Become a Coach with MileShyClub

Our coaches are the real heroes here at the #MileShyClub. They give their time selflessly, and keep on top of their learning to help bring the best #MileShyClub experience to our members.  They’re a force for good, and change people’s lives for the better.

Could you be one of our next coaches?

We don’t just take anyone here at the #MileShyClub.  First and foremost, we want our coaches to be kind and compassionate.  We ask that before we invest our time and money into your training, that you are prepared to commit to delivering a minimum of 2 sessions a month across any clubs, ideally leading the session yourself, but we do have coaches that prefer to be in supporting roles, so don’t let this put you off applying.

The stages to applying are as follows:

1.    Write an email to our trustees and CEO outlining the reasons why you want to become a coach with the #MileShyClub.  Tell us which club(s) you want to coach at. It doesn’t have to be a lengthy email, just a few lines will do, and our trustees will review it at the next Board meeting (which are held every quarter).  The email address you need is hello@mileshyclub.com

2.    Once your application has been approved, we ask you to sign up for a few months as a ‘trainee coach’ on our coaching rota so that you get a feel of what it is like to be a coach at the club and what is expected. Details on how to do this will be emailed to you once your application is approved. We’ll also ask you for your personal details at this point, to get you set up on the England Athletics portal.

3.    Assuming you are still happy to proceed, we ask you, if you can, to pay a £25 deposit to the club. The club then purchases a voucher of £160 for your Leadership in Running Fitness (LiRF) qualification with England Athletics. Pre-covid it was a one-day course, but now the teaching is done online and you have to provide video evidence of your coaching at one of our sessions.  You can find out more about the course here: https://www.englandathletics.org/coaching/qualifications/leadership-in-running-fitness/  You also have to do a safeguarding course (online) which is included in the course fee above. 

4.    As part of your training, you also have to undergo a DBS check which is included as part of your LiRF qualification.

5.    After 6 months of coaching, send us an email with your bank details and we'll refund you your £25 deposit.

There are many benefits to becoming a coach with the #MileShyClub. Over the last year, our coaches:

  • Have supported hundreds of people across 5 running clubs with the NHS Couch to 5k plan, and seen first hand the difference our work makes in the community.

  • Received a coach’s pack, which includes specialist session equipment and a Coaches Running Manual, with access to a range of warm up games and technical information on running a run session.

  • For the year 2022, had their individual annual affiliation fees with England Athletics funded for all our coaches, meaning reduced prices for race events and access to other discounts.

  • Been shortlisted for awards – International Women’s Day Awards, Trafford Sports Awards, Trafford Volunteer Awards, Greater Manchester Sports Awards and even the #MileShyClub Christmas Awards!

  • Have first refusal on free race places which often come our way.  We’ve had free places at Run Together events, the Manchester 10k and even the London Marathon in 2022.

  • Have access to further training – physical first aid training was provided this year for free to coaches, and many have also benefitted from mental health first aid training.  Some of our coaches have gone on to further coaching training (Coach in Running Fitness) and some have specialised as Guide Runners. We also deliver an annual workshop to refresh our training to ensure it’s the best!

If you have any questions about the process, then do get in touch with us. Otherwise, we’re really looking forward to welcoming you to our team.