Sports coach
Also known as: sport coach for performance, sports instruction practitioner, sport coach for participation, coach of sport, sport coach, sports instructor
About this occupation
Sports coaches provide instruction in the sport of their specialisation in a recreational context to non-age-specific and age specific participants. They identify already acquired skills and implement suitable training programmes for the groups or individuals they teach in order to develop participants' physical and psychological fitness. They create the most optimal environment for the growth of participant skills and enable them to maximise their performance, while fostering good sportsmanship and character in all participants. Sports coaches also track the participant progress and provide personalised instruction where needed. They supervise sports facilities and changing rooms and maintain uniforms and equipment.
Essential skills and knowledge
- encourage students to acknowledge their achievements
- sport and exercise medicine
- adapt teaching to student's capabilities
- sports ethics
- instruct in sport
- assist students with equipment
- adapt teaching to target group
- teamwork principles
- prepare lesson content
- manage student relationships
- motivate in sports
- assist students in their learning
Typical tasks and preparation
From the related US occupation profile Adapted Physical Education Specialists (O*NET 25-2059.01). Linked by an official crosswalk: related, not identical; details vary by country.
- Provide adapted physical education services to students with intellectual disabilities, autism, traumatic brain injury, orthopedic impairments, or other disabling condition.
- Provide students positive feedback to encourage them and help them develop an appreciation for physical education.
- Provide individual or small groups of students with adapted physical education instruction that meets desired physical needs or goals.
- Instruct students, using adapted physical education techniques, to improve physical fitness, gross motor skills, perceptual motor skills, or sports and game achievement.
- Write reports to summarize student performance, social growth, or physical development.
- Evaluate the motor needs of individual students to determine their need for adapted physical education services.
- Preparation
- Job Zone 4 of 5
- Interests
- Social, Conventional, Realistic
Top skills: Instructing, Active Listening, Speaking, Learning Strategies, Social Perceptiveness, Reading Comprehension
US median pay: US$76,580 a year (2025), 33,930 employed. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Subjects this work relies on
How important each subject's knowledge is in the job itself, rated by people doing it (1 to 5).
- PsychologyO*NET: PsychologyVery important (4.0)
- English or Literature in EnglishO*NET: English LanguageImportant (3.5)
- Government and PoliticsO*NET: Law and GovernmentImportant (3.4)
- SociologyO*NET: Sociology and AnthropologyImportant (3.0)
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Preparation needed
Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
- Education
- Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
- Experience
- A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
- Training
- Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Related occupations
Occupations O*NET links to this one by similar work, skills and knowledge.
- Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten
- Special Education Teachers, Secondary School
- Special Education Teachers, Elementary School
- Special Education Teachers, Preschool
- Special Education Teachers, Middle School
- Instructional Coordinators
- Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
- Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary
- Teaching Assistants, Special Education
- School Psychologists
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.