Athletic Coach
Athletic coaches are experts on a particular sport. They are leaders who guide the players on their team to perform the best they can game in and game out. While this career may seem to be all fun and games, it is not. Successful coaches work very hard and put a great deal of time and effort into producing a winning team and compiling a successful season.
Coaches teach teams of athletes the fundamental skills of a particular sport. They hold practice sessions to ready their athletes for competition, introducing drills that are designed to improve athletes' form, skills, technique, and stamina. Coaches are also responsible for instilling good sportsmanship, a sense of the importance of teamwork, and a positive competitive spirit in their players. Coaches also scout future opponents, manage team equipment, and possess basic sport first aid schools to be able to be a first responder, if needed, to any injuries that occur in practices or competitive play. Many coaches are also in charge of team record keeping.
Coaching is not always a full-time job and if it is, it is not always very high-paying, unless you are lucky enough to coach at the major college or professional level. Coaches who coach in elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, parks and rec leagues, amateur leagues, or at smaller colleges generally have other jobs as well such as teaching academic subjects or performing other duties which means the time they have to focus on their sport can be limited or not always ideal.
It's also important to keep in mind that job security in coaching generally depends upon your team's success. If your teams are winning more than they are losing, you are more likely to stay in a coaching position longer than if your teams are losing more than they are winning, this is just how it is. Those who hire coaches want winning teams and they want coaches who produce them, no matter what the circumstances happen to be.
Coaches generally need to gain certification in the state in which they are coaching or take classes or participate in mandatory training sessions before they are authorized to hold a coaching position. These certifications vary depending upon the sport that a coach is interested in coaching. Many coaches start out as assistant coaches to gain experience before moving up to head coaching positions and generally start out a lower level such as middle or high school before having the opportunity to move up to a college or professional position.
Athletic coaching is not for everyone, but someone with a true love for a particular sport, a constant desire to continually learn more and more about that sport, and a willingness to work hard has the potential to be a successful coach and a positive addition to a team.
Source
http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos251.htm
