For more information, visit the College of Kinesiology online.
Every team needs a good coach to succeed, but how does someone become a good coach?
For students with aspirations of becoming coaches after graduation, Ball State now has a plan to make that happen.
The School of Kinesiology is offering a minor in coaching. This 18-credit hour minor involves five required courses and one elective course to help prepare students to coach student-athletes from pre-kindergarten through college.
By completing the minor, students receive two nationally-recognized certifications. One certifies them as a coach and another is sport-specific for their desired coaching path. Those sports include baseball, basketball, football, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field, volleyball and wrestling.
Bill Zenisek, instructor of kinesiology and coordinator of the coaching minor, said this option will better prepare undergraduates for the coaching profession.
“Any student who is interested in being a coach, whether it’s full-time, part-time, high school, college or elite professional will have that background information and background knowledge to really help their athletes achieve their goals,” Zenisek said.
Although the minor was available several years ago, it was dropped because not enough students were interested. This is the second full-year for students to pursue the minor and the second year for Zenisek as the minor’s coordinator.
The first graduate of the new coaching minor finished in spring 2016. Now, there have been eight graduates who have fully completed the minor with 16 additional students on track to complete it in the next few semesters.
One class, PEP 433, requires students to complete a 135-hour internship for three credits. This allows students to gain work experience alongside coaches at local schools or at Ball State.
“I’ll tell my students that there is only so much that I can teach you in the classroom,” Zenisek said. “To be a good coach, you have to go out there and experience it. You have to get in there with the athletes, know how to communicate with them and know how to lead them in the right direction.”
Drew Brant, a senior exercise science major who is minoring in coaching, plans on completing his internship with a local high school baseball team this year. Last year, he volunteered as an assistant coach for the Wapahani High School baseball team.
“Within this minor we receive various emails from Bill (Zenisek) stating that some sports need coaches for this sport or that, and help running some sports camps, and I feel like this is a great way to network within the community, as well as having the chance to network with some sports teams on Ball State’s campus through observing games and practices,” Brant said.
After graduation, Brant hopes to work as a professional strength coach for a minor league baseball team.
While most graduates go into K-12 athletics, Zenisek said the minor can prepare students for college and professional coaching jobs as well.
“I encourage students to follow their dreams,” Zenisek said. “If they want to go collegiate, they can get that experience with their internship. At Ball State we have a lot of students that go and work with our collegiate teams and get that Division I experience. They have that in their résumé and they can go on further.”
Brant believes this minor allows students to “stand out” against competitors for future jobs with certifications, classes and practical experience that they gained through Ball State. “I think that taking specific classes that are geared toward the coaching profession, such as a sports psychology class, will better gear me to handling situations that may arise in the coaching profession,” Brant said. “In a sense, I will be better prepared for the coaching profession, which in turn should give me a leg up on any competition.”
To apply for the minor, students must take and pass PEP 231, Principles and Philosophies of Coaching Sports, with a “C” or better, fill out the application and complete ten field experience hours.
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