The Australian Sports Commission (ASC) has supported more than 100,000 coaches across the country through a free online course.

The Beginning Coaching General Principles (BCGP) course has been a huge hit with Australian coaches, with more than 162,000 enrolments and 100,000 people completing the course since its launch in 2007.

A recent review by the Canberra Institute of Technology found there was an overwhelmingly positive response from course participants. More than 92 per cent of survey respondents reported high levels of satisfaction with the course and over 94 per cent indicated they would recommend the course to others.

The online course is based on the BCGP curriculum, an entry level requirement for national sporting organisations (NSOs) participating in the National Coaching Accreditation Scheme (NCAS).

The course contains five modules, covering a range of general coaching topics, including roles and responsibilities, planning, safety, working with parents, communication, group management and inclusive coaching practices.

The course has been particularly beneficial for coaches involved in the ASC’s Active-After schools Community (AASC) program and sporting organisations involved in the delivery of entry level coaching accreditation programs.

The BCGP online course is available free of charge to Australian coaches and takes approximately six hours to complete.

To access the online coaching course visit https://learning.ausport.gov.au.