Sports Instructors and Coaches

Americans' interest in health, physical fitness, and body image continues to send people to gyms and playing fields. This fitness boom has created strong employment opportunities for many people in sports-related occupations. Health clubs, community centers, parks and recreational facilities, and private business now employ sports instructors who teach everything from tennis and golf to scuba diving.

The coronavirus pandemic has affected the sports field, causing lock-downs and social distancing protocols in many states and around the world. In 2020, gyms and related sports facilities have either closed or are starting to reopen but on a limited scale. To protect people's health, sports instructors and coaches are adapting to the new standards by instructing and coaching at safe distances, when possible, as well as by holding coaching and instruction sessions remotely through video meetings. When the pandemic comes to an end and gyms and other sports centers can fully resume operations, job growth for sports instructors and coaches is expected to be extremely good. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, this occupation will grow by 11 percent, faster than the average for all careers, through 2028. Job opportunities will be best in high schools and in amateur athletic leagues. More sports instructors and coach jobs are expected to open up in colleges also, as more schools will be expanding their sports programs and adding new teams. Health clubs, adult education programs, and private industry will require competent, dedicated instructors. Those with the most training, education, and experience will have the best chance for employment.

The creation of new professional leagues, as well as the expansion of current leagues, will open some new employment opportunities for professional coaches, but competition for these jobs will be very intense. There will also be openings as other coaches retire or are terminated. However, there is very little job security in coaching, unless a coach can consistently produce a winning team.