Abstract
The establishment of a global framework recognising coaching competencies and qualifications is part of the International Council for Coaching Excellence key objectives for the period 2009-2015. It is partly for this reason that the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) has developed a framework for Long-Term Coach Development in order to identify, recruit, support and provide recognition to coaches (SASCOC, 2011). As part of a study exploring the impact of coach education on coaching practice, a national survey of lifesaving coaches was conducted (n = 120). This was done using the Survey Monkey® internet tool and targeted all coaches and administrators listed on the Lifesaving South Africa’s database. Survey questions focused on obtaining a demographic profile, coaching experience and the foci of athlete training. Questions also sought to gather information on the coach education process, its content and the way it was assessed. Results from the survey indicated that 81% of respondents are volunteer coaches with an age range between 18 and 60 years. 50% of sampled coaches had been coaching lifesaving for between two and five years, mostly at the club level (96%). Coaches were asked where they had learnt to coach, and the most common responses were drawing from their own sporting experiences, watching other coaches and being self-taught. The implementation of a coach education programme through Lifesaving South Africa was well received, although only 54% felt that certification should be mandatory. It was through this preliminary data that an understanding of what the coaches’ require in a coach education programme was gained.