Becoming a sports coach can be a fulfilling career, but it’s not for everyone.
You can become a coach by earning your degree in the field and passing the required exams to be certified by your state. You’ll also need to get experience coaching youth sports teams before you can move on to coaching adults.
To become certified as a coach, you must have at least one year of coaching experience at the high school level or above. This can include coaching any sport, but most coaches start out with their own children’s teams before moving on to others’ children’s teams. The certification process involves an exam administered by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS). You’ll be asked questions about safety and basic skills like throwing and catching.
Aspiring coaches should also consider taking courses in sports medicine and nutrition so that they have a comprehensive understanding of how athletes perform at their best. They should also learn about how different types of injuries affect performance levels in order to help prevent them from occurring during practice sessions or competitions.
How To Become Sports Coach
If you like the idea of working closely with athletes but aren’t an athlete yourself, then a career in sports coaching may be a good fit for you. With the ability to impact the future of young athletes or help professional ones improve their performance, this career can be highly fulfilling. Learning about the primary responsibilities of a sports coach can help you determine whether this career is a good fit for you.
In this article, we discuss what a sports coach does, the steps you can take to become one and the average salary.
Related: Learn About Being an Athletic Trainer
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What does a sports coach do?
A sports coach is an instructor who trains, guides and motivates athletes, both professional and amateur, about the fundamentals of a sport. Sports coaches work with individuals as well as teams. Some of them may also focus on recruiting new athletes for college or professional teams. Their primary responsibilities include:
- Participating in recruiting and scouting activities
- Monitoring the performance of individual athletes
- Teaching and mentoring the athletes on all aspects of their sport
- Monitoring the athletic eligibility of student athletes
- Encouraging good sportsmanship and fostering strong character among athletes
- Supervising athletes in practice areas, on buses and inside locker rooms
- Maintaining the individual’s or team’s uniforms and equipment
Related: Learn About Being an Exercise Physiologist
How to become a sports coach
These are the basic steps you need to take if you’re pursue a career in sports coaching:
1. Pursue a bachelor’s degree
One of the first steps you need to take to qualify for a job as a sports coach is to complete a bachelor’s degree. Some ideal degrees for this type of role include a Bachelor of Science in Sports Science or a Bachelor of Science in Sports Leadership. Programs like these include coursework on sports and exercise science, Kinesiology, physiology, physical education, sports medicine and fitness and nutrition.
2. Consider a master’s degree
Depending on the level that you want to coach at, you may need to complete an advanced degree. A master’s, for example, may be required in order to work with athletes at a collegiate or professional level. It can also help to differentiate you from other candidates and improve your employment opportunities.
3. Obtain experience
While pursuing education, it’s also important to gain as much experience in the field as possible. You may want to consider working with athletes individually by making yourself available for personal training. You should also pursue internship opportunities, where you can gain hands-on experience in sports coaching.
4. Pursue certifications
Sports coaches are generally required to have up-to-date training in first aid and CPR. You may also want to consider pursuing additional training in coaching fundamentals or sports safety. High schools and colleges often require sports coaches to be certified by a state agency, NCAA or another organization that oversees the individual sport. In order to obtain their coaching certification, candidates typically must complete a CPR certification, pass an exam and participate in a clinic or camp.
Related: Learn About Being a Personal Trainer
Average salary for a sports coach
The national average salary for a sports coach is $16.97 per hour. Some factors that impact salary are educational background and experience levels. The level at which they coach is also another major factor that impacts a sports coach’s earning potential, as sports coaches earn much higher salaries at a collegiate or professional level. Geographic location is also another factor impacting salary. The highest paying cities for sports coaches are Austin, New York, San Diego, San Francisco and San Antonio.
Job outlook for sports coaches
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for sports coaches is expected to increase 12% from 2019 to 2029, substantially faster than the 4% average for all occupations. The growth in this field is a direct result of the increased participation in sports at a high school and college level. Both high schools and colleges project that enrollment in sports increase over the next ten years. Many small colleges are growing their sports programs to attract new students and promote the school.
Aspiring sports coaches can expect strong competition for high-paying, collegiate-level jobs, plus greater competition still for openings in professional sports. The strongest candidates are those who have a combination of an advanced degree as well as significant field experience.
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Skills to succeed in a career in sports coaching
In addition to education and experience, coaches need a number of soft skills in order to succeed in a sports coaching role. Here are a few of the top skills you may need to develop further:
- Communication: Sports coaches must have strong communication skills in order to teach their athletes the rules of the game, proper techniques and advanced strategies. Communication skills are also critical for organizing and motivating the team and giving clear and precise directions in a way that the athletes can immediately understand and act upon.
- Decision-making skills: Sports coaches must be able to make fast and accurate decisions during sporting events. They also need to be able to know how to use timeouts and other game-managing tools effectively.
- Leadership skills: Sports coaches need to be able to motivate athletes on an individual basis and also organize them to help them win as a team. For this reason they need strong leadership skills like positivity, management skills and the ability to inspire others.
- Interpersonal skills: Interpersonal skills, also referred to as people skills, are essential for developing strong working relationships with other coaches, scouts, current athletes and potential new players. Interpersonal skills include teamwork, empathy, communication and active listening. These skills are critical for helping sports coaches relate well to the athletes they work with.
- Dedication: Sports coaches need to be dedicated both to their sport and their team. They must attend regular practices and give their full attention to the team to help them improve their physical conditioning and skills.
