BA (Hons) Sport Coaching and Development (Full Time)

On this degree you will develop practical experience in coaching and development issues which will equip you for a wide range of roles.

Course overview

The BA (Hons) Sport Coaching and Development at Southampton Solent University will equip you with the knowledge and skills required to meet the demands of the diverse sport and leisure sector, as well as developing broader educational skills that are transferable to non-sport specific occupations.

The course will allow you to develop professional skills that will enable you to understand customers, products, services and operational issues. The course will also enable you to play a strategic role in the future development of sporting opportunities for individuals and groups in the UK.

The main academic disciplines studied focus on the practical application of coaching knowledge and the social sciences including sociology and psychology. You will gain professional skills and experience in coaching and fitness, as well as National Governing Body and industry awards, as an integral part of the curriculum. A wide range of option units are offered in years 2 and 3 and these can provide you with the opportunity to tailor the course to your preferred career direction.

You will have access to the University’s wide range of sporting facilities including our new sports laboratories, sports fields, sports hall, teaching gym and watersports centre.

You may also qualify for one of the high performance sports awards offered by Sport Solent, the University’s sport and recreation providers.

|

Industrial focus

We have excellent links with local and national sports organisations and clubs which contribute to our courses and provide relevant part-time work opportunities.

Course content

Year 1

Six core units:

• Industry Practice and Research
• Sport in Society
• Principles of Coaching
• Social Psychology of Sport
• Fitness for Sport
• Principles of Sport Development.

Year 2

Five core units and one option unit:

• Policy and Practices of Sport Development
• Sport Coaching and Development
• Sociology of Sport
• Research Methods for Sport
• Coaching Children and Young Performers.

Options:

• Events Organisation
• Diet and Nutrition
• Curriculum Plus (excluding Sport Coaching in the Community)
• Sport and the Law
• Applied Techniques in Sport Psychology
• Sports Massage
• Event Sponsorship
• Extreme Sports.

Year 3

Four core units and two option units:

• Project
• Coaching and the Community
• Strategic Sports Development.

Options:

• High Performance Coaching
• Professional Practice in Sports Psychology
• Leadership
• Sports Conditioning
• Contemporary Sports Issues
• Sport and the Law
• Outdoor Recreation
• Event Organisation
• Sociology of Extreme and Lifestyle Sports
• Physical Education
• Curriculum Plus (excluding Sport Coaching in the Community).

Why choose this course?

• Opportunities for coaching in the local community and for local sports clubs, working in schools and sports centres, organising sport in summer camps.
• Benefit from the University's wide range of sports clubs and facilities.
• Offers a combination of specialist coaching and development units, with a wide range of options.
• The University has a strong Sport Research Cluster, which houses a number of academics with a developing national and international reputation in the sport development/sport management fields.

Assessment

A combination of essays, written examinations, seminar presentations, written reports, case studies and demonstrations and a dissertation project. 

Key career skills

Presentation, problem solving, project management, communication, IT and numeracy, organising people, time management, team working.

Projects/work experience

In your final year you will undertake an independent project that will allow you to focus on an area of interest which could help form a basis for future employment. Examples include evaluating a coaching development programme or a community sport development initiative.

Students are encouraged to gain relevant work experience either through volunteering or work placements. Examples of these include coaching in the local community and for local sports clubs, working in schools and sports centres, organising sport in summer camps. For those wishing to progress on to a PGCE in Physical Education, there are placements with local schools' PE staff.

Student profile

Stuart Balfour (third year student)

“This course offers great variety and has been hugely enjoyable. The lectures are always interesting and of the highest standard with the lecturers always being avaliable for support and help. This course met and exceded my expectations and has opened many doors for me.”

Sports kit

If you are a BSc (Hons) Applied Sport Science, or Sport Coaching student starting in September 2011, you are required to purchase sport kit prior to starting your degree that is mandatory to wear during all academic sessions and during any external activity where you represent the University. You can purchase the kit from the clothing company Kukri Sports via their website|. When ordering do not forget to enter the promotion code to obtain your 15% discount. They will deliver the kit to the University during the week beginning the 26th September (your welcome week) as long as you order before the deadline of 16th September. In order to ensure your size is available we advise you to order as soon as possible.