Coaching in the UK - Participant and Coach Survey

In 2019, UK Coaching commissioned YouGov to undertake the largest ever survey into coaches and coaching, building on a previous survey conducted in 2017. A nationally representative sample of over 50,000 adults and 2,000 children were surveyed about their experience of receiving coaching and their experience of being a coach. Two reports were created, one focusing on the coaches, the other focusing on the participants. 

Coach Survey: 6% of adults took part in some form of coaching in the 12 months leading up to the survey, that’s 3 million people around the UK. Whilst the coaching workforce is diverse in relation to ethnicity and disability, it is less diverse in relation to gender and social group. Football coaches make up a significant majority of the workforce. 

Participant Survey: 17% of adults received some form of coaching in the 12 months leading up to the survey, equating to roughly 9 million adults in 2019. A large majority of this coaching is received at a recreational level (77%) whilst those who regularly take part in coaching are more likely to report feeling happier and physically and mentally healthier.