Health, fitness, and club training

The commonly known term "coach" in sport covers various professions with different approaches and requirements. What they all have in common is that they supervise, analyze and instruct the sporting activities of individuals as well as entire teams and squads (depending on the sport). They draw up training plans, motivate and accompany their protégés and prepare them for competitions if necessary.

In contrast to sports and exercise therapy, the focus is initially exclusively on working with healthy people. It is therefore explicitly not about therapy and rehabilitation measures, e.g. after an injury or stroke, but primarily about looking after healthy athletes. Apart from these similarities, however, the job description is then differentiated into the work of simple fitness or health trainers or exercise instructors on the one hand and sports trainers in club or elite sport on the other.

You don't need a degree to work as a fitness and health trainer; instead, you need a trainer's license, which can be purchased privately for a fee. For actual employment as a trainer, e.g. in a gym, at least a "Fitness Trainer B License" is usually required, and specializations in individual areas (yoga, Pilates, personal training, rehab, ...) are also possible. Although this profession does not require a degree, it can still be a suitable (entry-level) field for interested sports science students, especially to gain initial training experience during their studies. In addition - with a degree and depending on your own qualifications and certifications - the boundaries to sports and exercise therapy are fluid, e.g. in prevention or if both sick and healthy athletes are part of your target group. Fitness and health trainers find employment in fitness studios, wellness facilities and (popular) sports clubs, but also in company health management or in the hotel and tourism industry.

Working in competitive and elite sports requires a background in sports science

Other options include setting up your own fitness studio or working as a self-employed fitness trainer. In line with fitness and health trainers, exercise instructors are also employed in the wide range of sports offered by various gymnastics and sports clubs. Here, too, a degree is not usually required, but rather the certifications required in the respective discipline, which are often offered by the clubs or umbrella organizations themselves. In addition to the actual training tasks, fitness coaches and exercise instructors, especially in smaller clubs and studios, often also take on organizational tasks, e.g. at reception or in membership administration. In contrast to simple training instructor positions, the job advertisements for coaches in professional leagues and elite sports require a sports science background in addition to the usual certifications, often with a specialization in "competitive sports". In addition to the actual training, preparation for competitions and the organization of training camps, etc., the job profile also includes scouting, i.e. the identification and promotion of future talent, conceptual activities and committee work. When working as an association coach, there is also the coordination of the coaches of the individual member clubs, the organization and conception of further training measures for them as well as the implementation of joint leagues and competitions. As the top talent in professional sport is often generated from sports instructors in basic and popular sport, the transition from simple training instructor positions to working as a professional coach is sometimes fluid. Here too, a simple coaching position can offer students a good introduction and initial experience.