What are the Different Types of Coaching Accreditation?

Coaching can refer to a number of different careers in sports, fitness and nutrition, life, and business industries. Many categories of coaching have sub-specialities, which may allow the coach to offer additional services. Due to this diversity, there are many types of coaching certifications. Numerous organizations offer coaching accreditation in each of these various skills to people who would like to become a coach.

Sports coaches may work with children, youth, or adults. The accreditations frequently are for individual sports. Some examples of sports coaching include soccer, hockey, volleyball, and weight training. National regulations may not require sports coaches to be accredited, but some employers may want their coaches to have certain certifications. Those seeking sports coach accreditation may wish to review the training and certification requirements of potential employers.

Fitness coaches help clients set and achieve fitness goals. These goals may involve sports such as running or weightlifting, but the objective is usually overall physical fitness rather than improvement in a specific sport. People who are interested in sports and fitness coaching are frequently interested in nutrition as well. Many nations do not regulate these coaches, but private organizations offer fitness and nutrition accreditation.

A coaching practice that can help clients achieve personal goals and emotional well-being is life coaching. Life coaching is at times confused with psychotherapy, and while many nations and regions require advanced degrees and licensing for psychotherapists, many do not require any type of life coach accreditation. A life coach may expand her practice by offering services using additional methodologies. Some options for these additional methodologies may include hypnosis or Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP). Many online training centers offer accreditation in these two practices.

A third common type of coaching is business coaching. In this industry, the coach focuses on assisting her client with career or business related goals. A business coach will guide her client in developing skills that help the client become a more effective employee or business owner. Business coaching accreditation may be gained either through classroom or online studies.

Nations and regions do not usually require coaching accreditation, but clients and employers may wish to hire someone with coaching accreditation regardless of the specialty. Someone planning to become a coach may wish to research the accreditation requirements of the specific field of interest. The organization that offers coaching accreditation should also be evaluated to ensure it is reputable and that it demands a level of provable training and skill in the coaches it certifies.