Introduction
Every year, the Checklick Coach Compensation Survey provides a clearer picture of the coaching landscape across sailing programs. The goal of the survey is to better understand who today’s instructors and coaches are, how experienced they are, and where they are working.
Understanding the background of coaches is important for interpreting compensation trends and workforce dynamics within sailing programs.
The 2025 Checklick Coach Compensation Survey collected 234 responses from instructors and coaches. These responses provide a snapshot of the current coaching workforce and the structure of programs that rely on these professionals.
This first part of the survey focuses on who the respondents are, including:
- Their coaching roles
- Whether they were actively coaching in recent seasons
- The countries where they coach
- Age demographics
- Coaching experience
- The primary sport they coach
By examining these factors, we can better understand the context behind compensation and program structure within the coaching community.
Methodology
The survey was distributed to members of the Checklick coaching community and collected 234 total responses.
Participants were asked questions covering multiple aspects of coaching, including:
- Coaching role and employment status
- Activity levels during the 2024 and 2025 seasons
- Country of coaching
- Age demographics
- Coaching experience
- Primary sport coached
- Compensation and benefits
All statistics presented in this report are calculated directly from the verified survey responses.
Percentages are based on the 234 total responses, unless otherwise noted. No data has been estimated or inferred beyond what respondents reported.
1. Are You a Coach or an Instructor?
This question was designed to understand how respondents identify their primary role within sailing programs.
The majority of respondents identified themselves as instructors, accounting for nearly 68.8% which is two-thirds of the responses.
In many sailing programs, instructors are responsible for leading training sessions, teaching sailing skills, and supervising on-water activities. These roles often form the core of seasonal sailing programs.
Approximately 31.2% of respondents identified as coaches, indicating a significant portion of the workforce focused on athlete development and coaching progression within sailing.
Understanding this breakdown provides useful context when interpreting compensation results later in the survey.
2. Were You an Active Paid Coach or Instructor in 2025?
Respondents were asked whether they were actively working in a paid coaching role during the 2025 season.
The results show that the vast majority of respondents were actively working as paid instructors or coaches in 2025.
Nearly nine out of ten respondents reported being paid for coaching activities during the season. This indicates that most participants in the survey were directly involved in delivering coaching programs.
A smaller portion reported working as volunteer coaches, while a small number indicated they were not active during the season.
This question helps confirm that the survey reflects the perspectives of individuals currently involved in coaching programs.
3. Were You an Active Paid Coach or Instructor in 2024?
To understand whether respondents were active across multiple seasons, the survey also asked about coaching activity in 2024.
The results show that approximately three-quarters of respondents were also active paid coaches in 2024.
This suggests a strong level of continuity in coaching roles across seasons. Many instructors remain involved in sailing programs year after year.
At the same time, the presence of respondents who were not active in 2024 indicates that new instructors continue to enter the coaching workforce.
This mix of returning and new coaches is consistent with the seasonal nature of many sailing programs.
4. What Country Do You Coach In?
Respondents were asked to identify the country where they primarily coach.
The results show that most respondents coach in Canada, representing over four-fifths of all responses.
Ireland represents the second-largest group of respondents, accounting for 17.09% of responses.
A small number of respondents reported coaching in other regions including the United Kingdom, the United States, and Antigua.
This geographic distribution reflects the regions where Checklick is most commonly used within sailing programs.
5. What Is Your Age?
Age distribution helps provide insight into the demographics of instructors and coaches working in sailing programs.
The median age of respondents was 22 years old, while the average age was 31.1 years.
The survey shows that a large portion of instructors are younger individuals.
In fact, 60.26% of respondents were under the age of 25.
This reflects the structure of many sailing programs, where younger instructors often play an important role in delivering seasonal training programs.
At the same time, the survey also includes experienced instructors across a wide age range, including respondents in their 50s, 60s, and 70s.
6. How Many Years of Coaching Experience Do You Have?
Respondents reported a wide range of coaching experience levels.
Experience levels included:
- New instructors with less than one year of coaching experience
- Coaches with several years of experience
- Highly experienced coaches with 10 or more years of coaching
This range reflects the natural progression within coaching pathways, where instructors often begin teaching early in their careers and continue to develop their experience over time.
The presence of experienced coaches alongside newer instructors highlights the diversity of the coaching workforce represented in the survey.
7. What sport are you primarily coaching / instructing?
Respondents were asked to identify the primary sport they coach.
Other Sports Include “Gymnastics, Judo, Sailing, Snowboarding, Skiing, Badminton, Swimming, Floorball, Powerboating, Navy League Cadets, Navy League, U-11 Hockey, Climbing, Landyachting, Sailing boat, Windsurfing, Biathlon”.
The vast majority of respondents reported coaching sailing, which aligns with the focus of the Checklick platform and community.
A smaller portion of respondents indicated coaching in other sports as well, demonstrating that some instructors work across multiple disciplines.
Conclusion
Part 1 of the 2025 Checklick Coach Compensation Survey provides important insight into the demographics and background of the coaching community.
The results show that the majority of respondents are:
- Active paid instructors or coaches
- Located primarily in Canada
- Under the age of 25
- Working primarily in sailing programs
Understanding who coaches are is an important foundation for interpreting compensation and professional development trends within the coaching community.
In Part 2 of this blog, we take a closer look at the pay, certifications, and benefits reported by coaches.
Read Part 2 here to explore these findings.
