any teachers out there?
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SueR posted 18 weeks ago.
I don't know about where you are, but here in Atlantic Canada, generally you need to be interested and have a heart beat. If you aren't a teacher at the school, a criminal records check is needed and maybe a level one coaching course in the sport (www.coach.ca for our national coaching certification program). I have a feeling that coaches are taken a bit more seriously in the US. Up here it's assumed that if you teach, you will coach something you know nothing about! What subject areas will you be teaching?
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Triman666 posted 18 weeks ago.
If you hit the USA tri page and check out the requirements to get your level 1 cert you will see it is pretty easy. www.usatriathlon.org Level 1 coach is a 2.5 day class and $500-$600 but well worth it for your credibility. IMHO
I would also recommend you attend a training class like total immersion or some other formal instructional program. this will help you get over the difficulty of teaching an existing swimmer a new technique. it is very difficult to overcome muscle memory when dealing with people who think they know how to run or swim and come to you for coaching. Helping them become more efficient or smoother is a lot harder than writing a workout page and saying, "Go".
Good Luck and make sure you charge for your time.
Regards,
Jim
Is that all you got?
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Anton posted 18 weeks ago.
Because you are able to do the sports, will not make you a good coach. No intent on being brutal here, but you do a dis-service to students if you attempt to coach them without the proper background. Without the proper knowledge you run the risk of injuring students, perhaps permanently. I've been in education for almost 30 years and see it often...students injured because of their coaches lack of knowledge. Being in education yourself you are learning how to motivate and regulate students...tools you'll need as a coach. There is a reason that most high school coaches hold PE, coaching or Kinesiology degrees or various kinds of certification well outside anything the USAT or RRCA can offer.
While SueR is right, sometimes all you need to be is little more than a warm body, it doesn't mean it's the right thing to do.
Check out the local school districts where you intend to apply and see what they require for coaching...then after you get a teaching position...sign on as an assistant or even volunteer coach to get some experience before stepping up to head coach, you'll learn a lot. Being involved with a school's teams is a great way to build a good rep in the classroom with your students and in reverse too...a bad coaching experience can lead to a loss of respect in the eyes of some of your students.
Best of luck!
"What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?" - Vincent Van Gogh
My Blog: http://anton.trifuel.net
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buckeyeben posted 18 weeks ago.
I'm a P.E. teacher and coach and definitely agree with Anton in that I think that volunteering or being an assistant coach is the way to go in your situation. At least for now. In addition to learning the various aspects of the sport itself, there are many other aspects and skill involved with coaching that you could pick up form others. For example, scheduling practices, periodizing for a season, individualizing training, conducting parent meetings and drug and alcohol policy meetings (we have those in our state), collecting forms, dealing with injuries, managing parents, developing relationships with local pools, parks, etc. Experience is always a great teacher. There's much fun to had in coaching. It can be a lot of work for the amount of money but you can also have the chance to affect students in neat and meaningful way that can have a great influence on their lives. Hope this helps!
Micah 6:8
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chekmarks posted 18 weeks ago.
secondary social studies and history, and what anton said was why i asked.
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gfd posted 18 weeks ago.
+1 on buckeyben and Anton. Volunteer and read everything you can about the sport and coaching in general. Foster relationships with the feeder programs and the parents. Solid relationships with these two groups will prove to be a great benefit. Also remember that these sports require a number of different training plans for each practice based on the abilities, mentalities, and personalities of your athletes. Not all sports are like this. LAstly, remember going into this that your athletes will get zero attention, credit, or praise in most cases, no matter how well they do. It is the nature of middle school/high school. But, at least in my case, it has been the most rewarding experience of my educational career.
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Triguy98 posted 18 weeks ago.
Find the best cross country program in the area, and volunteer as an assistant coach. A couple years of that will help you prep for being a full time coach. Running isnt nearly as technical as swimming, so it would be a lot easier to pick up. Dont udnerestimate the time and monetary commitment being a coach takes. My high school coach coached for 21 years before retiring so he could watch his youngest daughter grow up and be there for his son.
Life is short. Play hard and get dirty doing it.
i'll be entering the high school teaching world sometime soon, and was wondering how to become a swim/cross country coach. i don't have any experience in cross country and a little in swimming. would i need to take nutrition and training classes, or is the fact that i do them obsessivley enough?