Coaching FAQs

[Earlier versions of the Level 1 qualification are also accepted for licensing: Level 1 Certificate in Coaching Angling or Level 1 Award in Coaching Angling]

If you have a different angling qualification from another organisation, then please contact us to see if we could help you.

There are also other Approved Centres which deliver courses leading to the 1st4sport Level 1 Award in Coaching Angling and Level 2 Certificate in Coaching Angling. Learners who have undertaken their 1st4sport Level 1 or Level 2 coaching qualification through an Approved Centre other than Angling Trust can also apply to be licensed.

Q: WHICH QUALIFICATION DO I NEED?

Coaching fulfils a wide range of requirements and ensures that qualified coaches are able to support many activities. It is important to understand exactly what you want from your career as an angling coach. Do you want to provide help at your local club where your children regularly participate? Do you want to be the new lead coach at your local club?

The requirements of the different roles will help to understand what qualification you will require to ensure you are safe and effective in that role.

Q: WHAT DO THE QUALIFICATIONS INVOLVE?

Each qualification is different but follows a similar structure. Qualifications are made up of a number of different sections which focus on different areas required to complete to ensure that as a coach, you are able and effective in your delivery.

For example the new Level 1 qualification for Angling Support Coaches is made up of three sections entitled respectively ACTIVATE, DELIVER and REVIEW. Level 2 is longer and more intensive to prepare coaches for taking the lead in activities, planning, preparing and evaluating structured coaching sessions.

You need to attend all the sessions of your course and complete all the required activities, assessments and coursework.

Q: WHAT DO I GET WHEN I QUALIFY?

Depending on your qualification, generally you will get the following:

• A nationally recognised qualification
• The chance to take up a Coach Licence to Practise – both L1 and L2 coaches can apply to become Licensed. This licence is offered to those taking the qualification through the Angling Trust’s Coaching Centre, and once issued will need to be kept current in order to benefit from the insurance etc.
• Learners completing a Level 1 or Level 2 course will be provided with the means to undertake an appropriate Enhanced DBS Disclosure in connection with coach licensing. DBS checking is NOT required in order to pass the course, but application details are now supplied to Learners in the weeks before their selected course.

Q: WHAT JOB CAN I DO WHEN I QUALIFY?

The Level 1 qualification is a generic award and qualifies you as an assistant or support coach who can plan, deliver, and review angling coaching activities. You will be able to work under the guidance of a Level 2 angling coach. You can apply to become a Licensed Level 1 Coach.

The Level 2 qualification qualifies you to become an independent coach who can plan, deliver and review linked and progressive angling sessions. It can be taken by anyone over the age of 18 who has completed and passed a Level 1 coaching qualification and has some experience of angling. You can apply to become a Licensed Level 2 Coach.

Q: HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

• An attended Level 1 course costs £240, runs over 2 days and includes the cost of the first year of Coach Licensing.
• An online Level 1 course costs £240, typically runs over 3 or 4 sessions (schedules vary) and includes the cost of the first year of Coach Licensing.
• An attended Level 2 course costs £355, runs over 3 days and includes the cost of the first year of Coach Licensing. Applicants normally need to hold a Level 1 qualification, plus recent and current training for Emergency First Aid and also Safeguarding & Protecting Children in sports coaching (which must be undertaken through UK Coaching).  Learners also need to deliver linked and progressive coaching sessions and submit details of these as part of the final assessment.
• A Blended Level 2 course starts with some online sessions, then requires two days’ attendance at a specified venue with the tutor.  Applicants normally need to hold a Level 1 qualification, plus recent and current training for Emergency First Aid and also for Safeguarding & Protecting Children in sports coaching (which must be undertaken through UK Coaching).  Learners also need to deliver linked and progressive coaching sessions and submit details of these as part of the final assessment.

Courses leading to the same 1st4sport qualifications can be taken through other Approved Centres: however fees and schedules may be different, and courses offered by other Centres do not include the cost of the first year’s Coach Licence to Practise through Angling Trust.

Fees for courses undertaken through Angling Trust currently include Learner registration, tuition, course resources, certification and the opportunity to take up one year’s Coach Licensing, but not travel, meals or accommodation. There may be other options available too where previous experience of coaching activity or other teaching/coaching qualifications can be taken into account.

Q: WHERE CAN I FIND DETAILS OF AVAILABLE COURSES AND BOOK A PLACE?

There is now an online booking system for Level 1 and Level 2 public coaching courses which includes details of dates, venue, pre-requisites, course content and Learner fees.  Those who hold a confirmed 50% Angling Improvement Fund coaching bursary can also book via the website, but must first contact Coaching Centre Administration for an appropriate discount code.

Q: WHAT IS “EXEMPTION”?

Q: WHAT IF WE DON’T HAVE A COURSE ADVERTISED AT THIS POINT WHICH YOU COULD ATTEND?

Check our online booking facility periodically, since any additions or amendments to the course schedules will be shown there.  If there’s no course showing in your region it doesn’t mean that we don’t operate there, but there’s nothing near you available for booking at the moment.

Alternatively you can email [email protected] with your name and location to be added to our Level 1 and/or Level 2 Enquiry List.  We’ll then include you in an alert when a new event in your region is about to become visible on the booking site.

When we have a new event ready to open for booking we’ll add it to the online facility, but we won’t normally be able to supply details of future events unless they are almost ready to be opened for booking.

Booking for attended courses will normally close on the Friday 5 weeks before the start date of a course.  After this point you can no longer book online, and although it might sometimes be possible to process a late application, there are no guarantees of a place in such a situation.

Q: HOW DO I BOOK A PLACE ON AN ADVERTISED COURSE?

It should be possible to view the information of any course displayed on the facility, even if it’s not open for applications or if booking has closed.  However if your selected event is “live” and still has places available, click the “Buy” button to start the application process.

You’ll be asked to supply credit/debit card details for payment of the Learner fees: the transaction will be processed through a secure facility provided by Stripe.

Once you’ve completed the booking process, the number of places shown as available for that event will reduce by one.

Coaching Centre staff will send you an acknowledgement with some information about what to expect next, and Centre staff will email you a receipt.  (Please note that these aren’t automated functions, so you won’t receive those items immediately.  If you book over the weekend when staff members aren’t working, it will take longer for the responses to come through to you.)

Q: HOW DO I BOOK ONTO A COURSE IF CARD PAYMENT ISN’T AN OPTION FOR ME?

If you aren’t in a position to book online because use of a credit/debit card isn’t feasible (for instance if your fees are to be paid by a third party), please contact the Coaching Centre office as soon as possible.  We can arrange to collect the necessary personal details and process payment of your Learner fees by other means, and allocate you a place on your selected event.  If required we can invoice a sponsor such as an employer, angling club or charity organisation.

Providing your place has been secured by payment in full of the appropriate fees, we will send out a Welcome Pack approximately twelve days before the start of an attended Level 1 course or any Level 2 course, or email the pre-course documents five days before the start of an online Level 1 event. The postal pack or emails will contain information about location, times, how to contact your tutor with any questions about the course content, plus details of anything else that you will need to prepare or bring with you when you attend.

Q: HOW DO I REQUEST AN APPLICATION PACK FOR A FIRST COACH LICENCE (LEVEL 1 OR LEVEL 2)?

If you undertake your qualification through the Angling Trust’s Approved Centre, you should automatically be contacted after confirmation of your booking with guidance for applying for Coach Licensing.  The email will include information about arranging the relevant category of Enhanced DBS check as appropriate for your proposed coaching role.

However if you qualified through a different Approved Centre (for example Sparsholt College or Angling Cymru) or more than 12 months ago, please email [email protected] or ring 0115 822 4538.

Q: HOW DO I RENEW AN EXISTING LEVEL 1 OR LEVEL 2 LICENCE?

There are now automated alerts by email for payment of the annual licence fee, and also for updating DBS checking, First Aid training or UK Coaching Safeguarding training where appropriate.  If you haven’t received such a contact by a fortnight before the expiry date of your licence or training certificate, please contact the East Midlands office by emailing [email protected] or ringing 0115 822 4538.

Q: HOW DO I KEEP MY LICENCE VALID ONCE MY FREE FIRST YEAR IS FINISHED?

We’ll send you a renewal mailing when your first licence is approaching expiry.  That will tell you what you need to do in order to renew the licence, and what payment methods are available.

Currently you can pay by credit/debit card over the phone, arrange with admin staff about making an online BACS transaction, or authorise Angling Trust to set up an annual Direct Debit for you.  For licence renewal you can also arrange payment by card or Direct Debit through your online dashboard.

The annual fee for a coach licence is currently£40, irrespective of age, qualification Level or payment method.  All categories of licence provide the same level of insurance cover.

Please note that even if an employer, club or other sponsor has agreed to pay your licence fee, you’ll still need to respond to the mailing in order to have your licence renewed.  Unless you have a Direct Debit or recurring card payment in place renewal can’t be done automatically, and if your licence isn’t renewed you won’t be covered by the insurance associated with current Coach membership of Angling Trust.

If you still have questions after reading the available information, do please get in touch:
Angling Trust Coaching Centre
The Old Police Station
Wharncliffe Road
Ilkeston
DE7  5GF

Coaching courses and bookings:  [email protected] or [email protected] or 0115 822 4626 (Monday & Tuesday 0900-1700, Wednesday 0900-1230)

Certification, DBS checking and Licensed Coach Scheme: [email protected] or 0115 822 4538

In normal circumstances a member of staff for the Coaching Centre will be available from at least 0900 to 1630, Monday to Friday (except for public holidays and between Christmas and New Year).