become a Coach

Help others increase their enjoyment of orienteering.

About Coaching

Coaching in orienteering is a process of learning where a coach works with an individual or group to provide guidance and support to help them achieve their goals in the sport.

Become an accredited coach to help others enjoy their orienteering more and in the process improve your own orienteering. It’s rewarding and enjoyable!

OUR Coaching Framework

Orienteering Australia’s Coaching Framework aligns with its Strategic Plan. This framework outlines a guide to foot orienteering coaching education, development and support in Australia.

coaching overview

Quality coaching is a cornerstone for participation, athlete development and retention, high performance, and community engagement with orienteering in Australia. Orienteering Australia’s Coaching Framework describes how this is achieved and how being a coach supports engagement and participation in the sport.

Coaching Accreditation Overview

There are four accredited courses in the Australian coaching pathway. The pathway commences with “Orienteering Instructor”, leading into 3 parallel courses that match coaches with the participants they work with.

orienteering coaching framework

The coaching pathway is intended to track athlete development.  Learn and Play coaches work with participants new to the sport to introduce them to orienteering and equip them with the skills to optimally enjoy their participation. Competition coaches work with everyday orienteers who want to challenge themselves to do their personal best. Performance coaches work with elite athletes, both nationally and internationally, assisting these orienteers to train and compete at the highest levels.

The syllabus documents for Orienteering Australia’s coaching courses can be found here:

Orienteering Instructor

Learn and Play Orienteering Coach 

Competition Orienteering Coach 

Performance Orienteering Coach 

It is essential that all coaches have and maintain a current Working with Vulnerable People of equivalent clearance.  Coaches are encouraged to have and maintain first aid and CPR qualifications.

Orienteering Learning Centre - The First step to becoming a coach

The Orienteering Learning Centre is an online learning platform developed by the Australian Sports Commission. This platform makes the process of learning about coaching in orienteering and gaining accreditations both easier, faster and flexible.

The Orienteering Instructor course and accreditation process can be completed via the Orienteering Learning Centre with the Learn and Play, Competition and Performance courses to be available by March/April 2024

Start your coaching learning journey now, it’s fun and rewarding! Go to our Orienteering Learning Centre page for more information.

Accreditation and reaccreditation as a Coach

Accreditation as a coach is valid for five years, during which time a coach must acquire a certain number of ‘points’ to qualify for re-accreditation. The ‘points’ table for Coach Re-accreditation is available here – Coach Reaccreditation Points Table

Coaches can use this excel spreadsheet to keep track of their coaching practice and then submit when up for re-accreditation: Coaching Diary for Reaccreditation

Learn and Play Orienteering Coaches should submit this to their state/territory coaching coordinator, whilst Competition and Performance Orienteering Coaches should submit this to the OA Manager of Coaching Development.

Until Learn and Play, Competiton and Performance courses are available within the Orienteering Learning Centre applicants for accreditation or reaccreditation in these courses should download, complete and sign the Coaches’ Code of Conduct Agreement form as part of their submission.

Coach Development Help and Enquiries

Each Member State/Territory of Orienteering Australia has their own Director or Coordinator of coaching who supports accreditation and coaching delivery.  Orienteering Instructor and Learn and Play Orienteering Coach training accreditation are managed at the State level. 

Go to our Coaching resources page which has lots of good information about delivering coach education to athletes and other coaches.

Find out more by getting in touch with your State Coaching contact. 

ACT: office@act.orienteering.asn.au
New South Wales: jamieken74@gmail.com
Queensland: facrosato@gmail.com
South Australia: coaching@sa.orienteering.asn.au
Tasmania: coaching@tasorienteering.asn.au
Victoria: coaching@vicorienteering.asn.au
Western Australia: robgwest@bigpond.net.au

Orienteering Australia coordinates Competition and Performance Orienteering Coach courses.  Enquiries and registrations of interest in these courses may be directed to OA’s Manager, Coaching Development.

State Coaching Directors are welcome to contact OA’s Coach Accreditation Manager for assistance with accreditation enquiries and updates.

There is a separate page which will hopefully answer your Sporting Schools enquiries.

jwoc 2023 team. Photo: Natasha Key
The 2023 Australian Junior World Championships team, all beneficiaries of coaching though their state teams in the Australian Schools Orienteering Championships. Photo: Natasha Key