In the United Kingdom (UK), a significant Government investment was made into recruiting, developing and deploying 45 `Coach Development Officers` (CDOs). One of the CDOs' roles was to provide 1:1 development support to coaches - therefore establishing relations with, and facilitating and directly providing development opportunities for, practicing coaches. This article provides evidence of impact of the CDO's `coach developer` role using qualitative interviews with 46 coaches who had received CDO support. The evidence suggests that the CDOs provided a range of services including access to information and signposting (for example, to workshops and mentoring opportunities), and direct support. It was these direct services - support through Training Needs Analysis (TNAs), Personal Development Plans (PDPs), observing sessions and providing feedback, and being an informal mentor or critical friend - which were the most valued.
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