National Coaches Day Date in the current year: October 6, 2024

The concept of modern sports coaching has its origins in 19th-century Britain. At that time, students at the University of Oxford used the term “coacher” (derived from “coach”, a type of horse-drawn carriage) to describe a private tutor who assisted struggling students in preparing for exams.

As sports evolved into a professional activity, the role of the sports “coacher” (later shortened to “coach”) began to take form, becoming firmly established by the time of World War I. During the war, many military units had coaches who oversaw physical training and built morale through team-based activities.

Today, nearly all professional and some amateur teams in sports like association and American football, baseball, and ice hockey have a head coach along with several assistant coaches, athletic trainers, physical therapists, and other professionals making up the coaching staff. Athletes in individual sports typically work with a coach or a coaching team as well, although some opt to train independently, and national teams usually have a head coach to lead them and several assistant coaches.

National Coaches Day was established by U.S. President Richard Nixon. Having played junior varsity football in high school and basketball and football in college, Nixon understood the importance of dedicated and able coaches in ensuring smooth teamwork while helping athletes to grow individually.

Nixon designated October 6, 1972 as National Coaches Day by his proclamation issued on September 19, 1972. In the proclamation, he emphasized the role of coaches in the success of athletes and teams at all levels, from high school to Olympic. The achievements of professional athletes are nothing short of remarkable, but they wouldn’t have been possible without the guidance and encouragement of their coaches.

Coaches are more than highly qualified professionals in very specialized fields; they are counselors and friends who teach their students things that will help them throughout all their lives: the value of discipline, teamwork, working to become a better version of yourself every day, a healthy attitude to competition, and how to accept defeat with grace and grow from it.

Although National Coaches Day was intended as a one-off celebration, athletes, coaches and sports organizations across the nation has continued to celebrate it every year. It is the celebration of all coaches across the nation, regardless of whether they coach Olympic-level athletes or peewee teams: every coach is doing a very important job of helping their mentees to become better athletes and people. So reach out to the coaches in your life and let them know you appreciate their hard work—and don’t forget to post about the holiday on social media with the hashtag #NationalCoachesDay.