Firstly, not all coaches are qualified. There are some who operate in an entirely informal way. That said, most sports now self-regulate their coaches in some way, largely due to safeguarding issues centred on how young people and children are coached. Professional coaches will often belong to one or more professional associations, however. The International Coach Federation (ICF) is just one body that regulates its members. Another is the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC). There are others and, especially in the United States, university courses allow coaches to gain the qualifications they need to practise professionally.