Intro to the Principles & Ethics of Coaching

Becoming an athlete’s coach means taking on important responsibilities. This course explores the framework of coaching principles and ethics that are crucial for establishing and maintaining a healthy relationship with the athletes who trust you to guide them.

Intro to the Principles & Ethics of Coaching, an online course for endurance sports coaches

When you agree to coach an athlete, you become the athlete’s trusted guide, using your years of knowledge, training, and experience to prescribe workouts, strategize races and nutrition, and guide hundreds of hours of their hard work throughout the season.

At least to some degree, you hold your athletes’ hopes and dreams in your hands.

This course illuminates your role and helps you define your coaching philosophy, then bolsters how you communicate your philosophy and the ethical boundaries that protect the coach-athlete relationship.

This course explores the principles, responsibilities, and ethical foundations of coaching, helping you better understand the influence your words, actions, and leadership style can have on the athletes you support. You’ll learn how to:

  • Clarify your role as a coach by understanding how coaches serve as teachers, role models, teammates, and trusted guides in an athlete’s development.
  • Shape your coaching philosophy and methodology by reflecting on why you coach, how you work with athletes, and what makes your approach clear, consistent, and meaningful.
  • Recognize different coaching styles and communication approaches, including when a more democratic or directive style may be appropriate based on the athlete, situation, and decision at hand.
  • Navigate ethical coaching boundaries by understanding scope of competence, dual relationships, power imbalances, codes of conduct, and the importance of protecting athlete well-being.

Featuring expert insight from Joe Friel, Dr. Kate Bennett, Trevor Connor, Chris Case, and a panel of experienced coaches including Neal Henderson, Grant Holicky, Mike Ricci, Rebecca Gross, and Joe Gambles, this course brings the deeper responsibilities of coaching into practical focus.

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How to Enroll

All USA Cycling courses are offered exclusively through USA Cycling’s online learning management system at learn.usacycling.org.

Questions? Contact Suzy Sanchez, Director of DEI and Membership Programs, at ssanchez@usacycling.org.