Athletes, coaches and umpires

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Athletes and sports competitors compete in organized, officiated sports events to entertain spectators. When playing a game, athletes are required to understand the strategies of their game while obeying the rules and regulations of the sport.

Athletes spend many hours practicing skills and teamwork under the guidance of a coach or sports instructor. They spend additional hours viewing films, critiquing their own performances and scouting their opponents tendencies and weaknesses. Many athletes push their bodies to the limit, so career-ending injury is always a risk.

Coaches organize, instruct and teach amateur and professional athletes in fundamentals of individual and team sports. Coaches instruct the athlete on proper form and technique. They manage the team during practice sessions and competitions, and they select, store, issue and inventory equipment, materials and supplies. Coaches direct team strategy and call specific plays during competition to surprise or overpower the opponent. Advocating good sportsmanship, promoting a competitive spirit, tutoring fairness and teaching teamwork are other important responsibilities.

Sports instructors teach professional and amateur athletes on an individual basis. Like a coach, sports instructors may hold daily practice sessions and be responsible for any needed equipment and supplies.

Umpires, referees and sports officials officiate competitive athletic and sporting events. They observe the play and detect infractions of rules and impose penalties established by the sports' regulations. The job is highly stressful because officials are often required to assess the play and make a split-second decision — and some competitors, coaches and spectators are likely to disagree strenuously.

Professional scouts evaluate the skills of both amateur and professional athletes to determine talent and potential.

Irregular work hours are the trademark of the athlete, coach, full-time umpires, referees and other sports officials. They usually work more than 40 hours a week for several months during the sports season. Athletes, coaches, scouts and some sports officials travel extensively.

Training and qualifications

Athletes usually begin competing in their sports while in elementary or middle school and continue through high school and often college. Athletes who seek to compete professionally must have extraordinary talent, desire and dedication to training.

For high school coach and sports instructor jobs, some entry-level positions for coaches or instructors only require experience derived as a participant in the sport or activity. Head coach jobs at larger schools that strive to compete at the highest levels of a sport require substantial experience. To reach the ranks of professional coaching, it usually takes years of coaching experience and a winning record in the lower ranks.

Public secondary school coaches and sports instructors usually hold academic positions. They usually must have a bachelor's degree and meet state requirements for licensure as a teacher.

For sports instructors, certification is highly desirable. Part-time workers and those in smaller facilities are less likely to need formal education or training.

Each sport has specific requirements for umpires, referees and other sports officials. For high school and college refereeing, candidates must be certified by an officiating school and get through a probationary period for evaluation. Standards are even more stringent for officials in professional sports.

Jobs as scouts require experience playing a sport at the college or professional level that enables them to spot young players who possess extraordinary athletic abilities and skills.

Athletes, coaches and sports officials must relate well to others and possess good communication and leadership skills. Coaches must be resourceful and flexible to successfully instruct and motivate individuals or groups of athletes.

Job outlook

Jobs for athletes, coaches, umpires and related workers are expected to increase about as fast as the average for all occupations through the year 2010. Employment will grow as the public continues to increasingly participate in sports as a form of entertainment, recreation and physical conditioning.

Earnings

Athletes, coaches and sports officials and related workers held about 129,000 jobs in 2000. Coaches and scouts held 99,000 jobs; athletes, 18,000; and umpires, referees and other sports officials, 11,000. Nearly 30% were self-employed. Among the 70% employed in wage and salary jobs, nearly half held jobs in public and private education.

Median annual earnings were as follows:

Athletes $32,700
Umpires and related workers 18,540
Coaches and scouts 28,020.

Related links

For information on coaching:

National High School Athletic Coaches Association, P.O. Box 4342, Hamden, CT 06514.

For information about athletics at the collegiate level:

National Collegiate Athletic Association, 700 W. Washington St., P.O. Box 6222, Indianapolis, IN 46206-6222.

For information about sports officiating team and individual sports:

National Association of Sports Officials, 2017 Lathrop Ave., Racine, WI 53405.

Adapted from the Labor Department's Occupational Outlook Handbook.