Job Description of an Assistant Coach
Before any great athlete takes the field or court or diamond, he will have had countless hours of coaching. Coaches help develop the ability of their players and their team, and they devise game plans and strategies for how to defeat opponents. Because the job encompasses so much, many collegiate and professional coaches have assistant coaches who help divide up the responsibilities and workload. Many head coaches started as assistant coaches, and many former players try to break into coaching by starting out as assistants.
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Knowledge
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The biggest thing an assistant coach needs to have is knowledge of the sport they are coaching. Whether they got that knowledge through playing the sport, or being an avid fan, it is imperative that they understand the fundamentals of the game and the strategy behind winning matches.
Function
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The function of an assistant coach is to support the head coach. This can be done in a myriad of ways--by running drills in practice, keeping statistics, coaching specific areas, such as offense, defense or special teams, coming up with strategies, checking out opponents for weaknesses, instilling a sense of confidence and sportsmanship in players and having a good rapport with them.
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Education and Certification
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While not necessarily required to coach at the collegiate or professional level, many assistant coaches get bachelor's degrees, especially those with less playing experience. If you wish to coach in the public schools system, a bachelor's degree typically is required. There are also many league and state certifications--in subjects such as first-aid or sportsmanship--that are needed in some leagues and regions. Usually, coaches' associations will have information on all the local league, clubs, municipality, county and state certifications and documentation that are required.
Salary
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According to Salary.com, assistant coaches made a median annual wage of $37,440 as of November 2009. Wages varied somewhat, however, based on the organizations for which coaches worked. Those at the lower end of the spectrum earned $30,000, while those at the upper end of the spectrum earned about $45,000 per year. The size of the professional, collegiate or high school program dictates the pay level. The larger the program, the greater the pay and vice versa.
Advancement
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While almost all teams have only one head coach, there may be several assistants. many of whom have their hearts set on being in charge some day.This makes advancing within the profession quite difficult. Assistant coaches trying to advance should make their wishes respectfully known to the program or individuals in charge of hiring, such as the athletic director. An assistant coach can advance by showing a dedication to the sport and team, while also demonstrating leadership among the players, as well as a command for strategy. According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the coaching profession as a whole is expected to grow about 25 percent from 2008 through 2018.
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