Jessica Capelli Beavan
EEDI Manager, UK Coaching
If coaches are the driving force behind sport and physical activity, we must embrace the responsibility of ensuring that we are creating environments where everyone is welcome.
Coaching at its core is about facilitating the opportunity for sport and physical activity and maximising the enjoyment and benefit of that experience. Whether it’s guiding participants to elite levels or fostering a love for sport and physical activity at grassroots level, it is clear — passion and motivation are everywhere, but opportunity is not.
Coaching requires increased diversity
UK Coaching’s recent YouGov report shows that 60% of coaches are male and 75% white. These figures highlight a stark reality: the coaching landscape does not yet reflect the diversity of our society. As part of our goal to build a healthier, happier nation through great coaching, we are working to address deep-rooted inequalities and have made a firm commitment to ensure that coaching is accessible for people from all backgrounds, abilities and motivations.
A more inclusive and diverse workforce at all levels will motivate more people to take up and continue to enjoy sport and physical activity, ultimately contributing to us reaching that shared goal of a healthier and happier nation.
It’s about uniting our nation through
the power of sport and physical
activity and all the benefits it brings.
Proactive collaboration needed for inclusion
Sport and physical activity as a sector is full of highly motivated and passionate individuals — after all, it’s about uniting our nation through the power of sport and physical activity and all the benefits it brings. We all must be proactive, collaborative and consistent in our efforts to embed diversity and inclusion. UK Coaching are not just advocates; we embody inclusion passionately within our own workforce, including our Board, which maintains a 50% representation of women.
Inclusion and diversity have improved without doubt as the sector progresses, thanks to increased collaboration and increased open dialogue. One of the most effective drivers of change is listening to those who experience discrimination and underrepresentation firsthand. Their voice and experiences are central to UK Coaching’s EEDI (equity, equality, diversity and inclusion) strategy, which, as an organisation, prioritises inclusion from both an internal and external perspective.
Great coaching is inclusive coaching
Great coaching relies on effective communication, awareness and understanding. As we develop strategies for change, coaching skills provide a valuable framework for promoting inclusion. Through empathy and working in collaboration with participants while prioritising inclusion, great coaching creates an environment where everyone can thrive and feel they belong.
