Has anyone tried job shadowing a high school coach?

I'm really interested in becoming a high school sports coach and was thinking about job shadowing to see if it's a good fit. Has anyone done this before? How did you set it up, and what did you learn from the experience?

Absolutely, job shadowing a high school sports coach could provide you with valuable insights into the role. Here's a general approach to setting it up:

Start by emailing or talking to your school's athletic director or coaches. Explain your interest and ask if there are opportunities for you to shadow. In some cases, your school may have formal job shadowing programs available. If not, the coaches may still be willing to let you observe their work or even assist in some minor tasks.

While job shadowing, you'll want to actively engage with the experience. Ask questions about their daily responsibilities, challenges they face, how they handle different situations, and their general career path. It's also beneficial to observe the management style, interaction with players, discussions with other coaching staff, and the planning process.

One critical aspect you may learn is that coaching is not just about instructing athletes during games and practices—there's a lot of behind-the-scenes work, including analyzing game footage, designing training sessions, evaluating player's performance, and sometimes maintaining the equipment.

Remember, every coach and program will have a slightly different approach, so it might be beneficial to shadow more than one coach if possible. This will give you a broader idea of the different coaching styles and tactics. Overall, stay curious, keep an open mind, and take every opportunity to learn.