No matter what natural talents an athlete brings to a sport, the game can be won or lost by the skill of the coach. Coaches can be patient instructors, demanding bosses, and enthusiastic cheerleaders. Their job is to prepare athletes for competition, and victory. The best coaches also help teams learn from defeat. They may work with young athletes to teach basic skills, then refine and improve the athletes’ form and technique. Or they may manage entire teams, from running practice sessions to planning strategy for a big game. Most coaches also need physical endurance and the willingness to handle difficult outdoor conditions. Off the field, coaches study team statistics and footage of past practices and games, and work with athletes to improve their performance. A head coach may hire assistants to take on some of the budgeting and scheduling tasks. analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of opposing teams to develop game strategies. Coaches work whenever practices and sporting events are scheduled, often at night and on weekends and holidays. Though an athletics-related college degree is usually preferred, education and training requirements vary widely by sport. Coaches often start as assistants. They work their way up by developing good relationships with players, demonstrating expert knowledge of the sport, and helping athletes or teams improve and win. Some coaches become celebrities in their own right. Others may be stars only to the players they’ve coached, inspiring them long after they’ve left the field.
Related Careers: Coaches and Scouts, College Recreation and Fitness Teachers, Exercise Physiologists, Sports Medicine Physicians, Adapted Physical Education Specialists & Fitness and Wellness Coordinators
Sources: Minnesota CAREERwise & CareerOneStop
Typical Work Tasks
People who work in this career often:
- Select materials or props.
- Coach others.
- Evaluate skills of athletes or performers.
- Provide educational information to the public.
- Coordinate athletic or sporting events or activities.
- Coordinate logistics for productions or events.
- Manage operations of artistic or entertainment departments or organizations.
- Maintain knowledge of laws or regulations.
- Train others on performance techniques.
- Maintain records, documents, or other files.
Typical Working Conditions
- Frequent contact with others.
- Working with a group or team.
- Working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions.
- The freedom to determine tasks, priorities, and goals.
- Frequent decision-making.
- High levels of competition.
- Standing.
- Being in situations in which conflicts arise.
- Meeting strict deadlines.
Source: Minnesota CAREERwise
Most Important Skills for Coaches/Athletic Trainers
- Monitoring Performance—Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Teaching—Teaching others how to do something.
- Managing People—Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
- Coordinating with Others—Adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions.
- Evaluating a System or Organization—Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
- Making Decisions—Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Persuading Others—Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
- Being Aware of Others—Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Learning New Things—Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Listening—Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Most Important Knowledge Areas for Coaches/Athletic Trainers
- Education and Training—Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
- Customer and Personal Service—Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
- Psychology—Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
- Personnel and Human Resources—Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
- English Language—Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Administration and Management—Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
- Therapy and Counseling—Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
- Mathematics—Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
- Computers and Electronics—Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
- Communications and Media—Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
Interests
Different careers may be a good fit for your personality or interests. This career is:
- Social—Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
- Enterprising—Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
Source: Minnesota CAREERwise
| Wages Per Hour For Coaches & Athletic Trainers (MN) | ||
Low$14.48 |
Median$19.41 |
High$26.28 |
Low indicates 25% of workers earn less and 75% earn more. Median indicates 50% of workers earn less and 50% earn more. High indicates 75% of workers earn less and 25% earn more.
Demand
This career is seeing moderate demand compared to other careers. There will be a 0% growth for Coaches/Athletic Trainers to meet market demand between 2018-2028. This includes the demand due to replacement (workers leaving the occupation or retiring) as well as growth.
Source: Minnesota CAREERwise
This career is best for those with at least a high school degree, and many professionals earn an Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree. This career does not require a license, but certifications can help you move ahead.
View the local post-secondary education options from our partners: Central Lakes College & MSTATE.
Helpful High School Courses
Examples of helpful classes that help you prepare for this career:
- Child Development
- Computer Applications
- Cultural/Ethnic Studies
- English Composition
- Geography
- Health Education
- History
- Political Science
- Public Speaking
- Safety and First Aid
- Sociology
- World Languages
Source: Minnesota CAREERwise
