The Certified Sports Instructor
The JSPO has established training systems for official sport instructors in accordance with the concepts explained below and, working closely with the National Sports Federations and Prefectural Amateur Sports Associations, nurtured and licensed sports instructors since 1965.
16 sports instructor qualifications are awarded in 5 categories.
- Basic qualification of sports instructors :
Sports Leader
- Qualifications of instructors per competition:
Coach 1~4, Instructor 1~2
- Medical conditioning qualifications: Sports
Doctor, Sports Dentist, Athletic Trainer,
and Sports Dietitian
- Fitness regime qualifications: Fitness
Trainer, Sports Programmer, and Junior
Sports Coach
- Sports Management qualifications: Assistant
Club Manager, and Club Manager
The JSPO and member associations nurture certified sports instructors with the skills to promote appropriate sporting activities for people at every stage of life, helping build a better society by supporting everyone’s basic right to enjoy the riches of sporting culture.
The Key Concepts for Nurturing Certified Sports Instructors
The certification of sports instructors is rooted in the following key concepts:
【Player-centered Approach】
The players’
entourage must support the players and provide for their well-being.
【Human Resources】
This refers to the ways of thinking and judgment that give shape to good coaching (the coaching principles and philosophy) and, based on those principles and their philosophy, the attitudes and behaviors towards self and others needed
to express them well. By reinforcing this human resources, we seek to expunge
unethical behavior from sports instruction.
【Implementation Capacities】
The model core curriculum showing educational goals and guidelines (content, goals and hours) have been introduced to ensure coaches acquire the skills they need to coach well.
【Continuous Learning】
By providing the environments for continuous learning, coaches are nurtured with the skills to support
diverse sporting activities appropriate to each stage in life.
Certified Sports Instructor Matching
A special website, Certified Sports Instructor Matching, was launched in March, 2019, to match certified sports instructors with schools and other organizations which are looking for qualified instructors.
Organizations seeking certified sports instructors can use the site to search and advertise for them. The website is positioned especially as a service that helps solve the problems faced by school sports clubs by matching needs.
Types of Authorized Sports Instructors
Basic qualifications of sports instructors
Type of Qualification |
Role |
JSPO Sports Leader |
As leaders such as of sports groups and circles, etc., in the area, they undertake basic sports leadership and operation. |
JSPO Coaching Assistant |
As assistants of higher qualification holders, etc., they undertake basic sports leadership and operation in sports groups and circles. |
Qualifications of instructors per competition
Type of Qualification |
Role |
JSPO Start Coach |
Based on minimum knowledge and technics of the sport, in comprehensive community sports clubs, junior sports clubs and sports classrooms, etc., they provide safe and effective environments with higher qualification holders. |
JSPO Coach 1 |
As coaching staff, in comprehensive community sports clubs, junior sports clubs and sport class rooms, etc., they provide safe and effective environments based on basic knowledge and technics of the sport. |
JSPO Coach 2 |
As supervisors such as head coach, etc., in comprehensive community sports clubs, junior sports clubs and sports classrooms, etc., they take on the central role of leader such as in the drafting of plans of operation, along with providing safe and effective environments and supporting coaches’ development. |
JSPO Coach 3 |
For the purpose of performance enhancement, they train competitors as coaching assistants based at the national level and top leagues of the sport. |
JSPO Coach 4 |
For the purpose of performance enhancement, they train competitors based at the world level and top leagues of the sport. |
JSPO Instructor 1 |
In commercial sports facilities, etc., they provide services that conform to individual age, gender, technical skill, and needs, along with managing the facility, such as marketing, etc. |
JSPO Instructor 2 |
In commercial sports facilities, etc., they have responsibilities of sports program as supervisors of technical practices, along with managing the facility, such as marketing, etc. |
Fitness regime qualifications
Type of Qualification |
Role |
JSPO Junior Sports Coach |
At local sports clubs, etc., they teach bodybuilding and motion facilitation to infants and children through play. |
JSPO Sports programmer |
At local sports clubs, etc., they offer guidance and advice for the maintenance and improvement of fitness. |
JSPO Fitness Trainer |
In commercial sports facilities, etc., they offer guidance and advice of basic skills to athletes. |
Medical conditioning qualifications
Type of Qualification |
Role |
JSPO Sports Doctor |
They undertake health care for athletes, sports dyskinesia, diagnosis of athletic injuries, therapy, preventive research, etc. |
JSPO Sports Dentist |
In terms of dental and oral health, they undertake health care for athletes, sports dyskinesia, diagnosis of athletic injuries, therapy, preventive research, etc. |
JSPO Athletic Trainer |
In close cooperation with sports doctors and coaches, they undertake the health care of sports players, impairment prevention, emergency treatment of sports injuries and impairment, athletic rehabilitation and physical strength training, conditioning, etc. |
JSPO Sports Dietitian |
As experts of sports nutrition, they undertake nutritional supports to athletes based at the regional level. |
Sports Management qualifications
Type of Qualification |
Role |
JSPO Assistant Club Manager |
They not only support many activities for the club management but also assist a club manager to help the members spend a beneficial club life. |
JSPO Club Manager |
In a comprehensive sports clubs, They utilize financial resources effectively and perform good management so that the members can enjoy the club life. |