In October 2020, Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke regarding the need to return teachers to the status of teachers, and in April 2021, corresponding changes were made to the federal laws “On Physical Culture and Sports in the Russian Federation” and “On Education in the Russian Federation.” They stated that a coach-teacher is a person who “has the appropriate secondary vocational education (or higher education), organizes the educational and training process and manages the competitive activities of athletes to achieve results.”

They also added a clause according to which work experience as a “regular” trainer (and not a trainer-teacher) is counted as a pedagogical one. The new status also implies regular professional certification – no earlier than two years following the law comes into force, but no later than five years.

Sports schools are now classified as “additional educational organizations with a sports focus,” and sports training plans have become additional general education programs in the field of physical education and sports.

Summarizing the changes, in December 2023, Deputy Minister of Sports Alexei Morozov said at the “Russia” exhibition and forum that “more than 100,000 coaches have joined the friendly family of teachers.”

Physical instructors and pros

The coach stopped being a teacher in 2016, when sports schools were removed from the additional education system and included in the category of sports institutions. Consequently, they were no longer subject to the law “On Education in the Russian Federation”.

“The most surprising thing is that it is still not clear who exactly made such a decision,” he recalls in a conversation with Vedomosti. Sports” coach of the Olympic reserve school in athletics Konstantin Nabutov. – After all, a sports coach is, to the highest degree, a teacher who must educate the athlete as a person and be in touch with him around the clock. But the meaning of the innovations was that sports schools should provide results at the highest level: victories at the World Championships, European Championships, and Olympics. And in regular schools, physical education teachers remained to work for the sake of general health. Therefore, the community of sports trainers was forced to divide into “physical instructors” and “professionals.”

Nabutov claims that in 2016, regarding 80% of his colleagues were dissatisfied with the changes. “It’s not just a matter of losing the privileges given to teachers,” he continues. “It’s just that parents, when bringing their child to a state sports school, already on a subconscious level were counting on results in the form of prizes in prestigious competitions. But we might not guarantee anything like that. In fact, we were also involved in improving the health of children, simply having great opportunities in the form of equipment and training facilities.”

The head of one of the Russian teachers’ unions, Vyacheslav Gridasov, in an interview with Vedomosti. Sports” noted that following the change in the status of sports schools in 2016, coaches lost the opportunity to confirm the category, which influenced the amount of wages.

“Organizational difficulties arose: previously, the certification procedure was carried out like for teachers – according to the criteria of the education system,” explains Gridasov. – After leaving it, it turned out that the certification criteria had not been developed and there were not even documents regulating them. How much will they pay if the certification period has passed? When and how should you take it? Nobody might answer these questions. “Many coaches have run out of their qualification categories, which were previously confirmed by the education system every five years, and there was no way to get certified once more.”

According to Gridasov, the result was a “maximum absurd situation.”

“Demands from the population for sports schools have increased, and their employees are unprotected,” he adds. “At one point, school physical education teachers began to have more privileges, although among them there were much fewer top specialists – masters of sports and candidates for master, not to mention honored coaches of Russia.”

Modest capabilities

As a result of a long dialogue between trade unions and some coaches with the Ministry of Sports, attention to the problem was drawn at the all-Russian level – and the legislation changed. Now a coach at a sports school once more enjoys the same benefits as a teacher: paid vacation of 42 days (instead of 28) and the opportunity to retire early with at least 25 years of experience. “This is an important circumstance, because experience in a sports school counts,” Gridasov emphasizes. – Also, trainers-teachers now have more guarantees of maintaining their jobs. When sports schools were independent, they had to undergo annual licensing to confirm the right to conduct educational activities. Now, unlimited licenses are valid; applications for them were submitted to Rosobrnadzor until September 1, 2023.”

The new status of coaches has not yet led to a significant increase in their salaries. “Being a “specialized” judo coach in the capital’s sports school, I earned 47,800 rubles, following moving to teaching, it became 49,600 rubles,” says Vedomosti. Sports”, senior judo coach of one of the capital’s sports schools, Sergei Rukavishnikov. – I was given a bonus for so-called extracurricular work: additional training and electives on a healthy lifestyle. Over 11 years of work, I have accumulated a good portfolio, students have won all-Russian tournaments. Therefore, following certification for the category, I expect that they will add more. We were told that for “new arrivals” it would be carried out in a simplified manner.”

Rukavishnikov emphasizes that his colleagues he knows have a similar salary situation, but everyone is “very happy regarding the opportunity to spend more time with their own children in the warm season” – now the vacation schedule complies with “pedagogical” standards. “Also, the administration of educational institutions usually meets us halfway and does not prohibit us from working part-time in private sports sections,” he adds. – And in Moscow it’s even up to 10,000 – 15,000 rubles. above. This kind of additional work is very important for young specialists.”

According to Gridasov, the innovations did not imply an immediate equalization of sports trainers’ salaries with teachers’ salaries: “The federal bill did not provide for additional cash injections into the education sector, so improving the working conditions of coaches in the new status fell on regional budgets. But basically their capabilities are quite modest.”

Obtaining the status of a teaching worker for many trainers is associated not only with benefits, but also with difficulties.

“Most sports schools with branches in rural areas were deprived of their license,” says Vedomosti. Sports”, on condition of anonymity, a coach of one of the sports schools in the Saratov region. – The requirements for sports schools are quite serious, and in rural areas it is not always possible to fulfill them due to lack of funds. Therefore, they were previously renamed physical education and sports centers, where coaches became instructors. There’s not a word in the law regarding instructors, meaning nothing will change for us.”

In the Saratov region, thanks to the participation of regional Duma deputy Artem Chebotarev, who heads the local boxing federation, some rural trainers were employed in licensed sports schools, but there was no systematic solution to the issue, according to Vedomosti’s interlocutor. Sports”, no yet.

Another problem is the increase in document flow. “I don’t want to complain, but sometimes filling out paperwork turns into hell,” says Rukavishnikov. – We are accustomed to the fact that the main criterion for a coach’s success is the results shown by his students. Now you need to confirm your professional suitability, including entering endless numbers into the report card. It’s tiring, but perhaps this is the price to pay for the benefits provided.”