How to Become a Coach: Career Guide, Courses, After 12th, Jobs, Scope, Salary

What Does a Coach Do?

• Coach Education plays an integral part in the development of every sector be it sports, career, or a personal coach. Coaches help to enhance the quality of life, hone sports skills, and so on. There are different methods adopted by coaches to train the coachee or the learner. 
• The training style is adopted to push the individual so that they can achieve their respective goals. The success of a team or a person inadvertently lies with the coach and their coaching style.
• Scouts on the other hand are individuals that look for skilled players to recruit for a sports team, be it a college sports team or a professional level team. Keeping in mind the overall success of a team, scouts look for athletic skills, attitude, and so on. 
• Scouts look for these talents based on the requirements specified by their coaches. A sports scout could easily become a coach with time if he/she has the knowledge and experience of the sport.

Steps to Become a Coach

There is no formal education requirement for those who have played the respective sport. If they have adequate knowledge of the sport and experience, they can directly start working as an assistant coach. 

Eventually, such individuals will be promoted as head coaches after gaining sufficient work experience as assistant coaches. 

Although, the candidates with no prior sports background but with a knack for sports can follow the path listed below. 

• Step 1: Candidates aspiring to be a coach or a scout in India, must have passed 12th from a recognized board with at least 50 percent marks. He/she also must have Physical Education as one of the subjects. 
• Step 2: Candidates can either pursue a diploma in sports education or go ahead with a bachelor’s degree. Some colleges accept candidates on a merit basis while some conduct entrance examinations. LPUNEST, BHU UET, ITM NEST, and similar are the entrance exams. 
• Step 3: There are several colleges that offer Sports courses in India. Once you have picked the right college, check their eligibility criteria thoroughly and the courses or subjects that will be covered in the course. Placements, teaching faculty, and infrastructure also are important aspects of selecting the right college.
• Step 4: Diploma in Sports Coaching is specifically for those candidates with exemplary sports achievements. It is the minimum qualification required to become a sports coach in India. After the course, the candidate is eligible to apply at any government or private colleges or institutions, even NGOs. 
• Step 5: After completing a Bachelor’s in Physical Education program, candidates easily apply for government jobs. 
• Step 6: Candidates can either apply for an entry-level role after their Bachelor’s degree or can pursue a Master’s degree. Aspirants can apply for a course in India or abroad.

Types of Coaches

Coach can work on different job profiles throughout the course of their careers. Some of the popular job roles are listed below:

• Assistant Coach or a Scout: The responsibility of an assistant coach is to assist the head coach. The responsibilities of an assistant coach are supervising and scheduling players' training sessions, setting up sports team events, and maintaining the equipment and facilities. Team management and administrative tasks are all supervised by an assistant coach.
• Assistant Scout: They help their superior in making maintain the records of the players as well as analyze their skills. The minimum educational qualification required to become an assistant scout is similar to that of a scout. The only difference is the level of experience the latter has.
• Physical Education Teacher: The job of a PE teacher is to have guide students regarding sports, nutrition, health, and physical development of the students. A PE teacher is responsible for developing creative activities that provide a more fun-filled learning experience to their students. Candidates can become PE teachers after a Bachelor's degree in Physical Education or any related discipline.
• Athletic Trainer: Athletic trainers essentially provide medical assistance to the players. They analyze the injury and provide immediate medical attention to the injured players. Athletic trainers might even organize rehabilitation programs for injured players, or develop injury prevention programs. 

Courses to Become a Coach

Various courses to become coach or scouts in India are mentioned below:

Diploma in Sports Coaching

• Netaji Sports National Institute of Sports offers a Diploma in Sports Coaching. Based on the documents submitted by the applicants while filling out the application, they will be called for the online admission test. Eminent sportspersons applying for the course are exempted from the admission test and the virtual interview.
• Candidates who have passed 10+2 or completed their graduation in BPEd/Post Graduate in any subject other than Physical Education can apply for this diploma course.
• Moreover, candidates with a Master’s degree in MPEd/ MBA in Sports Management, M.Phil/PhD in Physical Education/ Sports are also eligible to apply. 
• International Sportspersons can also apply for this course, provided that they fulfill the educational qualifications and the sports achievements required for the course. 
• The sports achievements required for direct admission to this course are: Won a medal in Commonwealth or Asian Games, or players that have represented India in Olympics.
• International Sportspersons applying for this course must have the following sports achievements. Participation in Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, Youth Olympics, Khelo India University Games, All India Inter-university games, etc.,
• The age limit of the candidate must be between 21-35 years of age.
• Age relaxation will be given to candidates belonging to SC/ST/OBC category, or a candidate who has participated in the following: Olympic Games/Asian Games/Commonwealth Games.

Bachelor’s in Physical Education

• The admission process for a Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Education differs from one college to another. The admission could be either merit-based or colleges might conduct an entrance exam. Candidates must also pass a physical test and interview round to secure admission to the course.
• Candidates who have passed the 12th standard with at least 50-60 percent marks from a recognized one are eligible to apply. 
• Candidates with prior experience are preferred for the course. They must have participated in sports competitions at inter, or national levels. 

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Master’s Degree in Physical Education

• Candidates are admitted to a Master’s in Physical Education after qualifying for the entrance examination conducted by the university and passing the fitness test. Candidates might also be required to submit a fitness certificate signed by a medical professional. 
• A Bachelor’s degree in the relevant field with at least 50 percent marks is the eligibility criteria to apply for a master’s degree in Physical Education.
• A candidate must be physically fit, on clearing the entrance exam they will be called for a physical fitness test.

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How to Become a Coach Abroad

• Coach Abroad require a Bachelor’s degree. A Bachelor’s degree in nutrition and fitness, physical education, sports science, sports medicine are all acceptable to apply as a coach abroad. 
• Candidates with a Bachelor’s degree in marketing, sales, sports management, or business can apply as a scout.
• VISA Requirements: Candidates who are applying to college in the USA need an F-1 visa. To study in the UK, candidates need a study visa. Australian /Canada student VISA is required for Indian candidates to study in Australia.
• Other documents that are required to apply for an international VISA are Passport, Academic Certificates (10th, 12th, and the latest degree (if any), SOP, etc.
• IELTS/TOEFL score is mandatory when applying for an educational program abroad. These standardized tests show the English proficiency of a candidate.
• If a candidate is applying for a coach or a scout position abroad, some states require the coaches or the scouts to be certified. 
• The candidate should be first of 18 years of age, and trained in CPR and first-aid. However, not always a certification is mandatory. Some private schools do not follow the same. 

UK

There are over 100 institutions in the UK that offer a course in Coaching and Scouting and relevant disciplines. Some of these include Bachelor’s degree in Sports Science with Professional Football Coaching, Bsc (H) in Sports Management, etc. The average salary of a scout and coach in the United Kingdom is approximately 25k pounds.

USA

More than 80 institutes or colleges in the USA offer courses in the relevant discipline. Courses offered here are Master’s in Sports Management, Bachelors in Community Sports Management, and so on. Sports Coach make up to USD 27k to 35k in the USA.

Canada

More than 60 institutes offer sports-related courses in Canada. Courses offered by the universities include certificate courses in sports management, Bachelor in Kinesiology, and so on. The average salary of a scout in Canada can go up to USD 45k per year.

Australia

4 institutions in Australia offer courses in Sports. Courses available here are a Diploma in sports development (Coaching), Bachelors in sports coaching and development, and so on. The average salary of a coach or a scout in Australia is AUD 47500.

Benefits of Becoming a Coach

• Career Growth and Salary: Sports industry is a lucrative career and there is sufficient career growth in the profession. Even though the starting salary is 2.5-3.0 LPA, the salary of an experienced coach and scout can go up to 30,00,000 per year.
• Job Security: Coaches hired in any government institutions or sports academies have job security. They are either hired full-time or part-time (on a contract basis).
• A Chance to work with international and national players: Candidates get a chance to work with other players (both international and national). 
• Opportunity to work in Outdoor locations: Coaches or scouts are often seen attending sports events, meeting different players, or coaching. A scout has to often travel in order to select players, which is often done outdoors. With experience and seniority level in the job profile, coaches or scouts are likely to travel most of the time.

Skills Required to Become a Coach

Salary of a Coach in India

Experience Wise Salary