that coaches can complete it in their own time, from the comfort of their home. It is particularly useful for coaches in regional areas who may have difficulty accessing coach education programs, as well as busy volunteer 'mum and dad' coaches.

The course contains five modules which cover a range of topics, including the role and responsibilities of the coach, planning, safety, working with parents, communication, group management and inclusive coaching practices. The course takes approximately six hours to complete.

The course can provide the first step for coaches towards accreditation in the National Coaching Accreditation Scheme. 

Read some case studies about coaches who have completed the online course in the Best Practice section.

 The online course is available from the Australian Sports Commission’s (ASC) online learning portal at https://learning.ausport.gov.au