How to Become A Sports Coach

Trained athletic individuals who teach novice athletes and polish the skillset required for a particular sport are known as sports coaches. Numerous sports coaches work with scouts to find and promote skilled athletes.

Should I Become a Sports Coach?

Sports coaches’ job also requires them to closely observe their opponent teams to gauge their skill level and devise game strategies accordingly. They assess the skillset of each player in their teams and assign positions keeping that in mind. They plan, execute and repeat particular exercises and drills to improve the techniques of their athletes. Apart from handling and teaching whole teams, coaches also perform one-on-one coaching sessions to polish and improve techniques of their individual players. Sports coaches have the choice to either teach individual sports like, tennis, badminton, golf, ice-skating or figure-skating etc. or they may coach team sports such as, baseball, basketball or football etc.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2018)

As reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2018, Coaches and Scouts earned an annual mean salary of $43,870. In addition to that, BLS listed the Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures as the highest paying industry for this profession with an annual mean salary of $84,950. Furthermore, the state of California was reported to have the highest level of employment (25,750) whereas, the District of Columbia was listed as the top paying state for this career with an annual mean income of $66,650.

Career Requirements

Since a sports coach’s job is to train others in various sports, they must have extensive knowledge about the type of sport they are providing training in. All sports coaches must be familiar with the rules, regulations, dos and don’ts of the sports they train people for as well as the training schedule and diet plans of their trainees. To cater to all these requirements, they must exhibit leadership skills, dedication, resourcefulness, patience, decision-making skills and persistence.

Steps to Become a Sports Coach

If you are a sports fan and want to build a career as a coach, you need to fulfill the following requirements to begin working in this profession.

Step-1: Education

Sports coaches typically work with educational institution and they prefer hiring candidates with at least a bachelor’s degree in Sports Science, Physical Education or a related field. The curriculum of these degrees usually includes courses like Fitness Training, Sports Leadership, Anatomy and Physiology, Nutrition, Sports Psychology and so on. These degrees also provide prospective coaches with the basic rules and regulations and competitive strategic techniques of various sports.

Step-2: Training and Work Experience  

All formal educational degrees (such as the bachelor’s or master’s degrees) provide future coaches with hands on experience by pairing them with expert coaches. They learn under the supervision of experienced coaches by shadowing them as assistant coaches and gain field experience before working as full-time independent coaches.

Step-3: Licensure or Certification

Although there are no licensure requirements for this occupation, majority of the educational institutions in the U.S. prefer to hire sport coaches who posses certified degrees. The National Association of State Boards of Education is recognized throughout the U.S. And regulates the state coaching requirements. Most states in the U.S. require coaches to complete a set of requirements to become certified. For instance, candidates may need to,

• Possess at least a master’s degree
• Be at least 18 years old
• Acquire certification in CPR and First Aid
• Attend lessons related to sports safety
• Pass a background check