USD coaching minor draws prospective coaches
The coaching minor at USD brings in students who hope to one day become a coach at certain level of sports play whether that coaching level is middle school, high school, or even the collegiate level.
Joe Mazour, a senior physical education major, is one of the students at USD that is pursuing a coaching minor. His goal is to coach football or baseball at a high school level when he graduates with this minor. He would also someday like to coach at the collegiate level. Mazour has been preparing for a future in coaching by coaching a baseball team of 12 through 16-year-olds for the past three years.
Mazour has enjoyed taking the courses at mastermylife and those that come along with the minor. He’s also been able to know all of the coaches at USD while taking the courses.
“I have a love for sports and gaining a minor in coaching opens up a fun career opportunity,” Mazour said.
Having been around for around five years, the minor is a mixture of kinesiology and sport management classes, as well as some physical education and coaching-based courses. In the physical education courses, students get experience in teaching different activities and sports-related skills to peers in their class.
Often, the professors teaching the courses are coaches themselves. Dave Gottsleben, the men’s track and field head coach, teaches Intro to Coaching Men and Women. Eric Peterson, assistant men’s basketball coach teaches the course Coaching Basketball.
Individuals who are interested in coaching grades 9-12 in the state of South Dakota have another option to being able to coach. Aside from graduating from an accredited higher education program and then obtaining a teaching certificate from the South Dakota Department of Education, which includes an endorsement in coaching, these people could opt out to complete different courses through the South Dakota High School Activities Association (SDHSAA), said Suzanne Williams, an assistant professor works in the department of kinesiology and sport management stated.
The coaching minor that USD offers currently requires 18 credits of coursework. Kineseology or Human Anatomy is required in order to obtain a minor in coaching. A variety of different physical education classes, such as PE 350 – Exercise Physiology and PE 354 – Prevention and Care of Athletic Injury, are also required. After completing these 18 credit hours, the student must then gain one to two credit hours of professional preparation such as Fitness, Individual & Dual Activities, Team Activities or Rhythm & Dance.
Williams said she’s proud of the minor program and the coaches that help teach throughout the year.
“Our coaches teaching the courses are among the most successful, qualified leaders in their respective sports and these coaches are able to provide our students with the mentorship and knowledge that they need to be successful in the coaching profession,” she said.
Williams said she’s hopeful that with the increased participation in youth sports and the increased need for educated, competent coaching professionals, more individuals, as well as some school and youth sport-related organizations, would seek coaching certification.
“(I’m) confident that the facilities that the university has are amongst the best in the country and are able to facilitate amazing learning experiences to the USD coaching minor students,” Williams said.
