The main responsibility of a sports coach is to train non-professional and professional athletes to enhance their playing skills and abilities. According to a report published in 2008, there are approximately 225,000 coaches and scouts in the United States.
A football coach systematizes and guides a football team including the assistant coaches, team players, scouts, and even the water boys. A football coach provides motivational pre-game and half-time speeches. A football coach is expected to provide the team with the best probability of being successful.
Education and Skills Requirements
There are no specific requirements to becoming a football coach. Generally, a football coach started coaching elementary then middle school or junior varsity level. Usually, a football coach works his way up as he grows and acquires more experience. Entry-level positions necessitate experience obtained as a partaker in the sport. High school and college football coaches, however, sometimes require a bachelor’s degree. A degree associated with coaching comprises exercise and sports science, sports medicine, physical education, nutrition and fitness, physiology and kinesiology.
An aspiring secondary football coach must be state certified. He has to qualify and meet state requirements. Furthermore, for private school jobs, a certification is not necessary. Massive general game knowledge of football is essential. When it comes to working as a football coach, education is not always as essential as experience. A good number of athletic directors and football general managers are only concerned about the team wins and losses. A football coach must have the ability to communicate effectively and must possess leadership skills. He also has to be flexible and ingenious.
Duties and Responsibilities
Part of a football coach’s responsibility is to discuss with the manager, organizer, and team captain about the goals of the sessions. A football coach is also in-charge of the planning, preparation, delivery, and evaluation of the coaching program to improve and develop the football players. A head football coach offers encouragement and advice to the assistant coaches and helpers within the coaching team. He also has to be equipped and ready to hand over managerial work that do not require coaching skills such as keeping the register, equipment, and venue maintenance. Part of his job is to inform and update all team helpers, assistant coaches, and football players on the goals of the session and rationale of every endeavor.
A football coach has to engage all helpers and see to it that they are conscious of the worth of their work input. A football coach is required to liaise with the club committee to make sure that there are standard, fitting, and competitive opportunities for everyone. He also has to be well-informed about the special requirements of the football participants such as disabilities and medical conditions.
A football coach is also responsible for instructing football athletes on correct form and techniques in beginning and advanced exercises to develop the maximum physical potential of the player. He has to oversee the players as they develop and enhance their individual skills and abilities.
Salary and Compensation
In 2009, a typical sports coach earns $29,000 a year. In 2010, a college football coach earns around $375,000 to as much as $5 million per year. NFL coaches earn at least $1 million up to $6 million annually. In other levels, the salary of a football coach is dependent on the program that they are running.