Sports Coach

Sports federations. Sports organisations and clubs. Educational institutions. As an entrepreneur.

Browse job postings: Sports Coach

Sports coaches are required to have coaching skills and good knowledge of a particular sport. They must also be able to develop the training of the sport. Especially in the case of successful clubs and athletes, experience in coaching tasks is usually also required.

The profession requires continuous, long-term studies as coaching information increases. It is often only through years of work experience that a person becomes a good coach. Learning from mistakes and the ability to analyse goals and the performance level achieved are important.

The characteristics of a good coach also include knowledge of the physical and mental resources of the athlete being coached. The work also requires the ability to create the necessary faith in the athlete's own actions. The job description includes creating contacts with various parties, which requires skills in getting along with different kinds of people, as well as teamwork skills.

A coach shall act in accordance with accepted rules and methods in their work. A coach often needs to carry the failures of an athlete or team, which requires good mental sustainability.

At the Faculty of Sports Sciences of the University of Jyväskylä, you can complete a Master's degree in Sports Sciences in a major subject group in sports biology and specialise, for example, in training and testing studies. 

At upper secondary level, you can complete a vocational degree in Sports and Coaching and a Specialised Vocational Certificate in Coaching. An upper secondary vocational qualification can also be completed through apprenticeship training. 

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The data is based on the median income, meaning the amount of salary which is the middle of the salary amounts arranged in order of magnitude.

Source: Statistics Finland's structural statistics on wages and salaries