How To Become A Sports Instructor: What It Is and Career Path

What is a sports instructor and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Rodney Foster

If you have a good grasp of a particular sport and would like to help others learn it as well, then this is the job for you. As a sports instructor, your main purpose will be to demonstrate and explain the various aspects of a particular sport to individuals or groups. Sports instructors usually work for universities, colleges, sports clubs, national sports governing bodies, among others.

Some of the duties and responsibilities that you will be performing in this capacity include teaching relevant skills and techniques to individuals, monitoring and enhancing performance by constructive feedback, identifying strengths and weaknesses, providing advice regarding health and diet, developing training programs, and undertaking administrative tasks around the facility. Essential skills required to successfully complete these tasks are physical fitness and stamina, interpersonal skills, teamwork, motivation, and effective communication.

To qualify for this role, a high school diploma or a GED may suffice, although a bachelor's degree in sports science or a related field will be advantageous. Moreover, experience as a coach or instructor is also required. Once qualified, the monetary compensation is generous. The average hourly pay for this position is $16.46, which amounts to $34,241 annually.

What general advice would you give to a sports instructor?

Rodney Foster

Instructor - Aviation Maintenance Technology Instructor - Airframe & Powerplant Technology, Orange Coast College

Orange Coast College (OCC) teaches Aircraft Maintenance Technology (AMT) and Avionics. Although the Government has dampened air travel by putting up restrictions to prevent a Covid-19 spread, there is still a certified mechanic/skilled labor shortage. I believe all our students will have permanent jobs within a six-month search. OCC AMT is listed as an essential workforce by the state of California and is back in classes full-time, Face-to-face labs, and online lectures. Our next semester registration maximum filled in two days and still has over 35 additional students per class on the waiting list.

ScoreSports InstructorUS Average

Salary

2.8

Avg. Salary $35,285

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

4.4

Growth rate 19%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.49%

Asian 5.11%

Black or African American 7.05%

Hispanic or Latino 10.64%

Unknown 5.40%

White 71.31%

Gender

female 35.65%

male 64.35%

Age - 36

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 36

Stress level

4.4

Stress level is moderate

7.1 - high

Complexity level

5.5

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

10.0

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a sports instructor

Explore sports instructor education requirements

Most common sports instructor degrees

Bachelor's

68.5 %

Associate

13.5 %

High School Diploma

8.4 %

Start to develop specific sports instructor skills

Skills	Percentages
Kids	28.67%
CPR	26.17%
Customer Service	8.98%
Soccer	8.37%
Role Model	5.16%

Complete relevant sports instructor training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New sports instructors learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a sports instructor based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real sports instructor resumes.

Research sports instructor duties and responsibilities

Lead teams of instructors on lessons design to teach adaptive snow sports to students with various physical and cognitive disabilities.
Lead modified yoga and meditation sessions to enhance balance and flexibility ;
Perform 3rd and 4th grade girls how to play softball, volleyball, basketball, soccer, kickball, and ice-skating.
Train staff in CPR, a, and first aid.

Prepare your sports instructor resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your sports instructor resume.

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Choose from 10+ customizable sports instructor resume templates

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