One Playground Merrylands has quickly become one of our busiest locations, and the demand we're seeing from the local community has shown us there's a real appetite for coaching talent in the West.
That's why we've launched a Western Sydney campus for the OneCoach Academy Certified Coach Program, running out of One Playground Merrylands. It gives people in the West the same practical, hands-on training we're known for, without the trip into the inner city.
A Course Built on Real Coaching, Not Just Theory
The Certified Coach Program combines the SIS30321 Certificate III in Fitness and SIS40221 Certificate IV in Fitness, delivered in partnership with Athletes Authority Education. It runs over 28 weeks, with online learning you can fit around work and eighteen practical sessions on Saturdays at One Playground Merrylands.
What sets it apart from a standard fitness qualification is how early you start coaching. Rather than sitting through months of classroom theory before touching a client, students spend twelve weeks coaching real PT clients on the gym floor, supported by mentors from the OneCoach Academy team. You also get unlimited access to any One Playground gym to train friends and family through your Practice Pass, so the practice never stops at the edge of a scheduled class.
No previous fitness experience is required. What matters is a genuine interest in helping people move well and feel stronger, and a willingness to put the work in over six months.
Why We're Looking West
One Playground has grown steadily across Sydney, and we're actively planning new clubs further out west. Opening new locations means that we need coaches on the ground who already understand our members, our community, and the way we train.
We've found that one of the most reliable ways to build that team is to train coaches ourselves. Studying with OneCoach Academy means you're learning the exact coaching methodology used across One Playground, working with our mentors, and getting familiar with our systems well before you graduate. Every graduate is guaranteed an interview for a coaching role within the business, and around half of our graduates go on to work at One Playground.
For students training through Merrylands, that pathway carries extra weight. As new clubs open in the west, they'll need trainers from day one, and there's a strong chance that trainers who studied locally, coached locally, and built relationships with the local community will be the ones we look to first.
A Growing Client Base as New Clubs Open
By the time you graduate, you'll already have real coaching experience and a Certificate III and IV behind you. With new clubs opening in the west in the near future, there's an opportunity on the horizon for graduates to walk into a location that's actively signing up new members, many of whom take on personal training as part of their membership.
It's one of the more practical advantages of training with us in a growth area. Rather than qualifying and then building a client base from nothing, you're positioning yourself for a location that could be filling its books with new members right as you're ready to coach them.
Flexible Enough to Fit Around Your Life
We know most people considering a career change or a return to study are juggling work, family, or both. The program is designed with that in mind. Online learning can be completed at your own pace, with around an hour a day recommended to stay on track, while practical sessions are set on Saturdays. Payment plans are available for up to twelve months, and there's the option to study fully online if that suits your circumstances better.
Coaches like Ngoc and Kunjita, both now working at One Playground Merrylands, came through the Academy from very different starting points, from hospitality to a full-time career transition. What they had in common was a willingness to start and the support to keep going once they had.
Is This the Right Time to Start?
If you've been thinking about a career in fitness, training in Merrylands puts you close to a growing part of the business, with practical experience, mentoring, and a real pathway to employment built into the course from week one. With new clubs on the horizon in the West, there has rarely been a better moment to train as opportunities are opening up.
The next intake begins on 5 October 2026. Enquire now to find out more or book a free, no-obligation conversation with the Academy team.
