• Few people who dream of becoming paid professional athletes, coaches, or sports officials beat the odds and make a full-time living from professional athletics.
• Professional athletes often have short careers with little job security.
  • Even though the chances of employment as a professional athlete are slim, there are many opportunities for at least a part-time job as a coach, instructor, referee, or umpire in amateur athletics or in high school, college, or university sports.
  • 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.
  • The events in which they compete include both team sports, such as baseball, basketball, football, hockey, and soccer, and individual sports, such as golf, tennis, and bowling.
  • The level of play varies from unpaid high school athletics to professional sports, in which the best from around the world compete in events broadcast on international television.
  • Being an athlete involves more than competing in athletic events.
  • Athletes spend many hours each day practicing skills and improving teamwork under the guidance of a coach or a sports instructor.
  • They view videotapes to critique their own performances and techniques and to learn their opponents' tendencies and weaknesses to gain a competitive advantage.
  • Some athletes work regularly with strength trainers to gain muscle and stamina and to prevent injury.
  • Many athletes push their bodies to the limit during both practice and play, so career-ending injury always is a risk; even minor injuries may put a player at risk of replacement.
  • Because competition at all levels is extremely intense and job security is always precarious, many athletes train year round to maintain excellent form and technique and peak physical condition.
  • Very little downtime from the sport exists at the professional level. Some athletes must conform to regimented diets to supplement any physical training program.
• Coaches organize amateur and professional athletes and teach them the fundamental skills of individual and team sports. (In individual sports, instructors sometimes may fill this role.)
  • Coaches train athletes for competition by holding practice sessions to perform drills that improve the athletes' form, technique, skills, and stamina.
  • Along with refining athletes' individual skills, coaches are responsible for instilling good sportsmanship, a competitive spirit, and teamwork and for managing their teams during both practice sessions and competitions.
  • Before competition, coaches evaluate or scout the opposing team to determine game strategies and practice specific plays.
  • During competition, coaches may call specific plays intended to surprise or overpower the opponent, and they may substitute players for optimum team chemistry and success.
  • Coaches' additional tasks may include selecting, storing, issuing, and taking inventory of equipment, materials, and supplies.
  • Many coaches in high schools are primarily teachers of academic subjects who supplement their income by coaching part time.
  • College coaches consider coaching a full-time discipline and may be away from home frequently as they travel to competitions and to scout and recruit prospective players.
• Sports instructors teach professional and nonprofessional athletes individually.
  • They organize, instruct, train, and lead athletes in indoor and outdoor sports such as bowling, tennis, golf, and swimming.
  • Because activities are as diverse as weight lifting, gymnastics, scuba diving, and karate, instructors tend to specialize in one or a few activities.
  • Like coaches, sports instructors also may hold daily practice sessions and be responsible for any needed equipment and supplies.
  • Using their knowledge of their sport and of physiology, they determine the type and level of difficulty of exercises, prescribe specific drills, and correct athletes' techniques.
  • Some instructors also teach and demonstrate the use of training apparatus, such as trampolines or weights, for correcting athletes' weaknesses and enhancing their conditioning.
  • Like coaches, sports instructors evaluate the athlete and the athlete's opponents to devise a competitive game strategy.
  • Coaches and sports instructors sometimes differ in their approaches to athletes because of the focus of their work. For example, while coaches manage the team during a game to optimize its chance for victory, sports instructors—such as those who work for professional tennis players—often are not permitted to instruct their athletes during competition.
  • Sports instructors spend more of their time with athletes working one-on-one, which permits them to design customized training programs for each individual.
  • Motivating athletes to play hard challenges most coaches and sports instructors but is vital for the athlete's success.
  • Many coaches and instructors derive great satisfaction working with children or young adults, helping them to learn new physical and social skills, improve their physical condition, and achieve success in their sport.
• Umpires, referees, and other sports officials officiate at competitive athletic and sporting events.
  • They observe the play and impose penalties for infractions as established by the rules and regulations of the various sports.
  • Umpires, referees, and sports officials anticipate play and position themselves to best see the action, assess the situation, and determine any violations.
  • Some sports officials, such as boxing referees, may work independently, while others such as umpires work in groups.
  • Regardless of the sport, the job is highly stressful because officials are often required to make a decision in a split second, sometimes resulting in strong disagreement among competitors, coaches, and spectators.
• Professional scouts evaluate the skills of both amateur and professional athletes to determine talent and potential.
  • As a sports intelligence agent, the scout's primary duty is to seek out top athletic candidates for the team he or she represents.
  • At the professional level, scouts typically work for scouting organizations or as freelance scouts.
  • In locating new talent, scouts perform their work in secrecy so as not to “tip off” their opponents about their interest in certain players.
  • At the college level, the head scout often is an assistant coach, although freelance scouts may aid colleges by reporting to coaches about exceptional players.
  • Scouts at this level seek talented high school athletes by reading newspapers, contacting high school coaches and alumni, attending high school games, and studying videotapes of prospects' performances.
  • They also evaluate potential players' background and personal characteristics, such as motivation and discipline, by talking to the players' coaches, parents, and teachers.

• A larger population overall that will continue to participate in organized sports for entertainment, recreation, and physical conditioning will boost demand for these workers, particularly for coaches, umpires, sports instructors, and other related workers.
• Job growth also will be driven by the increasing number of retirees who are expected to participate more in leisure activities such as golf and tennis, which require instruction.
• Additionally, the demand for private sports instruction is expected to grow among young athletes as parents try to help their children reach their full potential.
• Future expansion of new professional teams and leagues may create additional openings for all of these workers.
• Additional coaches and instructors are expected to be needed as school and college athletic programs expand.
• Population growth is expected to cause the construction of additional schools, but funding for athletic programs often is cut first when budgets become tight.
• Still, the popularity of team sports often enables shortfalls to be offset with the assistance from fundraisers, booster clubs, and parents. In colleges, most of the expansion is expected to be in women’s sports.
• Persons who are State-certified to teach academic subjects are likely to have the best prospects for obtaining coaching and instructor jobs in schools. The need to replace the many high school coaches will provide most coaching opportunities.
• Competition for professional athlete jobs will continue to be extremely keen.
• The expansion of non-traditional sports may create some additional opportunities.
• Because most professional athletes' careers last only a few years due to debilitating injuries and age, annual replacement needs for these jobs is high, creating some job opportunities.
• However, the talented young men and women who dream of becoming sports superstars greatly outnumber the number of openings.
• Opportunities should be best for persons seeking part-time umpire, referee, and other sports official jobs at the high school level.
• Coaches in girls’ and women’s sports may have better opportunities and face less competition for positions.
• Competition is expected for higher paying jobs at the college level and will be even greater for jobs in professional sports.
• Competition should be keen for paying jobs as scouts, particularly for professional teams, because the number of available positions is limited.

Other occupations involved with athletes or sports include Dietitians and nutritionists; Fitness workers; Physical therapists; Recreation workers; Recreational therapists;

Other workers who teach and motivate students include Teachers-kindergarten, elementary, middle, secondary.

Education and training requirements for athletes, coaches, umpires, and related workers vary greatly by the level and type of sport. Regardless of the sport or occupation, these jobs require immense overall knowledge of the game, usually acquired through years of experience at lower levels.