My son has been taking college classes through out his whole high school career. He will graduate High School with 54 college credits allready (trying to get his General Ed done, and get his AA easier to obtain) He will be playing baseball and attending college at Clarke College in Dubuque next year.

His whole life he has wanted to be a lawyer, and then go into politics. But the problem is that for the last three years he has coached a little league team, a basketball team, and this year he coached a 10 under AAU baseball team. He has started to turn a full 360 on his career in mind. He really enjoys working with kids and loves to see them improve in everything from baseball skills, to life skills. He now really wants to become a college baseball coach. I have been told many ways to do this, the most common answer is to go into education and become a High School coach first, and work his way up to the collegant level. He already has his coaching cirtificate, and has been "apprenticing" a little bit with the community college coach.

Is there a career or Major he should be focusing on in college to achieve this? What would you suggest?

By the way He also wanted me to ask if there were any coaching clinics etc in Iowa that you guys would know of this summer for baseball to help him.

I really appreciate all of your guy's information and input that I've recieved in other posts. Thanks again

cheech this sounds very similar to the route I took to become a coach. I was dead set on becoming a physical therapist after I hurt my knee in high school and had to take PT. I thought it was the coolest job anyone could have and it paid well. I started college and realized pretty quickly I wasn't a disciplined enough student to go that route (especially playing baseball). So I decided to go into something else but not sure what. My second year I started coaching at a local high school a college team mate was named head coach at. This is where I wanted to become a coach at - working with them.

Anyway back to your son and I think it's great he is going into this line of work.

I think there are two ways to get into college coaching.

1. Pretty much the route you described. Get teaching job and work way up. Only problem with it is it's not a sure thing and it hurts your resume applying for college jobs when it says "high school coach". There is a ton of competition for open jobs and you really need to stand out. This is the route I have pretty much taken and I have found it very difficult to find a job. I have had offers but they were for like $5000 and that is it. After teaching 10 years I cannot afford to make a jump like that financially.

2. Have your son finish his playing days and get a graduate asst. coaching position. This way he can work on his masters degree (most colleges look for a PE masters) and get on his resume college coaching. Once again he won't be making a lot of money but at least he will have his foot in the door and making contacts.

Being a young college graduate I think his best bet is route 2 because he will be poor coming out college so it won't be a shock to his pocket being poor getting started out in this line of profession.

Best of luck to him and tell him it will be a very rewarding (but tough) line of work.