"Play Their Way" Champions Child-First Coaching in the UK

June 2, 2023

Last week, the Children’s Coaching Collaborative (CCC), a 17-member community of UK coaches, organizations and people working to transform the way children and young people are coached in sport and physical activity, launched the Play Their Way movement. Funded by Sport England and The National Lottery, the “biggest grassroots movement to transform the way we coach” prioritizes children’s rights, needs and enjoyment in a ‘child-first’ approach to help increase activity levels.

Enjoyment is one of the biggest motivators for children and young people to get active, but Sport England’s latest Active Lives Children and Young People survey found that less than half (47%) of children who regularly exercise strongly agree that they enjoy taking part in sport and physical activity, down from the pre-pandemic level of 51%. The same survey showed that more than half (53%) do not get enough exercise.

Play Their Way is therefore dedicated to ensuring children have the best possible experience in sport and activity through the people who know them best – their coaches. Working with England’s 2.6 million coaches, the partners are looking to increase and improve child-first coaching in communities across the nation. 

“Child-first coaching” is an evidence-informed approach that champions every child’s voice, choice and journey in sport and physical activity. It’s three key components, as underpinned by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, include the rights of children and young people to play, to develop and to be heard. The rights are traditionally referred to as:

• VOICE: Children and young people have the right to express their views which are acted on together in a meaningful way.
• CHOICE: Children and young people have the right to play and shape what play looks like.
• JOURNEY: Children and young people have the right to develop holistically, in their own way.

"Our research tells us that for children, ‘fun’ is the primary reason for taking part in sport and activity. They will want to take part if they enjoy it. It’s vital that we put fun and enjoyment at the center of sport and activity and give our children and young people the chance to shape their sporting experiences to boost activity levels,” said Tim Hollingsworth, Chief Executive at Sport England. "We look forward to working with our partners and supporting the amazing coaches across the UK. We want to give all children the chance to have their say – and play their way."

CCC notes that coaches are “an undervalued change agent in a child’s life.” Their style and the culture they create can have a huge impact on children’s levels of motivation. By forming quality relationships and providing enjoyable, creative, autonomous environments, coaches can positively influence the extent to which children value sports, play and exercise.

The Play Their Way campaign was developed with insights from of a network of grassroots sports coaches along with children and young people through a series of focus groups and workshops. The collaborative will provide youth sport providers with resources and support to help them inspire children to stay active for life.

“It’s a really important moment for coaching across the nation, focusing entirely on our children and young people and understanding that to get the best out of them, coaches need to embrace creativity, independence and fun,” said CK Flash, Head Coach at Peckham BMX Club which hosted the launch.

Click here for ways that organizations can support the campaign.