This year, the University began offering students an opportunity to pursue a coaching minor, which is the first time the minor is being offered since the early 2000s.
Students from any major are able to pursue the coaching minor and so far students enrolled range from computer science majors to education majors.
“We have a number of students from the college of education who are interested in becoming teachers in various types of areas and want to pick up a coaching minor because they’re interested in coaching,” says associate professor in the College of Education and Human Development, Adrian Turner.
Students who wish to pursue a coaching minor can elect an area that they’re interested in and then take a combination of courses based on the strategies involved in those particular games and sports, says Turner.
“If a student is interested in basketball, football or soccer then that would be classified as an Invasion sport and take that course, and if they choose a sport like volleyball, then they would take a course in Net/Wall games,” Turner said.
To successfully complete the minor, each student has to complete 21 credit hours. 15 credit hours have to be completed in courses that include: AT 2100 which is Care and Prevention of Sports Injuries, KNS 3280 which is Principles, Ethics & Problems in Sport Coaching and KNS 2470 which is Introduction to Pedagogy, Coaching and Leadership.
“The Introduction to Pedagogy class is the initial teaching and coaching class we recommend everyone takes,” Turner said.
One of the courses students have to take is KNS 3390, Sport Coaching, involves the student being involved in a practical coaching setting and will have to complete a specific number of hours in that particular setting.
This class serves as the end class in completing the minor, says Turner.
Students then have to complete the six remaining credit hours in the elective courses that are offered.
Turner believes that having a coaching minor will be beneficial to students looking to get involved in coaching after graduation.
“I think it will help provide people that are going to be coaches with more expertise and more of a theoretical background to what they’re doing,” Turner said.
Although the program is in its early stages, students are aware that it’s available to take and agree that it will be beneficial.
“I believe that it would look very good on a resume when a student is interviewing for a coaching position,” freshman Jeron Hennon said. “It would teach the students many skills necessary to instruct kids of various ages and skill levels.”
Turner expressed his hopefulness for the program and is encouraging those that are looking for a minor to consider coaching.
“It’s in its infancy right now,” Turner said. “There are only a few people that have started and we are looking for people to enroll this spring if they’re interested as four of the core classes are being offered.”
