Coach Core Apprentices Support Launch of Play Their Way

The Play Their Way movement is made up of coaches, organisations and people who are passionate about child-first coaching.

The child-first coaching philosophy has a grounding in children’s rights as outlined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child; the right to be heard, the right to play and the right to develop.

Together, and with Coach Core’s support – they’re building a grassroots movement championing child-first coaching.

Where did it all begin?

Children and young people need to be active. It’s essential they are if they’re to lead healthy, happy and full lives, now and in adulthood. ​
More than half of children in England aged five to sixteen¹ are not getting enough physical activity. For girls, teenagers, children from low-income families and minority communities, and children with disabilities, numbers drop well below half. These are the children and young people that are on the sidelines.

Given the right circumstance, they would jump at the chance to be more active.

So, what do we do about it?​

The Children’s Coaching Collaborative (CCC) formed to tackle the issue head on with the aim to increase children and young people’s participation in sport and physical activity.

Where do coaches come in?​

Research shows that children who receive coaching have +80% better happiness levels². There are so many coaches who are putting children and young people at the front and centre of what they do and this movement would like to share their stories and best practice. The CCC believe that building a grassroots movement of child-first coaches across the country is the key to getting more children and young people active. ​

So, what’s the goal?​

The goal of the Play Their Way movement is for all children and young people — regardless of age, background or ability — to have a voice, choice and decide their journey when participating in sport and physical activity, so they develop a genuine and lifelong love for being active. Whether as parents, coaches or young people, we all have a role to play in helping create a huge cultural shift in the way we engage children in physical activity, to help them become healthier and happier and to develop them as people.​

Coach Core staff and apprentices have been involved in creating some of the resources for Play Their Way:

• Paul Thompson, Coach Core Director of People and Learning – Essential Skills For Success
• Dan, former Coach Core London apprentice, now Youth Board member – Responsibilities of a Sports Coach 
• Hermione, current Coach Core apprentice – How to Coach Trampolining to Children
• Scott Hann, Coach Core ambassador – Delivering CFC Sessions In Performance Settings
• Ahsan Sakandar, Coach Core graduate – What does ‘play their way’ mean to you?