Here are three good reasons to get involved in coaching baseball and softball in the UK:
- To introduce new participants to our sports around the country, develop their skills and ensure they get a rewarding experience that encourages them to stay involved. Baseball and softball need good coaches and BaseballSoftballUK can pay qualified coaches to help us deliver our regional programmes.
- To ensure that practice and development sessions are led by individuals with high standards of knowledge, teaching and welfare in baseball and softball.
- To share your love of the game! Develop your coaching skills to help develop others -- in your club, in schools and in your local community.
BaseballSoftballUK Coach License Scheme 
The BaseballSoftballUK Coach Licence Scheme is designed to drive up the standard of baseball and softball coaching by taking into account minimum operating standards for all coaches, coaching environment factors and the specific roles that coaches in baseball and softball undertake.
By becoming a Licenced Coach you will join an exclusive group of coaches, gain access to a variety of member benefits and can be paid by BaseballSoftballUK to coach.
The BaseballSoftballUK Coach Licence is based on the core principle that coaches are by their very nature students of the game, hungry for more knowledge and more information and keen to improve the quality of the sports in the UK.
Why should I get a BaseballSoftballUK Coach Licence?
By committing to being a Licensed Coach, you are making a clear statement of intent to improve the standards of coaching in your club, league or local community. While it won’t be a requirement, BaseballSoftballUK strongly recommends that all coaches working with children and young people become licensed. In addition, the following exclusive benefits will be made available to all Licensed Coaches:
• Opportunities to receive paid coaching work from BaseballSoftballUK.
• Personal accident insurance.
• Preferential rates and discounts for BaseballSoftballUK coaching courses and clinics.
• The ability to deliver sessions in schools and other environments that are now required to use licensed coaches.
• Discounted coach and training apparel through BaseballSoftballUK.
How can I get a BSUK Coach Licence?
If you do not yet hold a coaching qualification or award from BaseballSoftballUK, the easiest way to earn your licence is to attend one of BaseballSoftballUK’s coaching courses. As part of the BaseballSoftballUK Coach Award / (Level 1) and Activator qualifications, each participant will receive a BaseballSoftballUK Coach or Activator Licence on completion.
If you are already a qualified coach, then you may apply for a BaseballSoftballUK Coach Licence by emailing the coach licence team.
Requirements for a BSUK Coach or Activator Licence
| Level | DBS Check | Safeguarding Traning | First Aid | Abide by BSUK Code of Conduct | Attend one BSUK Coach Development programme over 12 months |
| Teacher Activator | (through school) | (through school) | (through school) | REQUIRED | REQUIRED |
| Activator | REQUIRED | REQUIRED |
Recommended |
REQUIRED | REQUIRED |
|
Coach: Level 1 or above |
REQUIRED | REQUIRED |
Recommended |
REQUIRED | REQUIRED |
For more information about the BaseballSoftballUK Coach Licence please email
The Courses
There are now three development programmes, that coaches can take part in: the BSUK Coach Summit, the new Coach Award / (Level 1), the Activators Course and a new programme of CPD for Coaches
BaseballSoftballUK Activator Course
BaseballSoftballUK Level 1: Coach
CPC For Coaches
For more information on these courses or to take part please contact us
Safeguarding and First Aid courses
In addition to a BaseballSoftballUK coaching or activator qualification, anyone wishing to apply for or renew a BaseballSoftballUK Coach Licence will need valid safeguarding and first aid qualifications that have been achieved within the last three years. If you do not have certification or it is out of date, you will need to book on a suitable course.
Approved safeguarding courses include:
- Sports Coach UK 'Safeguarding and Protecting Children'
- Sports Coach UK 'Safeguarding and Protecting Children 2' for renewal purposes only if you have previously achieved a 'Safeguarding and Protecting Children' certificate
- Child protection training delivered by your local Safeguarding Children's Board
- Child Protection in Sport Unit (CPSU)-approved courses
- Online safeguarding course offered through BaseballSoftballUK - click here to find out more
Approved first aid courses include:
- Health and Safety Executive (HSE)-approved Emergency First Aid at Work / First Aid at Work courses
- Association of First Aid Instructors
- St Johns Ambulance
- Red Cross
- First aid courses run by your County Sport Partnership
UK Coaching
UK Coaching has recently published the latest Funding Opportunities for Coaching Guide in the UK. This is a national guide to those of you seeking to access funds to develop your coaches further.
Click Logo for further details
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Contact Us
For advice about the content or suitability of a course, or possible funding avenues for attending one, please contact the BSUK relationship manager for your region.
- London and East – Calum Opere-Hoyal
- Midlands and South West – Leah Holmes
- North – Luis Arrevillagas
- Wales and Scotland – Chris Rawlings
For enquiries about booking on and paying for a course, follow-up after attending a course or managing your coaching qualification, please contact us
Activators
In 2015, BaseballSoftballUK (BSUK) launched a brand new programme called Hit the Pitch. BSUK is the national development agency for baseball and softball and the Hit the Pitch programme was designed to increase the reach of baseball and softball to new participants.
To support the delivery of this programme, the concept of a BaseballSoftballUK Activator has been created.
What is an Activator
The role of an Activator is to deliver fun and engaging sessions for people new to baseball and softball. The Activator is more of a facilitator than a coach, but there are elements of coaching in the responsibilities involved. The BSUK Activator Course will enable new volunteers and current players or coaches to facilitate Hit the Pitch sessions either for BaseballSoftballUK or at their own baseball or softball club.
For more info on becoming an Activator
The Coach Portal (Coming Soon)
Part of the BaseballSoftballUK website, the Coach Portal will enable baseball and softball coaches to register with BaseballSoftballUK -- the national development agency for the sports -- and for us to manage coaches' attendance on courses and record their achievement of coaching qualifications. This will become the main database of qualified coaches that BaseballSoftballUK can engage with to help us develop baseball and softball.
Code of Conduct
BaseballSoftballUK coaches abide by the Sports Coach UK Code of Practice. This document outlines the rights, relationships and responsibilities of sports coaches.
Beginner's Guides
BaseballSoftballUK has prepared helpful Beginner's Guides for both baseball and softball, which are useful to coaches who are instructing newcomers to the sports. Click here to access these useful tutorials:
Helpful links
You can find useful coaching documents and links in the Documents section.
If you have a question about a coach education course or general enquiries about coaching please contact BaseballSoftballUK
