Australian Sailing is soon to release a new coaching qualification aimed at anyone over the age of 16 years old who is already an accredited Instructor. The qualification will allow those who attain it to deliver Green-fleet coaching programs at clubs, or through class association programs. In addition, the qualification will allow those who attain it to act as assistant coaches to qualified Sailing Coaches. 

By providing a bridge between Instructing and Coaching, the Foundation Coach qualification will provide a greater opportunity for young people to become involved in coaching before turning 18 years of age and enable clubs and class associations to leverage the expertise of many young people to assist with the development of the next generation of sailors. 

The qualification will be attained via a FREE online course, which will be structured as 3 x 20 minute modules and will provide those who complete the course with the skills and knowledge to deliver stage appropriate coaching to sailors.  

The Foundation Coach course is based on best practice and applies a modern approach to coaching, this approach focuses on the participant, their individual needs, aspirations, and motivations. The course is about educating and empowering coaches to create positive sailing environments and experiences, where participants, coaches, volunteers, and communities can thrive.  

Many instructors begin to develop coaching skills from spending time on the water and watching sailing in action. If you watch enough of something, you start to develop expertise and you can naturally bring coaching into your teaching environment.​ 

In general terms, Instructors follow a syllabus​, for example, delivering courses​, using structured learning and applying​ teaching methods to inexperienced people.​ Whereas Coaches deploy their knowledge based on the needs and circumstance of the individual, there is no syllabus!  

Coaching is NOT about racing, but racing is the most obvious outlet for “Performance” 

If you are interested in the further development of sailors from the fundamental skills acquired during Discover Sailing Centre programs and want to provide race skills to sailors, the coaching pathway might be the journey you wish to begin.  

​In reality, coaches use Instruction as a part of their ‘toolkit’ and many instructors will leverage their knowledge to delve into coaching. The first time a sailor asks a tricky question that you can answer you are already stepping toward coaching! 

The Foundation Coach Course will be available within the next few weeks, so keep an eye on the Australian Sailing social media, website, and newsletters for the announcement of the course going live,