How To Become a Sport Coach

So you enjoy sports so much that you watch it every chance you get or you may even play every now and then.  You enjoy sports so much that you are even thinking about coaching a sport but you are not sure what steps to take to find a coaching position or if you have the skill set to coach.  For most paying coaching positions you must have either experience playing, experience coaching or education. 

1. Experience Playing Sport – If you have experience playing a sport this can be very helpful in getting a coaching position.  The experience can be in the same sport that you want to coach or sometimes even a different sport.  Having played the same sport gives you more of advantage to coaching for that sport.  However playing a different sport can help you to get an assistant coaching position within the new sport which could ultimately lead to a head coaching position. 

2. Experience Coaching Sport – If you already have coaching experience this can be helpful to getting a coaching position.  Just like with playing the coaching experience can be in the same sport or even a different sport.  Again if you coached a different sport you might have to start at a lower level to begin with but then it is possible to move up after a few seasons.   If you coach the same sport moving up should be relatively easy.

3. Volunteer Coaching – If you have never played or coached before then being a volunteer coach is a great way to start.  Volunteering gives you a better understanding of the rules of the game and also gives you the experience of coaching the sport.  After volunteering for a few seasons it is possible to start coaching for pay.  After being a volunteer coach it is easier to move into an assistant coaching position.

4. Assistant Coaching - Being an assistant coach is another way to get your foot in the door of a coaching position. This is especially good if you have some type of experience in sports or some education but no experience.  An assistant coach can help to learn the particulars of the sport as well as how to coach for that sport by watching and learning from the head coach.  Being an assistant coach is a great start for someone who is trying to coach a new sport.

5. Education – Having a degree in a related field is helpful in obtaining a coaching position and the more education you have the further up you can go in coaching.  With a bachelor’s degree it is possible to coach high school sports and to be an assistant in some community or city colleges.  If you have a master’s degree it is possible to get a head coaching job in high school and an assistant or head coaching position at most colleges although some colleges require previous coaching experience at the collegiate level along with the degree. 

So if you have always wanted to coach a sport but never thought you could.  Give it a try.  Even if you do not have the experience or the education you can still be a volunteer coach.  Once you have been a volunteer coach then you can become an assistant coach.  If you have the education and the experience then it is possible to start as an assistant or in some cases a head coach.  Check your local school districts to see what types of positions are available.