Coaching (7cr)

Evaluation scale

0 - 5

Content scheduling

Fall semester 2025 (2 credits) pass/fail.
Spring 2026 (2 credits) pass/fail.

Sports academy practical training and the reporting task (3 credits) 0 - 5.
Vuokatti coaching groups -Autumn 2025-Spring 2026
Kajaani coaching groups -Autumn 2026 (football autumn 2026-spring 2027)

Objective

The students will know how the coaching system works, the physiological and biomechanical foundations that coaching requires, the most common ways of testing athletes and can use their acquired knowledge analytically in an effective and safe coaching process. The student understands the interaction skills needed in coaching and is able to apply them in practice. In addition, the student is able to analyze his / her own coaching skills and their development. Students can describe the basics of strength and power training and program gym training sessions. Furthermore the students will be able describe and explain the different forms of endurance training and build endurance training programs.

Execution methods

The study course is implemented as face-to-face teaching in Vuokatti. Course includes classroom teaching, demos in practice and coaching in real life working environment.

Content

- The basic concepts of coaching applying them in coaching
- The principles of aerobic and anaerobic energy production in the development of endurance.
- The principles of the neuromuscular system functions in the development of strength, speed and power.
- Testing methods of different performance variables and their use in practice
- The analysis and development monitoring of own coaching competence
- The basics of strength, power and endurance training
- Programming gym training
- Programming endurance training

Location and time

From beginning of fall semester 2025 to end of fall semester 2026

Materials

The studying material is provided in Moodle.
Course support material for tasks and report:
McArdle et al. 2007, Exercise physiology
Wilmore, J. H., Costill, D. L. & Kenney, W. L. (2008). Physiology of sport and exercise (4th ed.). Human Kinetics.
Gore et al. 2000, Physiological tests for elite athletes (Joonas has 1 book, can be loaned from Joonas' office)
Shaw, D., Corban, R. & Gorely, T. (2005). Sport and Exercise Psychology. BIOS Scientific Publishers.
Stafford, I. (2011). Coaching children in sport. Routledge.
Baechle, T. R. & Earle, R. W. (2008). Essentials of strength training and conditioning (3rd ed.). Human Kinetics.
Zatsiorsky, V. M. & Kraemer, W. J. (2006). Science and practice of strength training (2nd ed.). Human Kinetics.
Delavier, F. (2006). Strength training anatomy (2nd ed.). Human Kinetics.

Teaching methods

The study course is implemented as contact teaching in Vuokatti.
Course includes:
- Classroom teaching
- Writing assignments
- Group assignments
- independent studying
- Demos in practice
- Coaching in real life working environment.

Student workload

The course is worth of 7 credits which corresponds to 189 hours of students work
The course has 20 contact teaching lessons in total which corresponds to 30 hours of work
Rest of the students work (159 hours) is covered by independent studying, course tasks and sports academy practical training and reporting.

Fall semester 2025 corresponds to 2 credits which requires 54 hours of work
Spring 2026 semester corresponds to 2 credits which requires 54 hours of work
Sports academy practical training and reporting corresponds to 3 credits which requires 81 hours of work.

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1)

The students are able to use single concepts and name basic information concerning their field. They are able to work in an appropriate manner but without making the connections between different areas of coaching. Yet they are able to plan a safe coaching program and can analyse individual parts of it.

Assessment criteria, good (3)

The students are proficient in the concepts and terminology of their professional field . They can assess their own competence and the way their professional field operates. They are able to work professionally in customers situations and can justify their work in a professional manner. They are able to plan a safe coaching process according to coaching science principles but with a lack of attention to detail. Their overall capacity for analysis is not entirely comprehensive.

Assessment criteria, excellent (5)

The students are able to apply acquired knowledge and treat the whole issue in a customer-oriented manner. They are able to assess and reflect upon their own competence and how their professional field operates using their acquired knowledge. They are able to plan and implement a coaching process safely and in detail according to the characteristics and needs of their clientele based on a
comprehensive analysis.

Further information

There is 80% attendance requirement for lessons and 100% attendance requirement for presentations and demos. Less than 60 % attendance will result in automatic fail.