ustfccca fan 2016 January 3rd wrote:
Question from a aspiring coach wrote:Hey guys, I have a question about taking the part time route to a full time position. How would you guys say this path needs to be taken in order to successfully get a full time throws coach position? Do you recommend the GA route or even the volunteer at a bigger school path as the way to go?
Many roads to success.
The best one is to recruit well, develop athletes into conference scorers and national contenders, teach technique of all the throws, support athletes after they graduate, treat people well, go to throwing clinics, network at the annual ustfccca convention in December.
Your best resume are the athletes who are on World and Olympic Teams (qualify athletes to USA indoor and outdoor after your HS or college season)
Good question, and excellent response, above. I know a full-time throws coach who got her start as a volunteer at one of the bigger schools you mentioned. (I too volunteered--but for nine years!--before getting a part-time position, then a full-time gig three years later.) I also know multiple people who went the GA route, not always in what they'd consider their primary events.
Which brings up a good point: don't limit yourself to the throws, especially at first. Get Level I (is that still all events?) certification. (And while at certification clinics, network like crazy!) Make clear your willingness to work with any and all events--I know an up-and-coming college coach (former thrower) who coaches throws and distance runners--both with considerable success. (And I've known plenty who had responsibility for the jumps as well as the throws.)
Similarly, a lot of throws guys seem to have profited from getting certification for strength and conditioning. (I plan to become a CSCS this year myself.) It's a great credential and can make you much more valuable to athletic departments, and especially to football teams--which could be the source for some of your throwers during the track season.
Final suggestion, from way out in left field: if you have, or can get, some kind of credentials as a computer person, you should really play them up. A lot of head coaches and ADs still are intimidated by (or at least clueless with) some pretty basic computer stuff--it's a pretty quick way to make yourself "indispensable."