What Are the Physical Demands of a Professional Coach?

• Professional coaches often coach high school and college teams for years. Jupiterimages/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images

  When watching a professional sports game, it may seem as though coaches stand frustrated at the sidelines. To be a professional coach, a person must have an athletic understanding of his body. This understanding can only come from years of playing the sport she coaches, as well as ongoing experimentation with the drills, strategies, and plays she creates. On top of the normal duties of a coach, the pre-season, regular season and post-season schedule can be demanding.

Fitness

• To keep his players safe, healthy and performing their best, a professional coach must have an intimate understanding of physical fitness. This understanding is especially important regarding fitness limits and capabilities specific to his sport. This understanding is achieved partly through many years of playing the sport he coaches. Although a professional coach is not required to be anywhere near as fit as he was during his playing years, he must remain active to understand what the players are going through in practices, drills and conditioning. Before the coach can recommend a drill or conditioning regimen, he must have performed it himself, used it on players in the past and measured its effectiveness. By taking himself to his physical limit, the coach can better gauge when his players are exhausted and overworked. He will also know how to safely push limits to improve performance.

Strategy

• Professional players come to a professional team after many years of experience in their sport. For this reason, a professional coach will not have to demonstrate plays and strategies excessively. However, a sport changes drastically from the college to the professional level. When players cannot understand a complicated strategy or play, a coach may have to demonstrate the details of a play or strategy in multiple positions.

Demands

• Being a professional coach involves traveling, often on consecutive nights. Beyond planning, creating unique plays and strategies, reviewing upcoming opposing teams, managing a large staff and attending practices and games, a professional coach will travel with her team from state to state for away games. This lifestyle can result in irregular or inadequate sleep, irregular eating and exercise schedules, and stress.