Senior Coach Developer Tom Hartley speaks to four coaches: Chris, Adrian, Jordan and James, who work at different levels of participation across a range of sports, to discover how they switch off from their coaching, how they manage their aspirations and why having a strong network is important.

Taking time to reflect on the boundaries between coaching and the rest of your life is crucial.

When we step off the court, pitch or track we don’t stop coaching. For many coaches, it's time spent reflecting on their practice; continuing to support their athletes; or looking for ways to develop their coaching craft. Without being aware of these boundaries, coaches could find it difficult to switch-off or, at times, feel engulfed and overwhelmed by the challenges that coaching sometimes brings.

With thanks to our guest coaches:

Adrian Smith (Football) – working in coach development and semi-professional coaching
Chris Alderton (Swimming) – coaching grassroots to international competitors
Jordan Cotterill (Football) – coaching in schools and grassroots groups
James Elkin (Badminton) – experienced at coaching in schools, para-badminton and coach development.

Whatever your role, if you're helping people to be active and improve, we're here for you. Visit UKCoaching.org to grow your coaching skills and be part of the community.

Discussing Boundaries in Coaching