Free Sample
The Complete Guide to Becoming A Coach and Scout
The honest guide to the pay, the path, and the daily grind of coaching and scouting — so you can decide before you commit years of your life.
by Alumigogo Books
Chapter 1: What Does a Coach and Scout Actually Do?
Let's cut through the glamour first. When people say they want to be a coach or scout, they usually picture the same thing: the roaring crowd, the post-game handshake, the highlight reel. That's the performance side of the job, and it's maybe five percent of what actually happens. The other ninety-five percent is work — the kind of work that doesn't fit on a sports network broadcast. This chapter is about that other ninety-five percent.
At its core, the occupation of "Coach and Scout" is really two separate jobs that often overlap, especially early in your career. You need to understand both if you're serious about breaking in.
The Coach Side of the Job
A coach is a teacher and a manager of people, but the specific duties vary enormously depending on the level. A high school coach is a part-time educator and a part-time administrator. A college assistant coach is a recruiter, a film analyst, and a practice organizer. A professional head coach is a CEO of a multi-million-dollar organization — usually dealing more with personalities and contracts than with X's and O's.
Let's look at what a typical week looks like for a college assistant coach, because that's the entry point for a lot of people. Your primary responsibility is player development. That means running individual skill drills, organizing small group work, and spending hours breaking down game film. A typical practice might run from 2:00 P.M.