Diploma in Sport Coaching

Sport Law and Risk Management

This module introduces the relevant legal principles applicable to sports and wellness, Intellectual Property rights and other relevant laws. You will be equipped with the skills to analyse different situations and implement strategies to reduce risk to their organisations.

Managing Developmental Athletes and Teams

This module seeks to address issues pertaining to the role of a coach in managing developmental athletes. You will develop an understanding of the role of a coach in competitive sport organisations, such as National Sports Associations, in developing and managing their developmental teams, such as the junior and youth squads. Topics will include High Performance Management Structure in a National Sports Association, Code of Athlete Management, Athlete Development Pathway, leading teams in international level competition, etc.

Introduction to Sport Coaching

This module provides an introduction to principles and applications in general sport coaching. It identifies skills, techniques and components in coaching. You will have opportunities to analyse techniques required to improve the performance of athletes. You will also learn to plan, deliver, evaluate and modify effective coaching sessions, achieve sporting excellence across age-groups, manage children in sport, and understand more about drugs in sport, sportsmanship and fair-play.

Instructional Strategies for Sport and Games

This module introduces the various types of principles and methods used for instruction in the teaching of sport and games, such as the Teaching Games for Understanding approach, Play Practice and Mosston and Ashworth’s Teaching Styles. It seeks to address issues pertaining to when coaches/teachers need to be flexible and willing to adjust their style according to the needs of the learners, to increase physical activity, as well as raise understanding of all aspects of games and sport.  By engaging different techniques to cater to the different learning styles, you will learn how to find ways to continually engage and sustain motivation in learners to immerse themselves in a sporting environment.

Instructional Strategies for Sport and Games II

This module will build on the teaching and learning styles that have been taught in the first module by applying them in the context of sport and games based on the cluster – Net/Wall, Invasion/Territory, Striking/Fielding, Target and Individualised sport.  You will be exposed to the different sport-specific movements and apply the theoretical foundations of cognitive and motor behavioural processes that contribute to the successful learning of sport skills. Upon completion of this module, you will understand the interplay between specific characteristics of sport skills and the differences between individuals in relation to learning and perfecting sport skills.

Exercise Prescription and Assessment

By the end of the course of study, you will be able to apply the theory and practical knowledge in exercise prescription and assessment, such as body composition, muscular, and cardiovascular fitness assessments in the sporting and fitness scenes. You will also be able to implement appropriate and effective strength, power, and/or cardiovascular programs to achieve the goals of athletes/clients. You can apply knowledge, skills, and attitude as the role of a trainer and/or strength and conditioning coach at the entry-level.

Sport and Exercise Nutrition

This module provides you with an overview of the principles and practices involved in the evolving field of sport and exercise nutrition. It covers macronutrient consumption, nutritional assessments, hydration, supplementation, doping, nutritional strategies for various sports, eating disorders, special dietary needs, travelling nutrition, and adventure nutrition. You will learn and engage in meal planning during and post-training / competition diets that are suitable for fuelling sport performance. You will also be introduced to fundamental anthropometry and basic body composition analyses that are necessary for the proper weight management of athletes.

Kinesiology in Sport

This module allows you to understand how the human body serves as a machine for work performance. You will learn the fundamental concepts and principles of human motion, particularly in the area of fundamental movement skills.  You will be prepared to teach human motion effectively, efficiently and safely.

Human Motor Control and Development

This module introduces you to human physical and motor development, and the learning and assessment of movement skills. You can apply this knowledge to different population groups. The topics are organised into three stages. The first stage focuses on how the human body develops across the lifespan, followed by the development and assessment of motor skills in a variety of contexts. Finally, the module introduces you to the principles of motor control and skill acquisition.

Performance Analysis

This module emphasises qualitative skills analysis to improve the technique and performance of a skill. It also covers tactical evaluation, technical evaluation, analysis of movement, and performance modelling.   The scope of the module includes notational, quantitative and qualitative analysis in sport. Upon completion of this module, you will be able to use the techniques of performance analysis in coaching.

Sport Psychology

This module aims to examine the relationships between psychological states and physical performance in sport settings. Topics covered under this module include attributions, intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, self-efficacy and self-confidence. You will be acquainted with interventions for performance enhancement, including techniques dealing with attentional and concentration problems, stress/arousal/anxiety, visualisation and imagery, goal setting, and self-talk. You will be introduced to concepts such as aggression, burnout, and injuries. Finally, you will examine the use of psychological concepts in health promotion to encourage participation in physical activity.

Injury Prevention and Exercise Rehabilitation

The purpose of this module is to provide the student with a basic understanding of the nature of injuries in sport and in the workplace, including: causal factors, assessment, treatment, management and rehabilitation. This module will enable you to develop injury prevention measures. The module aims to provide you with the knowledge and skills to recognise potential causes of injury and the ability to devise and implement strategies to reduce the risk of injury. You will also be taught how to facilitate the recovery of function, return to physical activity or high performance using evidence-based therapeutic and exercise interventions.

Coaching Portfolio: Professional Practice

This module seeks to develop the you to be reflective coaches. It seeks to set the foundation whereby you will reflect on their motivations to pursue the sport coaching profession and thereby develop their own coaching philosophy to serve as a beacon in their professional practice. You will base your reflections on appropriate learning theories or conceptual frameworks in the profession of sport coaching. Accordingly, you will also reflect on their journey through sport, how sport has made an impact on your lives and how you will, in turn, seek to impact the lives of others through sport. Beyond that, you will also be challenged to consider sport safety, safe sport issues, as well as how you may work in collaboration with other stakeholders in the sport ecosystem to contribute to the growth of the sport industry.

Coaching Portfolio: Pedagogy

Sport Coaching is about teaching athletes not only to acquire competencies in sport skills, but also to develop character and values in their athletes through sport. Students will apply what they have learned from the Modular Certificate in Coaching Pedagogy to design and deliver coaching sessions. You will be challenged to adapt and apply the concepts appropriately to cater to clients of different needs or profiles, which may include children, adults, seniors, competitive athletes, recreational athletes, or para athletes. In addition, you will learn to apply the fundamentals of sport science in their planning and delivery of sessions.

Coaching Portfolio: Sport Science

Good sport coaches leverage sport science and technology to better inform their planning and practice. You will leverage what you have learnt from the Modular Certificates relating to sport science and apply them to design programmes to support athlete development. These can be in the areas of injury prevention, exercise rehabilitation, sport psychology, and/or performance analysis. Relating to this, you will also be challenged to design diagnostic or analytical assessments with a battery of tests that are relevant to the athletes they are trying to help.