Michigan Coaching Paths Survey: Initial Findings

At this time a year ago, The Academy for Sport Leadership conducted our first survey of the career pathways and satisfaction levels of Michigan high school coaches.

Survey Goals

When we constructed the survey, we had two purposes in mind:

1. To encourage current coaches in Michigan to pool and publish information about their own professional experiences; and

2. To find out from current high school coaches in Michigan the formal and informal pathways as well as the distinctive and shared journeys they take to become satisfied coaches.

Encouraging Response

We are pleased to say that 277 coaches responded to the electronic notice we sent to Michigan high school athletic directors, requesting them to encourage their school coaches to participate in the survey.

Of the total 277 who decided to participate, 99 were women and 178 were men. Among them, 75% currently hold or have held a paid coaching position for four years or more.

We are heartened by this inaugural response. Special thanks, as well, to all the coaches who took time to complete the survey. We appreciate the many thoughtful comments coaches included at the end of the survey. We are still processing all the rich information these coaches have passed on to us.

In the meantime, we want to make sure the survey's findings, particularly the key findings that are statistically meaningful, are published and available for the coaches who participated, and the public, for further review and discussion.

Initial Findings

Here are the survey's findings:

Coaches in the survey had an interest in joining the profession at a young age. Close to 60% responded that they first wanted to be coaches between the ages of 16 and 22.

Securing a coaching job has been a top priority, such that 51% of male coaches and 68% of the female coaches have made career choices to take coaching positions.

Mentors are integral to coaching education, since 88% of all coaches mentioned having one.

For respondents in this first survey, coaching is not necessarily for the short-haul. Over 90% expect to continue their coaching for the next few years.

Likewise, the coaches who responded are a decidedly satisfied group, regardless of gender. The extremely satisfied numbered 116 or 42%, while 138 or 50% called themselves satisfied.

Coaches in our first survey were the first to recommend that other young women and men join the profession. Close to 100% said they would suggest coaching to young people.

More to Learn

What we found out from this survey is valuable.

But the results are incomplete. Here are a few intriguing findings we are interested in learning more about:

1. Informal networks for getting high school coaching jobs remain the norm. Word of mouth is, and has been, among the most common of ways coaches get their positions. The survey results reinforced the persistence of informal networks in getting high school coaching positions.

2 . All coaches clearly signaled their interest in advancing their coaching knowledge: 71% believed they would feel more confident in their coaching if they had additional training. Nevertheless, exposure to training revealed some gender differences: While 76% of the male coaches reported going to a formal coach training program, 43% of female coaches reported that they had NOT attended a formal coaching program.

What can we conclude about these initial findings and the responses offered by the 277 coaches taking the first Michigan Coaching Paths Survey?

Next Steps

How does the survey guide the The Academy for Sport Leadership in successfully accomplishing our mission to champion the education and further the progress of young women in the coaching profession?

Our first Michigan Coaching Paths Survey increases our interest in encouraging more coaches to participate in and to benefit from the information we are beginning to gather about the coaching profession in our state. The more coaches participate in the survey, the more potential there is to help "demystify" the training, experiences and qualifications required to make it in the coaching field.

For this reason, if you are a Michigan high school coach and would like to participate, please link to our survey. We have taken steps to ensure your privacy. The survey is anonymous and confidential. No information is collected that could identify you if you choose to participate.

Renewed Commitment to Educating Next Generation Coaches

Finally, the results of the first Michigan Coaching Paths Survey have made us more committed than ever to improving the quality and knowledge of all coaches in Michigan.

Most importantly, the results point to the continuing importance of our mission in expanding opportunities through the mentoring and training of young women in the coaching profession.