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The differences between athletes and assistant coaches can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both an athlete and an assistant coach. Additionally, an athlete has an average salary of $51,729, which is higher than the $43,838 average annual salary of an assistant coach.
The top three skills for an athlete include team-oriented environment, math and apparel. The most important skills for an assistant coach are CPR, NCAA, and player development.
An athlete specializes and competes in a particular sport as an individual or part of a team. Mentored by a coach or instructor, an athlete undergoes rigorous training and practices, even as professionals in the league, to develop and maintain skills. One must assess every competition or performance to learn areas that need improvement, maintain a healthy physique, and even serve as an advocate. Furthermore, it is vital to abide by the sport's rules and regulations and uphold healthy sportsmanship.
An assistant coach's role is to provide administrative and organizational support to a coach and team of athletes. Most of the tasks will depend upon the coach's directions. However, their responsibilities primarily revolve around arranging schedules of team events and practices, responding to calls and inquiries, producing and organizing documentation, and taking part in the recruitment and budgeting process of the team. It is also an assistant coach's responsibility to keep records of all players and personnel involved, including data and progress reports.
Athletes and assistant coaches have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Athlete | Assistant Coach | |
| Average salary | $51,729 | $43,838 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $108,000 | Between $30,000 And $63,000 |
| Highest paying City | Oakland, CA | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Erlanger Health System | The Branson School |
| Best paying industry | Education | Education |
There are a few differences between an athlete and an assistant coach in terms of educational background:
| Athlete | Assistant Coach | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Business | Kinesiology |
| Most common college | - | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between athletes' and assistant coaches' demographics:
| Athlete | Assistant Coach | |
| Average age | 36 | 36 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 61.6% Female, 38.4% | Male, 62.5% Female, 37.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.9% Unknown, 6.8% Hispanic or Latino, 7.5% Asian, 3.7% White, 72.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 5.8% Hispanic or Latino, 13.1% Asian, 5.4% White, 66.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 8% |