Reflections from the UK Coaching Conference 2026: Why child-first coaching – and supporting coaches – matters more than ever

By Nick Chellel, Strategic Workforce Officer, Active Sussex

Inspired, challenged and motivated.

Those are the three words I’d use to describe attending the UK Coaching Conference 2026 and the first-ever Play Their Way Summit.

The conference took place on June 24 and 25 at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London.

During the conference, HRH The Princess Royal (pictured below), patron for UK Coaching since 1993, took part in a workshop with delegates before delivering a closing speech to more than 150 leading figures from across sport.

Her message was about celebrating the impact coaches have, from the playground to the podium, and highlighting what is needed to keep hard-working coaches at the centre of their communities.

Across both events, one message came through loud and clear:

People create positive experiences.

Whether we’re supporting coaches, volunteers or organisations, investing in people is how we create welcoming, inclusive and enjoyable experiences for children, young people and communities.

That couldn’t align more closely with our Getting Sussex Moving strategy, where developing a skilled, confident and connected workforce is central to helping more people move, live and connect.

Choice is a strategy. Autonomy is the outcome.

One of the ideas that challenged my thinking most was the distinction between choice and autonomy.

Giving children choices is a coaching strategy, but autonomy is the goal—creating environments where children genuinely feel heard, trusted and able to shape their own journey.

That’s why the Play Their Way pillars of Voice, Choice and Journey are so powerful.

Together, they help coaches move beyond offering options to giving children real ownership, influence and agency.

It reminded me that great coaching isn’t about taking control—it’s about knowing when to give it back.

Child-first coaching and proactive safeguarding go hand in hand

Another key reflection was that child-first coaching and proactive safeguarding are inseparable.

When we genuinely listen to children, build trusting relationships and prioritise their experience, we create environments where they feel safe, valued and want to keep coming back.

Safeguarding isn’t something we add to coaching – it’s embedded in how we coach, communicate and create positive cultures.

This message resonated even more following our recent Child-First Coaching & Proactive Safeguarding: Building Positive Cultures Together Community of Learning.

It was fantastic to bring together coaches, welfare officers and partners from across Sussex, with an inspiring keynote from Rebecca McAulay (UK Coaching), practical insights from our Sport Welfare Officers, and an outstanding panel discussion featuring Ali O’Boyle, Sue Perry, Paul Brackley and Terry Cooper.

Despite representing different sports and organisations, the panel shared remarkably similar messages: build trusting relationships, listen intentionally, give children genuine voice and choice, and create environments where every child feels they belong.

The conference reinforced that the excellent practice already happening across Sussex reflects the national direction of travel, and that gives me real confidence for the future.

Supporting coaches to stay – and creating the workforce of the future

Another standout session explored why coaches stop coaching.

The research highlighted that while recruitment remains important, our biggest opportunity may be supporting coaches to stay.

Coaches often leave because coaching no longer fits around work or family life, or because they don’t feel supported, recognised or connected.

We don’t just have a recruitment challenge – we have a support and retention challenge.

That message also links closely to the Government’s skills agenda. As the focus grows on tackling youth unemployment and developing local talent, our sector has a real opportunity to create meaningful careers while strengthening communities.

That’s why I’m excited about CIMSPA Local Skills coming to Sussex.

Alongside programmes such as Coach Core Sussex, it will help bring employers, education providers and local partners together to create clearer employment pathways and ensure learning reflects local workforce needs.

If we’re serious about delivering Getting Sussex Moving, we need a workforce that people can join, develop and stay within. Supporting coaches is just as important as recruiting them.

Listening to all voices

Another message echoed throughout both events:

“Nothing about us, without us.”

Whether discussing workforce diversity, youth voice or inclusion, the principle was the same: meaningful change happens when we design with people rather than for them.

That means listening intentionally, recognising different lived experiences and ensuring we hear all voices – not just the loudest.

It also reinforces the importance of place-based working: understanding the strengths, needs and aspirations of local communities, and co-designing solutions with them rather than assuming we already know the answers.

By building trust and creating genuine opportunities for collaboration, we’re far more likely to develop opportunities that are relevant, inclusive and sustainable.

Turning learning into action

These reflections reinforce the direction we’re already taking at Active Sussex. We’ll continue working with partners across Sussex to:

• Champion child-first coaching through Play Their Way.
• Support coaches through learning, connection and recognition.
• Promote proactive safeguarding and positive cultures.
• Develop clearer education, skills and employment pathways through initiatives such as Coach Core Sussex and CIMSPA Local Skills.
• Ensure children, young people and communities continue to shape what we do.

Ultimately, better experiences don’t happen by chance, they happen through intentional leadership, collaboration and investment in people.

At Active Sussex, we believe that better experiences create lifelong participation. Whether that’s supporting a coach to stay in the sector, helping a young person discover their voice or creating clearer pathways into employment, the common thread is people.

If we continue to invest in people, we’ll continue Getting Sussex Moving.

A huge thank you to UK Coaching, Play Their Way, the speakers, young people and everyone who shared their stories, research and experiences.

The conversations may have finished, but the opportunity to turn learning into action is only just beginning.