Coaches

At the beginning of each academic year, we ask that all coaches and volunteers associated to any Sports Union club register with the CVA. Registration should be completed by all coaches and volunteers, irrespective of whether they are students or non-students and whether they are paid or volunteers. If you are yet to register with the CVA, you can complete the 2024/25 registration form HERE.

During registration, each coach will be asked to select their club email address - this will automatically send an email to the club account once your coach has registered and the club will be asked to approve their list of coaches. Once your club has approved the coach, the coach will be given membership to the CVA and access to our brand new Coaches Teams which allows coaches the opportunity to network, share resources and collaborate with other coaches and volunteers across the Sports Union.

A template for the 2024/25 Service Agreement can be found HERE.

Note: A Coach Pass is no longer required to access the Pleasance during club sessions. Moving forward, coaches will be added to the approved coaches list within a week of registration (completing the above form), and will then be able to gain access to the relevant facility by giving their name, and showing a form of ID. All registered coaches are eligible to purchase a student-priced gym membership for Sport & Exercise facilities, which you can do by visiting the reception at Pleasance once you have completed the above registration.

Coaching and Volunteering Academy

Once you have registered as a Sports Union coach you will become a member of the Coaching & Volunteering Academy. The CVA seeks to support you through every stage of your journey as a coach or volunteer at the university. The CVA offers up a variety of benefits as follows:

CPD opportunities - workshops & events taking place throughout the year to support your development, and improve your experience as a coach.
Funding towards qualifications - funding for additional coaching qualifications can be applied for via the Coaching & Officiating fund.
Online resources - a bank of online resources signposting you to support within the university, and beyond.

Upon registering as a coach, if you opt-out of receiving communications through the CVA, you won’t hear from us too much. If you change your mind at any point and would like to start receiving information regarding all of the things mentioned above, then please please get in touch via e usu.cva@ed.ac.uk or call 0131 650 9866.

Useful Links & Resources

At the CVA, we want to ensure that all of our coaches and volunteers feel supported in their roles and are prepared for any challenges they may encounter on their coaching journey; in order to help with this, we have compiled some resources below which we feel will help you on your own coaching journey.

The resources are a mix of longer and more informative documents and also shorter documents which provide an overview on the topic of focus. If you are unsure about anything included below or would like anything more to be included, please email eusu.cva@ed.ac.uk

Safegaurding in Sport

Coaching Disabled People Inclusive Coaching Quick Guide

Accessible & Inclusive Communication Guide Hearing Impairment Coaching Guide

British Sign Language for Sport Disability Terminology Guidance

RED-S Guidance for Coaches Eating Disorders Fact Sheet

Mental Health Information & Training. Doping Information & Guidance

Concussion Awareness Fact Sheet LGBTIQA+ inclusion

Further Support & Opportunities

If you require any additional support as a coach, have a general question about the Sports Union, or are unsure about anything on this page, please contact eusu.cva@ed.ac.uk or call 0131 650 9866.

If you are a coach looking to get involved in sport at the university, check out our latest opportunities or get in touch.