Coaches Unfamiliar Territory

[AmandaLynn]

Due to some issues that made me feel like I was working in a program that just wasn't the right fit for me, I've just resigned from my position as a rec director, pre team coach and X-Cel coach. I have two small children and my income certainly was not the income in our household that was paying the bills, as I'm sure most of you can understand. I'm currently undecided as to whether I'm going to take some time off, or if I want to try to find a job coaching elsewhere.

I've always just worked at a gym that was close to where I lived and I've never actually spent a whole lot of time thinking about the "bigger picture" of a program that I was working in. However, at this point, I feel like if/when I get into another gym, I want to be somewhere that I see a future and somewhere that will allow for me to grow professionally.

I don't want to get myself into another situation where the program isn't what I'm looking for. How do you all go about scoping out potential gyms? Do you contact the owners and ask questions about their needs and their programs? Do you go in unannounced and observe before you even bother contacting anyone? It seems that most of the gyms in my area are looking for coaching staff, so I'm not concerned about the possibility of not being able to find a job, I guess I am just more concerned about making sure that I find the "right" job and that I don't feel the need to move gyms again in a few months or a year. ya know?

I've got a list of a few things that I'm looking for in a program, but any advice regarding what types of things to ask the gym owners/managers in order to ensure that I'm finding the best possible fit for myself would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Valentin]

Hi,

This is a hard question, because whenever you going in for a job interview/prospect, people will always try to paint you a rosy picture. I wish I could say I had the right answer, but aside from a working interview, knowing what are the things you want from the job, and asking the employer how they feel they can meet your needs (once they are interested in what you have to offer), spending time talking with the staff (I have found that in most cases if you approach the staff by themselves and talk to them, you will get a sense on what the gym is like), do your research regarding their program (how it works, policies, structure, facilities etc.).

Based from you last job, you should have some idea (if not a clear one) of what it is that you want to achieve. The problem I find with coaching gymnastics in general is that its a pretty dead end job. Unless you coaching team, and you working on putting kids in collage or Elite. Sooner or later the "I love coaching" fades, because you simply the motivation, because all the hard work you put in, just walks out the doors. Alternatively, unless you are allowed to have control over a program, and its your job to promote it, grow it, work the business end, that also has some longer term satisfaction.

Overall I would encourage you to think about your return, take your time looking for work. If you are in a financial position where you don't have time to be picky you should seriously consider either a career choice that pays better (since you have kids to worry about also), or just looking for a gym that will give you the most freedom to work. However I will say again, this is a hard question to really answer. Best person to ask if yourself, and figure out what it is that YOU really want out of the job.

 

[AmandaLynn]

Thank you for such a well thought out response. I think that working interviews are FANTASTIC. I wish they were standard procedure in all gyms. lol. I think that the "What I want to achieve" part is the part that I struggle with the most. At this point, I'm back and forth between whether I want to work in a gym with a strong existing program that has coaches that I can learn from, or if I'd rather go to a smaller gym in hopes of being able to grow a program. ya know?

Fortunately, I am in a position financially where I can take my time to figure it all out. My husband is the one that makes the money in our household. I work because I love gymnastics and can't seem to keep myself out of the gym. So... Finding a better paying career is not really what I'm after at all.

I just want to find a program that fits my personal coaching philosophy well and that I feel like I can grow within. Like I said, I think the current plan is to take the summer off and spend some time trying to get some information on the local programs, maybe talk with some of the gym owners, and go from there.

Hi,

This is a hard question, because whenever you going in for a job interview/prospect, people will always try to paint you a rosy picture. I wish I could say I had the right answer, but aside from a working interview, knowing what are the things you want from the job, and asking the employer how they feel they can meet your needs (once they are interested in what you have to offer), spending time talking with the staff (I have found that in most cases if you approach the staff by themselves and talk to them, you will get a sense on what the gym is like), do your research regarding their program (how it works, policies, structure, facilities etc.).

Based from you last job, you should have some idea (if not a clear one) of what it is that you want to achieve. The problem I find with coaching gymnastics in general is that its a pretty dead end job. Unless you coaching team, and you working on putting kids in collage or Elite. Sooner or later the "I love coaching" fades, because you simply the motivation, because all the hard work you put in, just walks out the doors. Alternatively, unless you are allowed to have control over a program, and its your job to promote it, grow it, work the business end, that also has some longer term satisfaction.

Overall I would encourage you to think about your return, take your time looking for work. If you are in a financial position where you don't have time to be picky you should seriously consider either a career choice that pays better (since you have kids to worry about also), or just looking for a gym that will give you the most freedom to work. However I will say again, this is a hard question to really answer. Best person to ask if yourself, and figure out what it is that YOU really want out of the job.