Sports Coaching

L3 Level 3
Full Time
1 September 2026 — 18 June 2027
Cardiff International Sports Campus

About this course

The NCFE Level 3 Sports Coaching course develops practical coaching skills and theoretical understanding across planning, delivering and evaluating effective coaching sessions. Learners gain insight into athlete development, coaching and leadership philosophies, performance analysis, and the principles that shape participation and performance in sport.

The programme supports progression to Higher Education routes such as Sports Coaching, Physical Education, Sport Development, Strength and Conditioning, and Performance Coaching degrees. It also opens pathways into careers within community sport, teaching, high--performance environments, fitness instruction and roles across the wider coaching and active leisure sector.

What you will study

The course will consists of 3 mandatory units which are:

  • Exercise, health and lifestyle
  • Preparing for a career in sport and physical activity
  • Sports Coaching

There are a further 6 optional units that must be completed, these can include:

  • Strength & Conditioning
  • Psychology for Sports Performance
  • Fitness Training and Programming
  • Sports Massage
  • Athletes Lifestyle
  • Practical Team Sports          

You will have access to all Sport and Fitness facilities at CISC/HoS as part of your course.

Entry requirements

5 GCSEs A* - C including English Language and/ or Maths (or equivalent) or relevant Level 2 qualification in Sport

Sports Coaching

Important points

  • The College welcomes contact with parents/guardians of students who are under 18.
  • Additional support is available for students with learning difficulties and disabilities.
  • Cardiff and Vale College is committed to inclusion and values diversity. We are determined to promote equality of opportunity and to treat everyone fairly and with respect.
  • Cardiff and Vale College reserves the right to make changes to this course without prior notice.
  • Course fees are subject to change. Your fee will be confirmed prior to enrolment.
  • All courses are accurate at the time of upload or print.
  • Courses can only run if there are sufficient numbers.
  • Please note, if you choose three or more course choices, then you may be referred for a careers appointment first. This does not apply to A Level or GCSE choices.
Key information

Start date

1 September 2026

End date

18 June 2027

Time of day

Day Time

Full Time

18 hours per week

Location

Cardiff International Sports Campus
Maps & directions

Course code

SPCC3F03
L3

Qualification

Sports Coaching

More...

What our students say

I didn’t enjoy school that much, so moving over to College allowed me to have a fresh start. I chose this course because I was aware of the great facilities here and the excellent teaching. Studying Sport full-time has given me opportunity to focus on something I really care about rather than spending my time on subjects I wasn’t that interested in. The mix of theory and practical elements have helped me deepen my knowledge of the subject and improve my performance on the field too.

Yusef Moore
Current Level 3 Sport learner and CAVC Student Athlete Award Winner 2023

Career prospects & further study

8,000

Sports Occupations has a growing workforce of over 8,000 with an estimated 1,600 jobs openings by 2026 in the Cardiff Capital Region. (Lightcast, 2022).

Successful completion of Year 1 will allow progression onto Year 2 of the course.

Locations

Cardiff International Sports Campus
Cardiff International Sports Campus

Cardiff International Sports Campus,
Leckwith Rd,
Cardiff,
CF11 8AZ