If you love fitness and sports, a career in the fitness industry offers endless opportunities. Fitness careers include jobs, such as personal training, coaching, teaching, scouting, marketing and sports administration. Training requirements for athletic careers vary widely, depending on the type and level of position. Some jobs require certification, some require an advanced degree, such as a master's degree, and others call for hands-on experience.
Fitness Instruction
Jobs that involve fitness instruction -- ranging from group fitness instructor positions to personal training -- usually require a certification. Several national associations certify personal trainers and group fitness instructors, including the American Council on Exercise and American College of Sports Medicine. Some group fitness instructors get certified by activity-specific organizations, such as the Yoga Alliance or local martial arts groups. Certification usually involves taking courses -- online or in-person -- in related topic areas, and then passing a certification exam.
School Jobs
School jobs all require at least a bachelor's degree in exercise science or a related field, with the exception of some assistant coaching jobs, which may just require athletic experience or a fitness certification. Teaching in primary or secondary schools requires a bachelor's degree, as well as a state teaching certification. States have different requirements for certification, requiring a mix of student teaching hours and teacher-training courses. To become an athletic director or sports administrator, you need a master's degree in sports management or a related field. Head coaches at schools must have bachelor's degrees, and many schools require head coaches to be teachers at the school they coach at.
Professional Athletics
Professional sports offer an array of jobs, most requiring athletic experience. Athletes do not need a college degree, but succeeding in college sports can be a route into the professional sports world. Some athletes are drafted right out of high school or become free agents with the goal of working up from lesser-known sports teams to more high-profile ones. On-field experience is the main prerequisite for athletes, as well as coaches. Coaches with a proven track record in the field -- whether playing, managing or coaching -- can ascend to higher profile coaching jobs. There are some coaching courses -- such as the Road Runner's Club of America certification program -- that offer certifications, which can help people with athletic experience become coaches. On the business side, sports promoters and marketers often must have a college degree in business. Umpires, scouts and facilities managers do not usually need college degrees but receive hands-on training in their fields.
Costs
The costs for training for athletic careers can vary, depending on the length and type of classes required. A bachelor's degree in a sports-related field can cost several thousand dollars, depending on whether the institution is private or public. Nearly half of all full-time undergraduate college students attend four-year colleges that have charges of less than $9,000 per year for tuition and fees, according to CollegeBoard.com. A graduate degree tacks on another couple thousand dollars in tuition and fees. Certification for coaching, personal training or group fitness instruction usually costs from $200 to $700 for classes, training materials and exam fees.
References
- Bureau of Labor Statistics: Athletes, Coaches, Umpires and Related Workers
- Bureau of Labor Statistics: Fitness Workers
- American Council on Exercise: Personal Trainer Certification
- American College of Sports Medicine: Get ACSM Certified
- Road Runner's Club of America: Coaching Certification Courses
- CollegeBoard.com: College Costs
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