Coaches out working come train or shine

OVER a quarter of a million people over the age of 15 in Ireland are actively involved in coaching sport in Ireland, a new study has revealed.

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Sport Ireland's Spotlight on Coaching report shows that this represents seven per cent of people aged over 15, with 64 per cent of those active coaches volunteering primarily with children.

In total, 29 per cent have coached at some point in their lives, highlighting the scale and generosity of community involvement in Irish sport.

However, the report also highlights a key challenge: 22 per cent of current coaches are considering stepping away, with lack of time due to work or study commitments being the main reason.

Benny Cullen, Director of Research and Innovation at Sport Ireland, said: "Coaches play a vital role in Irish sport. The data shows that there's a great opportunity to reengage former coaches, as 45 per cent (around 380,000 individuals) would consider returning to coaching.

"Of those who have never coached, 22 per cent — equivalent to 600,000 individuals — indicated there is a sport they believe they could coach.