Career Overview
Instruct or coach groups or individuals in the fundamentals of sports for the primary purpose of competition. Demonstrate techniques and methods of participation. May evaluate athletes' strengths and weaknesses as possible recruits or to improve the athletes' technique to prepare them for competition. Those required to hold teaching certifications should be reported in the appropriate teaching category.
Also Known As
- Basketball Coach
- Coach
- Football Coach
- Track and Field Coach
Alternate Job Titles
- Athletic Coach
- Athletic Instructor
- Athletic Scout
- Athletics Teacher
- Baseball Club Manager
- Baseball Coach
- Baseball Scout
- Basketball Coach
- Bowling Teacher
- Boxing Coach
- Boxing Trainer
- Boys Basketball Coach
- Cheerleading Coach
- Coach
- College Basketball Coach
What You'll Do
In this role, your typical responsibilities include:
- Plan, organize, and conduct practice sessions.
- Provide training direction, encouragement, motivation, and nutritional advice to prepare athletes for games, competitive events, or tours.
- Adjust coaching techniques, based on the strengths and weaknesses of athletes.
- Instruct individuals or groups in sports rules, game strategies, and performance principles, such as specific ways of moving the body, hands, or feet, to achieve desired results.
- Plan strategies and choose team members for individual games or sports seasons.
- Monitor the academic eligibility of student athletes.
- Counsel student athletes on academic, athletic, and personal issues.
Knowledge You'll Use
You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:
- Education and Training
- English Language
- Administration and Management
- Psychology
- Customer and Personal Service
Essential Skills
Success in this career requires strong skills in:
- Instructing
- Speaking
- Learning Strategies
- Monitoring
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Social Perceptiveness
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Active Listening
- Time Management
Key Abilities
This career requires key abilities in:
- Oral Expression
- Oral Comprehension
- Speech Recognition
- Speech Clarity
- Information Ordering
- Originality
- Fluency of Ideas
- Category Flexibility
- Written Comprehension
- Inductive Reasoning
Work Style
People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:
- Leadership Orientation
- Dependability
- Achievement Orientation
- Social Orientation
- Self-Confidence
What Matters in This Career
This career tends to satisfy these work values:
- Achievement
- Relationships
- Independence
- Working Conditions
- Recognition
Education & Preparation
Typical Education: Bachelor's Degree
Related Work Experience Needed: Over 4 years, up to and including 6 years
On-the-Job Training: Anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month
Education Details: Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Experience Required: A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Technology You'll Use
Popular Technologies & Software
- C++
- Google Docs
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Word
Tools & Equipment
- Baseball catching gloves
- Communications headsets
- Cyclical variations in adaptive conditioning CVAC pods
- Digital stopwatches
- Digital video cameras
- Digital video disk DVD players
- Field hockey sticks
- Figure skates
- Football training dummies
- Football training sleds
- Ice hockey skates
- Ice hockey sticks
- Interactive whiteboards
- Laptop computers
- Motion analysis equipment
Work Environment
- Contact With Others
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
Salary & Job Market
| Salary Percentile | Annual Wage |
|---|---|
| Entry-Level (10th percentile) | $27,490 |
| Median | $45,920 |
| Top Earners (90th percentile) | $93,980 |
Workers Employed Nationally: 250,940
Related Careers
If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:
Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: $38,820
Athletes and Sports Competitors
Education: Less than a High School Diploma
Median Salary: $62,360
Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors
Education: Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)
Median Salary: $46,180
Athletic Trainers
Education: Master's Degree
Median Salary: $60,250
Self-Enrichment Teachers
Education: Master's Degree
Median Salary: $45,590
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Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.