Have you ever stopped to think where your sports coaching experience can take you? Don’t assume your years of volunteering at the local rec center doesn’t count toward other coaching aspirations.
Sports coaching is so much more than blowing whistles and waving around your clipboard. It can lead to opportunities both personally and professionally you probably didn’t think was possible. Read on to explore what these are and how you can get there.
Head Coaching Position with a Full-Time Wage
So, this may seem obvious but maybe not for those who consider coaching purely a voluntary position.
According to USA Today, Kentucky’s Head Basketball coach, John Calipari, will reportedly earn $9.2 million in 2019, making him the highest-paid coach in college basketball.
USA Today
Who said there was no money in coaching sport?
While very few people will reach the heights Coach Calipari has, you could still earn a full-time income from coaching your own team.
Head coaching at larger private schools, colleges and universities cannot be understated. However, coaching at this level does require an impressive resume and history of success in the lower ranks.
The Armed Forces
As I said, sports coaching can lead to some amazing opportunities!
The armed forces, such as the Navy, Army and Air Force have roles in positions such as:
- Armed forces training and education officer (source)
- Athletic trainer
- Sports Specialist
- Recreation Specialist
- Recreation Assistant
- Adaptive Sports Co-ordinator
- Fitness Specialist (a bachelors degree is not necessarily required if you meet other set criteria)
…and I’m sure there are a bunch more.
These jobs also come with military benefits and professional development opportunities to sweeten the deal.
The only catch here though that is you’ll likely need a degree as a Higher National Diploma (HND) is not enough.
National Sporting Governing Bodies
Wouldn’t it be awesome to talk and discuss sport all day, every day?
Well, if you land yourself a job at a sporting governing body that’s exactly what’s possible.
But what do governing bodies actually do?
Well they make sure that all the rules that govern sport are adhered to and take disciplinary action when they are not.
They also decide on rule changes, regulate each sport and make changes where appropriate.
Here is a brief list of some of the governing bodies you may wish to apply for a position.
- United States Olympic Committee (USOC)
- National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)
- National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS)
- National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA)
- USA Basketball
- U.S. Soccer
- SafeSport
Click here to see the United States National Governing Bodies Group Board for upcoming jobs.
Your Own Sports Coaching Company
You now have the skills, temperament, experience and know-how to coach a sports team. Why not start your own sports coaching business and teach others wanting to learn similar skills?
While this can seem daunting, you can always start small, coaching family and friends in your local area then branch out to bigger associations when you have confidence and positive testimonials.
While you don’t necessarily need a bachelor’s degree because you’re in charge, even taking a basic coaching course can up skill you in areas outside the knowledge of the game, provide professionalism and commitment to coaching.
Prison
What!? Prison?
We often forget that correctional officers and even the prisoners themselves need health and fitness support.
While the jobs available in prisons are not directly coaching a team, the leadership and management skills learned, particularly through coaching youth sports, provides a skill set that bodes well for this environment.
Here is a list of jobs you may consider:
- Juvenile Correctional Case Manager
- Juvenile Correctional Counselor (normally require a bachelors degree)
- Juvenile Corrections Officer
- Juvenile Correctional Treatment Specialist
- Juvenile Probation Counselor (normally require a bachelor’s degree but a degree in psychology is preferred).
- Local Correctional Case Manager (normally require a bachelors degree)
For more information about these jobs see the Criminal Justice Degree Hub here.
Youth Worker
Did every child you ever coach come from a supportive, loving home environment? I doubt it.
Did you ever have to support some of your players more than their guardians to ensure they were safe?
“Youth workers work directly with children and young people, helping them to build life skills, develop healthy relationships and make decisions that are right for them”.
(source)
According to The Guardian, “ultimately, all youth work has one key aim – to help young people’s emotional and social development in an informal setting but through educational processes”.
A job as a youth worker is complex but incredibly rewarding. Your past experience working with kids, building resilience and working as a team with their parents or guardian has given you the skills to attack this job head-on.
Specialist Coach for Professional Sports Teams
Have you ever watched professional sport, such as football and basketball on TV or even locally and wondered why there are SO many coaches on the bench or sideline?
There seems to be a specialist coach for everything and one of these jobs could have your name on it.
Such jobs include:
- Early Intervention Specialist Coach
- Sports Performance Specialist
- Sports Specialist
- Defensive specialist
- The warm-up guy
- Co-ordination and agility
- Team Manager
Ask yourself, as a coach did you find you loved coaching a particular aspect of the game/sport?
While you might need to undertake a training course or gain more experience in a certain area through volunteering, a specialist job could open doors both financially and professionally you never could have imagined.
Sports Administrator
After coaching sports for a while you have a pretty good idea of what it takes to be apart of a successful organisation.
You know you need productive and efficient people managing different aspects of the organization in order for things to transition smoothly.
But what does a sports administrator actually do? Here is a list of potential roles and tasks required to fulfill the position.
- Managing fitness centers and sports facilities
- Managing and promoting sporting clubs
- Athletic director
- Sales of sporting goods
- Sports center administrator
While you are not “coaching” a team specifically, you are responsible for leading and managing a group of people of various ages from different backgrounds to a common goal. Improving the health and fitness and the community.
Personal Trainer
As a coach, did you get excited when seeing your athletes improve in regards to their overall health and fitness?
Did you enjoy time in the gym and on the practice court with your athletes overcoming injury, strengthening weak areas and achieving “impossible” health goals?
Becoming a personal trainer could be the perfect job for you!
Here is a list of job opportunities for personal trainers:
- At the gym
- On cruise ships and resorts
- Private classes
- Hospitals and rehabilitation facilities
- Community centers
- Online training
- Athletic performance centers
- Clients home
Qualifications required:
Most personal trainers hold a personal training certification while some also hold an associate’s or bachelor’s degrees in fields like exercise science or physical education.
According to the National Acadamy of Sports Medicine (NASM), in 10 to 12 weeks you could be a NASM Certified Personal Trainer.
Local Sports Councils
If you have been coaching local sport for a number of years, you have likely developed a name for yourself and hopefully a positive following from people in your local community.
It makes sense to put somebody on the board/council who knows sport and how it runs in your area, right?
If this sounds interesting, think about the big sporting clubs, facilities and parks in your local area and go investigate possible job openings.
Primary/Elementary School Teacher
When you started coaching sport you were probably doing so at a youth or young adult level as a volunteer.
So you probably didn’t have a bachelor’s degree in teaching and potentially still don’t. But obtaining this degree, coupled with your coaching experience can make you one fine teacher and provide knowledge only obtained with years worth of study.
A teaching degree or bachelor’s degree in the United States typically takes four years to complete. For elementary and middle school teachers, a bachelor’s degree in education is all that’s required
I know going back to school can be daunting but consider night school and studying part-time to make this dream a reality, even if it takes you a few extra years.
Not all people who work with kids at schools have a teaching degree. Some private schools make their own rules so don’t be afraid to see what’s out there.
Recreation Worker
As we explored in a previous post titled, How to Make Money Coaching Youth Sports, recreation workers could be an appropriate career or even part-time job for previous sports coaches.
Recreation workers plan, organize and lead activities for groups or recreation centers. The job of a recreation worker varies greatly depending on the location and is often driven by how passionate you are as an individual.
Most recreation workers get paid for their time and get to work with different people, groups and associations in a fun and enjoyable settings.
The training to become a recreation worker varies from job to job. But according to the Bureau of Statistics, “workers typically need at least a high school diploma or the equivalent and a few weeks of on-the-job training”.
Summary: Where Can Sports Coaching Take You?
Your years of sports coaching can set you up for jobs and opportunities which not only fill your wallet but also get you excited to get out of bed in the morning.
Where did your youth sports coaching position take you?
Cheers,
Emma
