What do Sports Coach, Instructor or Official Do?
If you like working with people and enjoy being active, then a career in the sports and fitness industry may be what you’re looking for. Whether it’s helping others get into shape, helping to maintain healthy lifestyles, or working with the more elite athlete, a career as a health and fitness professional can prove very rewarding.
What is the Sports and Fitness Industry?
The sports and fitness industry plays a crucial role in the health and well-being of all Australians. As well as physical health, the industry promotes mental health of individuals and plays a key role in securing the health of our society as a whole.
The sports and fitness industry covers a wide range of jobs and careers. For example, you could find yourself working in one of the ever-growing numbers of gyms or health centres around the country. If you don’t want to work for someone else, then you may wish to establish your own business as a personal fitness trainer. Other careers on offer (depending upon your qualifications) can include sports management or even physical therapy. Or perhaps you dream of coaching kids’ sport, or playing a pivotal role in the life of an elite athlete. Either way, a sports or fitness career is bound to be full of action.
“Keeping people fit and healthy is big business. With qualifications in the sport and fitness industry, you will ensure yourself a varied and exciting career that can take you anywhere in Australia, or even around the world.”
What Qualifications do I Need?
There is a wide range of different courses available to equip you for this exciting sector. Ranging from certificate qualifications through to undergraduate degrees, and graduate diplomas, there’s sure to be something to suit you.
The Certificate IV in Fitness is the perfect qualification if you wish to develop your knowledge and skills in the delivery and instruction of exercise programs in fitness centres, outdoor environments or with individual clients and small groups. Not only will you learn how to conduct fitness assessments and exercise programs, but you’ll also learn about the legalities of training, motivational psychology, and business planning. This is the minimum qualification needed to become a registered Personal Trainer.
The industry-recognised Diploma of Sports Development will help you begin a new career in the arena of sports, as well as build your skills to continue to work in the sports industry. Developed in association with industry professionals, this course will provide you with up-to-date skills and knowledge in coaching practices, risk management, drugs in sport, team management, project management and sports psychology. Delivered entirely online, you can fit your around your work. And as it is VET FEE-HELP approved, you can study now and pay for your course later.
If you wish to take your career to greater heights, then consider undertaking one of the many undergraduate degrees available.
The Bachelor of Health and Movement (Sport) will provide you with a strong understanding of human movement and health, with a major focus on managing and planning sport and exercise activities in a variety of education settings and community environments.
The Bachelor of Health Science (Fitness), will allow you to study health science with a major in fitness and will equip you to apply this knowledge in client assessments, and designing, implementing and evaluating exercise programs. The Bachelor of Health Science (Sports), developed due to increasing evidence that sport and physical activity play an important role in health and wellbeing, will show you how to apply scientific principles to sports and exercise. Both degrees can lead to a range of different educational career opportunities.
For a superior gateway into careers such as personal training, corporate health, special needs training, fitness writing or event presentation, the Bachelor of Applied Fitness incorporates the vocational requirement while delivering a higher level qualification.
However, if you are more interested in the administrative side of sports and fitness, then you can choose from the Bachelor of Sports Business or a Bachelor of Business (Sports Management). Both will train you in sports management and leadership, marketing and communications, and various management skills.
Finally, if a career in sports coaching is beckoning, the Bachelor of Sports Coaching and Administration is for you. This specialised degree will teach you modern coaching and conditioning techniques, as well as the management of political, legislative and administrative complexities in the sports sector.
If you’re serious about moving into middle or senior management roles in the sports and related industries, then you may wish to expand your skill-set through studying the Graduate Diploma of Sports Administration.
Where Will it Take me?
Here in Australia, the sports and fitness industry is booming. The number of sports coaching and related fitness industry jobs has increased dramatically over recent years. By 2018, there will be 20,000 more jobs than in 2010. This is the perfect time to get qualified for an exciting, action-packed career.
Just like sport, the number of opportunities are endless. Some of the jobs you could hold include:
- Personal Trainer
- Gym Instructor
- Corporate Health Manager
- Outdoor Fitness Consultant
- PE Teacher
- Rehabilitation Consultant
- Fitness Coach
- Sports Administrator
- Sports Promoter
- Marketing Consultant
- Program or Facility manager
- Sport Event Planner or Manager
- Sponsorship Specialist
- Health or Fitness Researcher.
Keeping people fit and healthy is big business. With qualifications in the sport and fitness industry, you will ensure yourself a varied and exciting career that can take you anywhere in Australia, or even around the world. Employment in this field is extremely diverse, can provide you with flexible working conditions, along with enormous earning potential.
So what are you waiting for? Check out our great range of sport and fitness courses today.