Athletic Coaching

Career Areas

• Administration of amateur athletics
• Olympics
• Intercollegiates
• Administration of professional teams and leagues
• Player personnel
• Business operations
• Public relations
• Sales
• Marketing and promotions
• Ticketing and seat management
• Facilities management
• Event coordination
• Program coordination
• Fund raising
• Sponsorship sales
• Sport information
• Athlete representation

Types of Employers

• Professional teams and leagues (e.g., NFL, MLB)
• Professional athletes
• Professional player associations and unions
• Sport associations (e.g., PGA Tour)
• Conference offices (e.g., SEC, ACC)
• Governing bodies
• Colleges and universities
• Arenas
• Auditoriums
• Stadiums
• Golf courses
• Tracks
• High schools
• Youth sport programs
• Sport related franchises
• Training centers
• Sport camps
• Health and fitness clubs
• Recreational facilities
• Local sport and tourism corporations
• Sport marketing firms
• Sport management firms

General Information

• Develop communication, written and oral skills.
• Take courses in marketing, public relations, and advertising.
• Further develop public speaking skills.
• For player representation, pursue a degree in law to aid in negotiating contracts and financial planning.
• Obtain accounting or business skills and experience.
• Volunteer to coordinate athletic programs and events such as marathons, golf tournaments, or Special Olympics for campus organizations or local non-profit groups.
• Get involved with campus sport teams, intramurals, or recreational programs (e.g., team manager).
• Build a network of contacts with sport administrators, student athletes, and merchandise representatives.
• Join sport-oriented associations and organizations.
• Obtain an internship or part-time job with a team, an athletic organization, or a sport facility.
• Be willing to work in any capacity with minor league or local teams as a way to enter the field and gain experience.

Career Areas

• Product development
• Product distribution
• Sales and marketing
• Brand/Product representation
• Store management
• Internet sales

Types of Employers

• Sports equipment and supply industry (e.g., Wilson, Spalding, Adidas)
• Exercise equipment manufacturers
• Sport and recreation retailers
• Online sport retailers
• Sports & Fitness Industry Association

General Information

• Work in retail stores that sell sport or recreational merchandise or in campus recreation facilities that rent equipment to students.
• Gain sales experience through part-time or summer jobs and internships.
• Volunteer as a team equipment manager.
• Make contact with college equipment or uniform representatives.
• Develop excellent interpersonal, communication, and customer service skills.

Career Areas

• Journalism
• Broadcasting
• Photojournalism
• Sport information

Employers

• Newspapers
• Television stations
• Radio stations
• Magazines
• Special interest sport publications
• Sport-related internet sites
• Colleges and universities
• Nonprofit organizations
• Professional associations

General Information

• Major in journalism, broadcasting, electronic media, photography, or English.
• Supplement program with courses in sport management or physical education.
• Obtain an internship or part-time job with local or university newspaper or radio/television station.
• Publish, as much as possible, in college and local newspapers.
• Create a portfolio of published work, both articles and photographs, or an online portfolio highlighting digital media skills.
• Develop excellent public speaking and writing skills and a solid command of sports.

Career Areas

• Research
• Teaching
• Assessment and evaluation
• Program development
• Athletic training
• Personal training
• Rehabilitation
• Strength and conditioning
• Health club management
• Group fitness instruction
• Sport medicine
• Physical therapy

Employers

• Colleges and universities
• Public and private schools
• Sport medicine centers
• Hospitals and rehabilitation clinics
• Health clubs and fitness centers
• Professional teams
• Corporate health centers
• Professional fitness organizations
• Olympic training centers
• Competitive youth training centers
• Nutritional supplement manufacturers

General Information

• Major in exercise science, exercise physiology, kinesiology, or sport medicine.
• Supplement curriculum with nutrition and hard science courses.
• Consider professional or graduate school in physical therapy, occupational therapy, athletic training, or sport medicine.
• Obtain necessary certification such as Certified Group Fitness Instructor, Certified Personal Trainer, or National Athletic Trainer Certification.
• Develop computer skills and familiarity with technology used in the field.
• Work in a physical therapy clinic, health club, or gym to gain experience and make contacts.
• Volunteer to work with college or high school sport teams or to run exercise programs for local, non-profit organizations.
• Consider working with manufacturers of exercise equipment or nutritional supplements to learn more about the field and to make contacts.
• Develop excellent interpersonal skills for working with clients, coaches, and team physicians.
• Maintain personal fitness and athletic proficiency.

Career Areas

• Teaching
• Research
• Adaptive physical education
• Recreational sport administration

Employers

• Public and private schools, K-12
• Colleges and universities
• Public and private preschool programs (e.g., Head Start)
• Programs servicing children and adults with special needs

General Information

• Obtain a degree in education, physical education, or other sport related field in addition to appropriate state teacher licensure.
• Earn dual certification for increased job opportunities.
• Become familiar with a variety of physical, cognitive, and affective disabilities if interested in an adaptive physical education career.
• Supplement coursework with special education classes.
• Secure a part-time position with a youth recreation center, college athletic facility, or intramural athletic administration department.
• Develop competitive and instructive proficiency in a wide array of sports.
• Serve as a tutor, peer mentor, resident assistant, or student advisor.
• Obtain a graduate degree to teach at the college level or to advance into administrative positions.
• Secure a graduate assistantship teaching physical education courses.

Career Areas

• Professional player personnel
• Colleges and universities
• High school, public and private
• Youth sport

Employers

• Professional sport teams
• Colleges and universities
• High schools and middle schools
• Recreational organizations or leagues (e.g., YMCA)
• Country clubs
• Racket clubs
• Gyms
• Tracks
• Ice rinks
• Golf and tennis resorts
• City parks and recreation departments
• Youth sport organizations (e.g., Little League Baseball)
• Sport related franchises
• Sport camps

General Information

• Obtain teacher licensure in an academic subject for high school or middle school coaching positions.
• Gain extensive, advanced playing experience.
• Research coaching certifications in various sports.
• Develop additional knowledge in areas of strength training, fitness, nutrition, and conditioning.
• Learn about and practice motivational techniques.
• Become familiar with legal and regulatory issues related to coaching (e.g., NCAA regulations).
• Volunteer to coach neighborhood, church, and community teams.
• Attend practices of teams at various levels to observe coaches’ techniques.
• Serve as a referee or umpire.
• Seek a graduate assistant position in athletic administration, instruction, or coaching.
• Obtain an assistant and then head coaching position at the university level to increase the possibility of progressing to the professional level.

Career Areas

• Refereeing
• Umpiring
• Line judging

Employers

• Professional sport leagues
• College and university athletic associations
• Amateur athletic associations
• High school athletic associations
• Recreational leagues

General Information

• Volunteer to umpire youth or Little League games.
• Work as a referee for campus intramurals.
• Be prepared to maintain full-time employment in addition to refereeing while you get started.
• Join sport associations to stay current on developments in the field and to make contacts.
• Attend classes, seminars, camps, and workshops sponsored by these organizations.
• Obtain certification to officiate in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) games.
• Attend an umpire training school or camp for professional opportunities.
• Obtain the required ten years of collegiate football refereeing experience before applying to The National Football League (NFL).
• Earn the Professional Football Referees Association licensure or other applicable credentials.

Career Areas

• Teaching
• Research
• Consultation
• Performance enhancement

Employers

• Colleges and universities
• Olympic training centers
• Competitive youth sport centers
• Recreation organizations and leagues
• Professional sport teams
• Professional and competitive athletes
• Hospitals

General Information

• Obtain a doctoral degree in sport psychology, sport sociology, or clinical/counseling psychology and complete postdoctoral training if you desire to work with professional sport teams or athletes.
• Develop good relationships with coaches and other athletic department personnel.
• Express a willingness to learn from coaches and athletes.
• Gain experience in a variety of different sports.
• Assist faculty with research.
• Develop strong written and oral communication skills.
• Consider coaching youth teams.
• Develop social perceptiveness and active listening skills to use when working with athletes.
• Learn necessary skills to teach athletes about consistent performance in training and competition.
• Join professional associations such as the American Psychological Association (APA) Division 47 (Exercise and Sport Psychology) or the Association for the Advancement of Applied Sport Psychology (AAASP).

Career Areas

• Teaching
• Research
• Health promotion
• Primary care
• Inpatient medical
• Specialized health care

Employers

• Colleges and universities
• Hospitals
• Health clubs and fitness centers
• Olympic training centers
• Rehabilitation clinics
• Public health agencies

General Information

• Major in one of the social sciences and supplement coursework with hard science classes.
• Acquire training in the areas of research, grant-writing, and statistics.
• Volunteer in a hospital or fitness center.
• Develop strong written and oral communication skills.
• Learn to work well in a team environment.
• Maintain excellent personal fitness.
• Earn a graduate degree in clinical, counseling, social, or experimental psychology for health psychology opportunities.
• Earn a graduate degree in sport psychology, with an exercise emphasis, for a career in exercise psychology.
• Pursue a postdoctoral internship or fellowship for advanced career opportunities.