Professional soccer player
Nature
of the Work
"We are a Nation of sports fans and sports players. Some of those who
participate in amateur sports dream of becoming paid professional athletes,
coaches, or sports officials, but very few beat the long and daunting odds of
making a full-time living from professional athletics. Those athletes who make
it to the professional level find that careers are short and jobs are
insecure. Even though the chances of employment as a professional athlete are
slim, there are many opportunities for at least a part-time job as a coach,
instructor, referee, or umpire in amateur athletics or in high school,
college, or university sports.
Athletes and sports competitors compete in organized, officiated sports
events to entertain spectators. When playing a game, athletes are required to
understand the strategies of their game while obeying the rules and
regulations of the sport. The events in which they compete include both team
sports, such as baseball, basketball, football, hockey, and soccer, and
individual sports, such as golf, tennis, and bowling. The level of play varies
from unpaid high school athletics to professional sports, in which the best
from around the world compete in events broadcast on international television.
Being an athlete involves more than competing in athletic events. Athletes
spend many hours each day practicing skills and improving teamwork under the
guidance of a coach or a sports instructor. They view videotapes to critique
their own performances and techniques and to learn their opponents’ tendencies
and weaknesses to gain a competitive advantage. Some athletes work regularly
with strength trainers to gain muscle and stamina and to prevent injury. Many
athletes push their bodies to the limit during both practice and play, so
career-ending injury always is a risk; even minor injuries may put a player at
risk of replacement. Because competition at all levels is extremely intense
and job security is always precarious, many athletes train year round to
maintain excellent form and technique and peak physical condition. Very little
downtime from the sport exists at the professional level. Athletes also must
conform to regimented diets during their sports season to supplement any
physical training program.
Coaches organize amateur and professional athletes and teach them the
fundamentals of individual and team sports. (In individual sports, instructors
sometimes may fill this role.) Coaches train athletes for competition by
holding practice sessions to perform drills that improve the athletes’ form,
technique, skills, and stamina. Along with refining athletes’ individual
skills, coaches are responsible for instilling good sportsmanship, a
competitive spirit, and teamwork and for managing their teams during both
practice sessions and competitions. Before competition, coaches evaluate or
scout the opposing team to determine game strategies and practice specific
plays. During competition, coaches may call specific plays intended to
surprise or overpower the opponent, and they may substitute players for
optimum team chemistry and success. Coaches’ additional tasks may include
selecting, storing, issuing, and taking inventory of equipment, materials, and
supplies.
Many coaches in high schools are primarily teachers of academic subjects
who supplement their income by coaching part time. (For more information on
high school teachers, see the statement on teachers—preschool, kindergarten,
elementary, middle, and secondary, elsewhere in the Handbook.) College coaches
consider coaching a full-time discipline and may be away from home frequently
as they travel to scout and recruit prospective players.
Sports instructors teach professional and nonprofessional athletes
individually. They organize, instruct, train, and lead athletes in indoor and
outdoor sports such as bowling, tennis, golf, and swimming. Because activities
are as diverse as weight lifting, gymnastics, scuba diving, and karate,
instructors tend to specialize in one or a few activities. Like coaches,
sports instructors also may hold daily practice sessions and be responsible
for any needed equipment and supplies. Using their knowledge of their sport
and of physiology, they determine the type and level of difficulty of
exercises, prescribe specific drills, and correct athletes’ techniques. Some
instructors also teach and demonstrate the use of training apparatus, such as
trampolines or weights, for correcting athletes’ weaknesses and enhancing
their conditioning. Like coaches, sports instructors evaluate the athlete and
the athlete’s opponents to devise a competitive game strategy.
Coaches and sports instructors sometimes differ in their approaches to
athletes because of the focus of their work. For example, while coaches manage
the team during a game to optimize its chance for victory, sports
instructors—such as those who work for professional tennis players—often are
not permitted to instruct their athletes during competition. Sports
instructors spend more of their time with athletes working one-on-one, which
permits them to design customized training programs for each individual.
Motivating athletes to play hard challenges most coaches and sports
instructors but is vital for the athlete’s success. Many coaches and
instructors derive great satisfaction working with children or young adults,
helping them to learn new physical and social skills, improve their physical
condition, and achieve success in their sport.
Umpires, referees, and other sports officials officiate at competitive
athletic and sporting events. They observe the play, detect infractions of
rules, and impose penalties established by the rules and regulations of the
various sports. Umpires, referees, and sports officials anticipate play and
position themselves to best see the action, assess the situation, and
determine any violations. Some sports officials, such as boxing referees, may
work independently, while others such as umpires work in groups. Regardless of
the sport, the job is highly stressful because officials are often required to
make a decision in a split second, sometimes resulting in strong disagreement
among competitors, coaches, and spectators.
Professional scouts evaluate the skills of both amateur and professional
athletes to determine talent and potential. As a sports intelligence agent,
the scout’s primary duty is to seek out top athletic candidates for the team
he or she represents. At the professional level, scouts typically work for
scouting organizations or as freelance scouts. In locating new talent, scouts
perform their work in secrecy so as not to “tip off” their opponents about
their interest in certain players. At the college level, the head scout often
is an assistant coach, although freelance scouts may aid colleges by reporting
to coaches about exceptional players. Scouts at this level seek talented high
school athletes by reading newspapers, contacting high school coaches and
alumni, attending high school games, and studying videotapes of prospects’
performances. They also evaluate potential players’ background and personal
characteristics, such as motivation and discipline, by talking to the players’
coaches, parents, and teachers.
Work environment
Irregular work hours are the trademark of the athlete. They also are common
for coaches, umpires, referees, and other sports officials. Athletes and
others in sports related occupations often work Saturdays, Sundays, evenings,
and holidays. Athletes and full-time coaches usually work more than 40 hours a
week for several months during the sports season, if not most of the year.
Some coaches in educational institutions may coach more than one sport,
particularly in high schools.
Athletes, coaches, and sports officials who participate in competitions
that are held outdoors may be exposed to all weather conditions of the season.
Those involved in events that are held indoors tend to work in
climate-controlled comfort, often in arenas, enclosed stadiums, or gymnasiums.
Athletes, coaches, and some sports officials frequently travel to sporting
events by bus or airplane. Scouts also travel extensively in locating talent,
often by automobile.
Umpires, referees, and other sports officials regularly encounter verbal
abuse by fans, coaches, and athletes. The officials also face possible
physical assault and, increasingly, lawsuits from injured athletes based on
their officiating decisions.
Education and training
Becoming a professional athlete is the culmination of years of effort.
Athletes usually begin competing in their sports while in elementary or middle
school, and continue through high school and sometimes college. They play in
amateur tournaments and on high school and college teams, where the best
attract the attention of professional scouts. Most schools require that
participating athletes maintain specific academic standards to remain eligible
to play. Athletes who seek to compete professionally must have extraordinary
talent, desire, and dedication to training.
Related Occupations
Athletes and coaches use their extensive knowledge of physiology and sports
to instruct, inform, and encourage sports participants. Other workers with
similar duties include dietitians and nutritionists; physical therapists;
recreation workers; fitness workers; recreational therapists; and
teachers—preschool, kindergarten, elementary, middle, and secondary."
Source
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook
Handbook, 2008-09 Edition, Athletes, Coaches, Umpires, and Related Workers, on
the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos251.htm
