Coaches Needing coaching advice

[Splat]

So I am graduating from college this year and my plan has always been to leave my job coaching and get a job in my degree. I have been pretty burnt out coaching this year and have honestly been looking forward to the new career path. However, I just learned that our upper level coach is leaving in the middle of the summer. This leaves 2 coaches to teach over 30 kids. I love my gymnasts and worry that if I leave they won't have the coaches they need to have a season. The town my gym is in doesn't have anything in my career path so I cant do both. This season I coached levels 1,2, and 3 and if i stayed i might be able to coach 4+ which ive always wanted to do. But Is it ok if I leave my gym to proceed down this new path? More looking for support and advice as this is a hard situation. I feel like I know which path to take,but i dont want to leave my gymnasts without someone.

 

[Janneke]

Not an easy choice, that's for sure. I think you will need to consider how easy it will be to find a job in your chosen career. If there are plenty jobs and you are pretty much guaranteed a job, you might be able to get away with postpoing finding a job. In a competitive job market though where lots of people are applying for the same job, employers are looking for "fresh" graduates, just out of college, not people who have chosen to do something else for a while and whose knowledge has become a little dusty. This happened to my best friend in college and it took her a looooooong time (think years) to find something that was even remotely related to what we had studied

 

[Aussie_coach]

It is incredibly admirable that you don’t want to leave the kids without a coach. But you do need to consider your life and your needs.

If you want to take a year and see if you can coach higher levels and it will work for your financially, then do it. But if you are mostly doing it so the kids have a coach then don’t.

It’s the gym owner’s responsibility to ensure the kids have a coach and you shouldn’t have to put off your career for it, unless it’s what you really want.

 

[Coach Kate]

I recently made the decision to step away from coaching team. I had a miscarriage (our first baby) the week of our state meet, and it has totally devastated me. I never intended to keep my job while raising kids, so I always knew it would end eventually. My husband and I decided that I should stop coaching team and coach rec and preschool on a session by session basis while we try to conceive again. Although it is hard to leave these kids I've coached, I trust our gym and the rest of the staff, and the parents have all been so kind a supportive of my decision. It is always sad, but it has also felt so right. Our owners and my coworkers are also really supportive of this, and it is absolutely the right move right now. I wish you all the best in your decision making.

 

[txgymfan]

I recently made the decision to step away from coaching team. I had a miscarriage (our first baby) the week of our state meet, and it has totally devastated me. I never intended to keep my job while raising kids, so I always knew it would end eventually. My husband and I decided that I should stop coaching team and coach rec and preschool on a session by session basis while we try to conceive again. Although it is hard to leave these kids I've coached, I trust our gym and the rest of the staff, and the parents have all been so kind a supportive of my decision. It is always sad, but it has also felt so right. Our owners and my coworkers are also really supportive of this, and it is absolutely the right move right now. I wish you all the best in your decision making.

I’m so very sorry for your loss!

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

So I am graduating from college this year and my plan has always been to leave my job coaching and get a job in my degree. I have been pretty burnt out coaching this year and have honestly been looking forward to the new career path. However, I just learned that our upper level coach is leaving in the middle of the summer. This leaves 2 coaches to teach over 30 kids. I love my gymnasts and worry that if I leave they won't have the coaches they need to have a season. The town my gym is in doesn't have anything in my career path so I cant do both. This season I coached levels 1,2, and 3 and if i stayed i might be able to coach 4+ which ive always wanted to do. But Is it ok if I leave my gym to proceed down this new path? More looking for support and advice as this is a hard situation. I feel like I know which path to take,but i dont want to leave my gymnasts without someone.

So I was at one point in a very similar position. I was offered a soundtrack-composition gig at right around the same time my gym needed a new head coach and I was first in line for the job.

I took the head coaching position, and in all honesty, I regret doing so. It was the wrong choice.

Coaching is wonderful as a job, but decidedly less so as a career. If you're already burning out, I guarantee that will only get worse if you take on a more intense coaching roll. You should do what's best for you.

 

[JBS]

Is it ok if I leave my gym to proceed down this new path?

Gymnastics will be available in almost every place you end up. You can always move on to your new career and take a part-time job in gymnastics when the time is right.

The gymnastics industry as a whole has many changes to make if the goal is to increase the number of coaches doing it as a full-time career. It's all just a numbers game. Your highest dollar coaches typically coach the athletes that pay the least per hour. Gyms must have a detailed business plan to account for this or they will struggle to provide full-time careers.