Coaching - Can you make a living out of it?

[Kae]

Hi Everyone,

I've been unofficially coaching for 5 years and I'm now starting the slippery path of getting qualified. I will be the first to admit that I know relatively nothing, (as there is just sooo much to learn!) but I'm enjoying every minute of it and I wonder just how real the prospect of turning this into a career there is?

As far as I know, there just isn't a career prospect (at least not one you could live off comfortably) but perhaps I'm wrong?

I'd be genuinely interested in your thoughts,

Kae.

[John (OSF)]

Originally Posted by Kae

Hi Everyone,

I've been unofficially coaching for 5 years and I'm now starting the slippery path of getting qualified. I will be the first to admit that I know relatively nothing, (as there is just sooo much to learn!) but I'm enjoying every minute of it and I wonder just how real the prospect of turning this into a career there is?

As far as I know, there just isn't a career prospect (at least not one you could live off comfortably) but perhaps I'm wrong?

I'd be genuinely interested in your thoughts,

Kae.

If you can't coach archers for real... why not run courses? .....that seems to be the route to a few bob imho

[Kae]

To be honest, as much fun as teaching beginner's can be, my real interest is in developing archer's (and I find that to be much more challenging).

Kae.

[John (OSF)]

I agree that is great and I find it very rewarding, I don't produce Olympians but they can all shoot

[mk1]

I think you need "proper" university level training in sports science as well as specific sports knowledge to make a living. As few archers are free to be coached except in the evenings and at weekends expect unsocial hours. BTW the SAA are advertising for a coach.

http://www.scottisharchery.org.uk/do...ach_Advert.pdf

and I'd have a look at the sportengland website etc for job in coaching to see what opportunities there are in other sports to give you an idea of what archery should have.

[mk1]

Forgot to say there are a couple of "archery centres" in scotland. One gets lots of youngsters and families from a local holiday park - so fairly seasonal - as well as running a club and having a pay per couple of hours facilities.

Another centre closer to Edinburgh gets small groups of special needs people from local council centres. Challenging but rewarding. Though I believe it corporate events that pay the best.

[grimsby archer]

Depends how you define "coaching"
Paid by the hour archery coaching for the average archer, no way. Theres not enough of them, you'd need access to premises, theyre all far to stingey and the hours would be terrible.

However:
Since the government announced ploughing lots of new cash into extra sports lessons for schools, I (club secretary and registered local authority coach) have been inundated with requests from local schools for qualified coaches to go into schools to teach/coach archery as part of the curriculum.
None of them have any setup or equipment at all.
I have been offered £25 per hour which, if I were made redundant tomorrow, would make it worth while organising a mobile setup and taking archery into a number of schools. I have 2 colleagues who are now doing this part time involving 3 schools. The downside is the job security beyond 2013 is questionable, so my wellpaid deskjob will have to do.
We are lucky in NELincolnshire to have a local government agency (Home Page) whos remit is to support sports coaches, employing community coaches (23 currently) and helping (financially) coaches become fulltime professionals.
Making a living depends on being flexible and spotting a market where it exists and creating one where it doesnt

Best of luck

[ASW1973]

the answer to your question is yes (I do), but it is very hard work!

[Kae]

Originally Posted by ASW1973

the answer to your question is yes (I do), but it is very hard work!

Hard work has never worried me, what do you do? Is it developing coaching or primarily beginners?

Thanks, Kae.

[ASW1973]

go to Performance Archery for better shooting and you will see what I do.
I coach all levels from novice through to internationals (working in the UK and Europe), I write regularly for several international sports magazines, including archery, I am a practicing psychologist working with athletes in several sports including archery and I am a consultant for a major archery retailer.