Coaches coaching as a career

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CoachCatie

To all the coaches here:
Is coaching your only job/source of income, or do you have another job to support yourself and/or your family?

I'm currently living in Texas, used to coach team at a small gym but quit last year because the owner/head coach was very disrespectful and we just did not get along, so I put my coaching on hold. But now I miss it so much!! But I'm planning on moving to Southern California at the end of the year, so it's obviously much more expensive to live over there, but do coaches get paid more there?
 
We have the opposite situation! I was living in SoCal and then moved to Texas. I did get paid more in California. Cost of living thing I was told. I was at the SoCal gym awhile so I had built up a few raises. I know single people in California that were able to live well enough to buy homes and such if they were in salaried gym positions. Program Director, Office manager, Head Coach, etc.

Coaching is not what pays the bills for my family. My husband is a network admin, his salary is mortgage, fixed bills, savings, food, and gas. We also get benefits through his job. Part of my checks are used for savings, the rest for random emergencies, entertainment, leotards, caramel macchiattos, and everything Hannah Montana for DD.
 
Definitely look at what area you're planning to live in and get an idea on wages before you move. In many places in SoCal, it's 1200/m for a 2br apartment.

I know that in the south bay of some coaches making nearly 30/hr. This however is what I would consider a master level coach capable of coaching optionals and elites and was an Olympian. I would say many coaches in the bay area are at 20-25 unless they are the top coaches in their gym.

I would consider the bay area wages comparable to some areas of Socal. It sort of depends where you are but Socal is pretty damn expensive, period.

Right now I'm coaching about 20hrs/week for less than I would prefer, but I will bring that up at the right time ( after the season is done. the gym is doing better, but I hear the owners are sort of cheap, mebbe ).

It's my hope to find another job of either PT hours or get into the field of personal training to fill out my schedule and monetary needs.

We don't always end up at gyms with FT hours with decent enough pay to live on our own. I know of big gyms that have that for their coaches, but those positions are sort of filled and I kind of fell into where I am.

I could probably make some money coaching privates and birthday parties but we'll see. Too much of my resume basically says gymnastics coach though I can do office work and have IT experience.
 
thanks for the replies :]
my brother and his wife live in Orange, and they said I could live with them until I find a steady job and can afford my own place.
i'm just tryin to plan now whether i should look into a full-time coaching position, or just look for part-time and get a 2nd job like waitressing or as a receptionist or something.

although i don't have more than 6 months experience coaching team, i have about 3-4 years coaching preschool/rec/afterschool, and have been to a GAT convention (gymnastics association of texas), and I'm planning on going to Congress in Dallas this year and GAT again this year as well in hopes that it will put me ahead of other applicants... plus those conventions are a blast and I swear I learned more significant things at GAT than I ever did in college (haha!)... so we'll see... thanks for replying, i'll keep y'all updated...

how soon do you think i should start contacting gyms out there? i mean it's only march and i dont plan on moving until late december/early january.... opinions on that would be great too! thanks!!
 
Hmm, bare in mind most gyms will prefer to have their compulsory team coaches hired by April or May. As for December or January, the season is already done for compulsories and they will have hired for optional coaches they need sometime in summer.

With that experience, you probably won't be able to get a FT position as that is sort of journeyman level experience as I say. So maybe 30-35 hours a week. Maybe 5-6 days a week (Mon-Sat) and birthday parties/open gym on Sat and Sun.

More than likely they can find a spot for you in the compulsory program and fill in your other time coaching rec. You may have to coach preschool to get above 20-25hrs/week.

Look at CraigsList in the Orange County area and USAG classifieds. Also bare in mind, that commuting around Socal takes a long time because of traffic. Ya might think you could work in LA while living in Orange but it would be a real pain.
 

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