Booking 1-to-1 coaching too early wastes money and, worse, kills the fun. Booking it too late can leave a keen athlete stuck. Roughly, this is what works.
Early (5–7)
Free play and group sessions. Sports skills at this age come from repetition and enjoyment. 1-to-1 is rarely necessary — with the exception of swimming, where structured stroke work does help earlier.
Foundation (7–9)
1-to-1 starts to earn its keep, particularly in football, tennis, cricket and gymnastics. Sessions should be short (45 minutes is often plenty) and skill-focused.
Development (9–12)
Sweet spot. Technique changes stick, kids can self-review clips, and specialists (keeper coaches, spin bowling coaches, sprint coaches) become genuinely useful.
Refinement (13+)
Bigger asks — position specialism, S&C alongside sport-specific, tactical coaching. The mix matters more than the total number of hours.
For all ages, the DBS and safeguarding rules are the same — see our DBS guide.