Degree Requirements
A minor in Athletic Coaching would better prepare undergraduate students interested in coaching either as a full-time position, a part-time position or as a volunteer. Additionally, a coaching minor may help students interested in graduate education earn an assistantship as an athletic coaching graduate assistant. Currently, a number of SMGT, PETE and other students coach on a part-time or volunteer basis and many ESU Athletic Teams have student managers from a number of majors across campus.
In addition to student interest in Athletic Coaching, many state and national organizations have created standards to assess the quality of training and continuing education for coaches in the United States. Currently the U.S. is the only major economic country that does not have mandatory training standards for athletic coaches and “a majority of youth sports coaches are ill equipped for their role” (Sage & Eitzen, 2013, p. 86). Organizations working to improve training standards include Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, Inc. (PIAA), Society of Health and Physical Educators (SHAPE), and the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NAAIA).
The Society of Health and Physical Educators (SHAPE; previously known as National Association of Sport and Physical Education (NASPE)) has developed National Standards of Sport Coaches (see http://www.shapeamerica.org/standards/coaching/coachingstandards.cfm), which overviews eight domains of coaching with standards and benchmarks in each domain. A solid minor in Athletic Coaching would include coursework from four departments (i.e., ATEP, EXSC, SMGT, PETE) to meet SHAPE’s domains. This proposed Athletic Coaching Minor will require students to take coursework across the four departments, while still providing much flexibility to meet the students’ interests and needs.
Requirements List:
22 credits
| SMGT 209 | Principles of Coaching | 3 credits |
| SMGT 404 | Philosophical Concepts of Movement and Sport | 3 credits |
| SMGT 406 | Theory and Techniques of Coaching | 3 credits |
| Total Credit Hours: | 9 |
Choose one:
| ATEP 230 | Prevention and Management of Sport and Fitness Injuries | 3 credits |
| ATEP 240 | Acute Care of Athletic Injuries and Illness | 3 credits |
| Total Credit Hours: | 3 |
Choose one:
| EXSC 492 | Principles of Performance Enhancement for Performance Coaching | 3 credits |
| EXSC 493 | Therapeutic and Physiological Foundations for the Coach | 3 credits |
| ATEP 440/ATEP 540 | Functional Rehabilitation and Sport Specific Conditioning | 3 credits |
| Total Credit Hours: | 3 |
Choose one:
Choose one:
| PETE 125 | Introduction to Sport Games | 1 credit |
| PETE 309 | Teaching Games for Understanding | 1 credit |
| Total Credit Hours: | 1-3 |
Choose one:
| EXSC 410 | Organization and Administration of Exercise and Wellness Programs | 3 credits |
| PETE 445 | Organization and Administration in Physical Education | 2 credits |
| SMGT 445 | Organization and Administration of Sport Operations | 3 credits |
| ATEP 431/ATEP 531 | Organization and Administration in Athletic Training | 3 credits |
| Total Credit Hours: | 2-3 |
Additional Requirements:
1. A 2.5 overall GPA
2. "C" or better in all minor courses