Remuneration Guidelines for Strength and Conditioning Coaches within Universities in the United Kingdom: International Universities Strength and Conditioning Association (IUSCA) Position Statement

The remuneration of strength and conditioning (S&C) coaches corresponding to the professional services provided across the high school, collegiate and professional sector, has received increased attention in recent times. This appears to be a highly contentious topic regarding the governance of industry awards (National minimum wage) and remuneration. While professional bodies have no legal power to enforce remuneration guidelines, they do provide key recommendations for consideration when entering an employment relationship. In relation to the remuneration of S&C coaches within UK Universities, the International Universities Strength and Conditioning Association (IUSCA) has recently carried out extensive research across UK Universities and found that there is inconsistent grading regarding the role of a S&C coach. In the professional sporting environment, the IUSCA understands that laws of basic economics and supply-and-demand will influence wages, and the value of an S&C coach may therefore be impacted. However, while the IUSCA values free market economies and appreciates that competition will often dictate value, circumstances within UK Universities are different, and warrant fair grading and remuneration. Therefore, the IUSCA has produced this Position Statement to assist Human Resources (HR) departments in developing Job Descriptions, Role Profiles, and associated remuneration packages appropriate to the provision of S&C support within university settings. The IUSCA recommends that these gradings should be incorporated by universities in the UK to ensure a fair and transparent valuation of the work of an S&C coach/practitioner. This should help to standardise the provision within universities and gives the appropriate recognition for the S&C professional. In turn, this will provide a basis for further analysis of remuneration in other countries and sectors within S&C, and perhaps help guide professional sport towards similar standards and recognition.