Coaching
Coaches play an incredibly important role in the landscape of the sport of triathlon. A great coach supports the enjoyment and performance of triathletes at all levels.
Quality coaches have a huge impact on our triathlon communities, through the time they spend with triathletes, they have a positive influence on the life and values of those they come into contact with.
The role of the coach is fundamental to the success of all triathletes at every level.
Our AusTriathlon Coach Education Framework has been designed to ensure the highest quality of education is delivered to our coaches.
Learn all about coaching below!
Become an Accredited AusTriathlon Coach
Enrol in a Course
Coach Membership
Coaching FAQ's
Become an Accredited AusTriathlon Coach
Coaching is a rich and rewarding experience helping others develop and achieve their personal goals.
There are a variety of reasons people get involved in coaching, from parents wanting to help out with their child’s triathlon club, or an experienced athlete looking to give something back to the sport they love.
AusTriathlon offer a range of accreditations and professional development opportunities to suit any aspiring coach.
The coach education framework provides a pathway for the coach who wishes to coach at any level. From the coach who wants to volunteer at their club to the coach who wants to prepare athletes for the Olympics or Paralympics!
Our coach qualifications are as follows:
Foundation: No experience necessary just a willingness to learn! After completing the online and face to face course requirements, the Foundation Coach will be qualified to coach triathletes in a group environment.
Development: After a minimum 6 months of coaching as a Foundation Coach and completion of the online and face to face course requirements, the Development Coach will be qualified to coach triathletes individually.
Performance: By Application only, candidates are required to complete online learning and a 7 Day Residential Learning Experience to be qualified to coach triathletes with performance aspirations.
High Performance: By Invitation Only, candidates must have long-term coaching experience and aspire to coach athletes at the highest levels of the sport.
All courses are a blended learning method with online modules required as well as attendance at a face to face workshop. Pre-learning can be started at any time but must have been commenced three weeks before the face to face workshop and completed before attending.
What does it mean to be an AusTriathlon Accredited Coach:
- The coach has completed a world leading coach training program in which they learned from experienced coaching mentors and experts to develop their coaching skills and knowledge.
- The coach has committed to work within their professional scope of practice and to upholding a range of world leading quality coaching standards endorsed by AusTriathlon, World Triathlon and the Australian Sports Commission including:
- Adoption of the National Integrity Framework and learning requirements completed as stipulated by Sports Integrity Australia
- Working With Children Check/Vulnerable People compliance
- First Aid & CPR certified
- Covered by AusTriathlon Insurance for their work in regards to triathlon coaching (as long as all membership and credential information is valid)
By committing to these standards, AusTriathlon accredited coaches have the skills and knowledge necessary to provide the highest quality coaching environment.
Enrol in a Course
All courses are a blended learning method with online modules required as well as attendance at a face-to-face workshop. Pre-learning can be started at any time but must have been commenced three weeks before the face-to-face workshop and completed before attending.
You have 24 months from date of enrolment to complete all aspects of the course.
To learn more about upcoming face-to-face workshops near you please see below:
Foundation Workshops
| ACT | May 28th 2025 (TBC) |
| NSW | December 15th 2024 (Gosford) June 21st 2025 (Gosford) |
| NT | May 24th 2025 (Parap Pool) |
| QLD |
November 10th 2024 (Gold Coast) |
| SA | November 9th 2024 (Riverland) February 15th 2025 (West Beach) |
| TAS | March 2025 (TBC) |
| VIC | October 19th 2024 (Bendigo) |
| WA | October 27th 2024 (Busselton) November 16th 2024 (Perth) |
Development Workshops
| ACT | May 28th & July 12th 2025 (Canberra) |
| NSW | April 28th & June 7th 2025 (Sydney) |
| QLD | September 15th & October 26th 2024 (Brisbane) |
| SA | September 15th & October 26th 2024 (Adelaide) |
| VIC | May 17th & July 12th 2025 (Melbourne) |
| WA | September 13th & 25 October 2025 (Perth) |
Development Face to Face Workshops are delivered over 2 Days, 6 weeks apart. Attendance at both days are mandatory to be eligible to receive Development accreditation.
Performance Workshops
Details TBA – May 2026
Subject to minimum numbers being met-typically Foundation Courses are held every 6 months in metropolitan areas and every 12 months regionally.
Development Courses are typically held every 12 months in metro areas and upon request regionally.
Performance Courses are held every two years.
If you are ready to get started on your coaching journey please enrol in the pre-learning today.
Foundation
Development
Coach Membership
Accredited coaches must hold an active AusTriathlon core membership as well as a coach add-on membership to be provided insurance coverage.
Our two Coach add-on memberships are as follows:
- Volunteer Coach add-on: The volunteer coach add-on is free for coaches who volunteer at their club. Whilst the volunteer coach can hold any level of accreditation (foundation, development, performance or high performance) the coach should not be receiving any remuneration or honorariums for their coaching services. The volunteer coach is provided with Public Liability and Professional Indemnity Insurance whilst coaching within their scope and as a volunteer in their club however, will not be provided with an insurance Certificate of Currency as they are covered by their club.
- Professional Coach add-on: The professional coach add-on costs $220 and is designed for coaches who receive remuneration.
Frequently Asked Questions
I don’t know where to start!
If you don’t have any experience of coaching, a good starting point would be to shadow a coach at your local triathlon club, they will appreciate the help and you will get a feeling of what coaching actually is.
When you are ready, enrol in the Foundation Coach Course online learning modules and then the next step is to complete a face-to-face workshop before you become an accredited Foundation Coach! From there, you can choose what steps suit your coaching journey!
Each stage of the coach development framework offers a set of skills, and experiences to help coaches develop their athletes.
| Course | Target Group |
| Foundation Coach | Coaches wishing to coach triathletes in a group environment only (Pre-Requisite: None) |
| Development Coach | Coaches wishing to coach triathletes in a group environment and also one on one (Pre-Requisite: Foundation Coach and at least 6 months experience) |
| Performance Coach | Coaches wishing to coach triathletes in a group an/or one on one with a performance focus (Pre-Requisite: Development Coach and at least 2 years experience) |
| High Performance Coach (invitation only) | Coaches wishing to coach triathletes specifically targeting success in elite level international competition. (Pre-Requisite: Performance Coach and a number of years experience/demonstrated athlete achievement) |
What are the benefits?
By taking part in an AusTriathlon Coach Training Program you will:
- Gain the skills, knowledge and expertise to coach triathletes in the fundamentals of swimming, cycling, running and transition;
- Develop knowledge of the basics of the science of triathlon, e.g. planning and programming, nutrition, sports physiology and growth and development;
- Learn about the “art of coaching” – the fundamentals of communication and relationship building which are critical to quality coaching.
As an AusTriathlon accredited triathlon coach, you will:
- Receive Accreditation Certificate
- Receive a Digital Badge– AusTriathlon provide Accredited Coaches with electronic badges to represent the coaches accreditation level for the season.
- Access AusTriathlon Member Benefits – Annual members are rewarded with a membership package to enhance their triathlon experience. For more information, including information about the National Insurance Program please click here
- TrainingPeaks– Use TrainingPeaks to provide expert guidance, data-driven training, and immediate feedback – all through one integrated solution. As an AusTriathlon Accredited Coach, you receive a discount off your subscriptions.
- Access to State and National Coach Professional Development initiatives.
How often do I need to refresh my accreditation?
AusTriathlon is committed to the vision of coaching excellence at all levels of our sport. A key element of this vision is maintaining a consistent level of integrity and quality for all AusTriathlon coaches.
Every year AusTriathlon coaches will need to ensure the following is up to date to be able to maintain their accreditation*:
- First Aid
- CPR
- Working with Children Check (relevant to the state/s they are coaching in)
- Sport Integrity Australia Annual Update
- Renew their AusTriathlon core and coach membership
Whilst you do not have to complete annual learning modules, every three years AusTriathlon runs a re-accreditation process to ensure the sport is maintaining quality and compliance standards, building a coach’s knowledge base and providing an opportunity to establish world best standards of coaching practice.
Coach re-accreditation requirements will evolve over time in order to meet the evolution of world best coaching practice.
* This is a requirement of Sport Integrity Australia and AusTriathlon.
Can I receive Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)?
AusTriathlon has worked very hard to build a strong, robust and quality assured coach development framework in order to support the triathlon community in Australia.
Part of the evolution of the National Coaching Framework has been a commitment to quality coaching at all levels of the sport.
In order to maintain and further grow the quality of AusTriathlon accredited coaches and triathlon coaching practice in Australia no exemptions are granted for any AusTriathlon Coach Development Programs. All coaches must complete our Coach Development Program requirements to gain coach accreditation.
We acknowledge many candidate coaches may have some relevant triathlon knowledge and potentially some triathlon coaching competence. This knowledge and competence can be verified through the completion of our AusTriathlon Coach Development Programs, as the knowledge obtained on the program and the face to face contact with our Coach Development experts and other coach candidates is invaluable for personal coach development and connection with the AusTriathlon coaching community.
Internationally Accredited Triathlon Coaches
If you hold a current Triathlon Coaching Accreditation with another National Triathlon Federation recognised under the World Triathlon Accredited Coach Education Program (ACEP), please contact coaching@triathlon.org.au for further information.
What are the course costs?
Foundation: $325
Development: $785
Performance: $2,575