Beyond Goodwill: Eight Arguments for Mandatory Foundational Training for Volunteer Coaches

Although volunteer coaches comprise a substantial proportion of the coaching workforce, estimated to exceed 100 million worldwide, many lack formal preparation aligned with contemporary standards of athlete development, safeguarding, and ethical practice. In an increasingly complex and regulated sports environment, reliance on informal and non-formal learning is insufficient to ensure athlete welfare, professional standards, and organizational accountability. By situating volunteer coaching alongside other professions that require standardized preparation and oversight, we address persistent inconsistencies in public protection and professional expectations. Drawing on international evidence and current coaching data, we present eight research-informed arguments in support of a compulsory education framework. Coordinated, government-guided programs and certifications are necessary to reinforce safeguarding structures, elevate professional expectations, and strengthen public trust in sport. In this paper, mandatory foundational training is presented as a feasible and accessible professional intervention that can reduce preventable harm while enhancing coaching effectiveness.