Athletic coach
Nature
A coach is a professor, who is specialized in a specific sport for a rider or a team. Working in partnership with the physical preparer, he/she establishes a work program, generally on a yearly basis, with the objective of enabling the athlete to produce the best possible performances as well as avoid injuries. The methods a coach uses varies, depending on the athlete he/she is coaching, as well as the focus of the training: strength, resistance, flexibility, speed… A coach must take into account all factors of the athlete’s life (athletic, academic, professional results, personal issues, academic or athletic environments….).
Mission
Travelling to competition sites and meets
Planning training and practice sessions
Selecting work tools and equipment
Physical and mental preparation
Psychological approach
Relations with sports/athletic environment
Skills
Pedagogical skills and ability to enforce authority
Advanced knowledge of sport or discipline
Advanced knowledge of biology and human sciences
Advanced knowledge of sports environment
Organisational skills
Access
University sports degrees and national sports certificates prepare students for coaching positions. Elite athletes often become coaches after retiring from their own athletic career.