Coaches to get their own academy in 2017

SINGAPORE — Even as the Republic’s athletes continue to make huge strides on the world stage, with swimmer Joseph Schooling winning a historic gold at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, coaches here are only slowly catching up to their peers in developed sports countries like the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom.

And the sports coaching scene will get a much-needed shot in the arm next year, with Sport Singapore (SportSG) to launch a new coaching academy, CoachSG, in the second quarter of 2017.

Headed by Singapore Sports Institute’s (SSI) director of coach development Troy Engle, CoachSG will aim to enhance and support the professional development of local coaches, and raise the profile of coaching as a profession here.

The academy will offer programmes that will allow coaches to further develop their technical skills and capabilities, and work with various stakeholders to ensure consistent employment policies and standards across the industry.

“Coaches are one of, if not the single most, important person that will impact the quality of experience that a person has in early participation in sports,” said Engle in a media briefing yesterday at the SSI.

“So it is absolutely critical that we equip our sports coaches with all the tools they need to develop an athlete and instil in them a lifelong passion for sport. It is also vital that coaches have opportunities to develop and enhance their leadership, coaching and instructional skills as we aim to raise the professionalism of the coaching industry here.”

Sports coaches here welcomed the launch of CoachSG, and they are hopeful that the academy will help improve working conditions, particularly for freelance coaches who face challenges in the profession. These include a lack of health insurance and Central Provident Fund (CPF) savings, as well as an unstable income and low wages. A recent study conducted by SportSG found the average monthly pay for sports coaches was pegged at S$1,500.

Khairul Asryaf, director and coach of 2Touch Soccer School, hopes that CoachSG will be able to help local sports coaches earn a higher income.

“There has been a bit of improvement in wages for coaches these past few years, but it’s not enough,” said Khairul. “Hopefully CoachSG will be able to provide credibility with their programmes such that clients will be more willing to pay more to hire coaches.

“I think the formation of an entity like CoachSG is long overdue, because the importance of coaches in Singapore has been downplayed. Not much has been done to increase the standards of those who are ultimately in charge of improving our athletes, so I’m heartened by this initiative and am looking forward to finding out more about it.”

Ahead of the academy’s official launch, CoachSG will conduct monthly engagement sessions — at least one each month from December to April next year — with local coaches and other stakeholders in order to better understand their needs. The feedback will then be used to design the academy’s programmes.

Justin Teh, netball coach and president of the Sports Coaches Association of Singapore, is hopeful that CoachSG’s programmes will include more practical sessions to allow for hands-on experience for coaches.

“The mentoring of younger coaches by more experienced coaches is something I hope will be included as well, because earning a certificate doesn’t automatically mean they are qualified to start coaching immediately,” said the 45-year-old.

“It is also important that CoachSG educate the agencies and clients so that they recognise the different coaching levels, because right now, coaches with basic and advanced qualifications are generally treated the same. But there must be a clear differentiation made in terms of qualification and remuneration.”

Members of the National Registry of Coaches (NROC) will be given preferential rates and priority enrolment for coaching courses and activities organised by CoachSG, the National Sports Associations and other organisations.

The NROC will also introduce a three-year provisional membership from Jan 3 to involve more coaches in the academy’s programmes.

For more information about CoachSG, visit www.sportsingapore.gov.sg/CoachSG