Coaching Competitive Athletics program

Learn the skills to become a coach.

Do you want to help athletes grow and develop on and off the field? The coaching competitive athletics concentration equips students with the foundational knowledge, skills and experience necessary to coach young children, adolescents, and adults in a variety of sport-related settings.

Students in the program will learn from internationally-renowned scholars, as well as experienced coaches. Learning extends beyond the classroom, as students gain hands-on experience coaching a competitive sports team.

A program within the Department of Exercise & Sport Science

Careers with Coaching Competitive Athletics concentration

The concentration in coaching competitive athletics will prepare students to coach at a variety of ages and levels, from a volunteer youth sport coach to a collegiate coach.

Coaching paths

Youth sport coach
Club sport coach
Collegiate sport coach
YMCA
Boys and Girls Club

Enhance your career

The concentration may also inform and enhance the professional practices of other professionals, such as physical education teachers, personal trainers, strength and conditioning coaches, adventure leaders, and athletic trainers.

What distinguishes UWL's Coaching Competitive Athletics concentration?

Hands-on experience

Students will gain at least one season of experience coaching a competitive sport.

Learn from experienced coaches

Coaching theory courses are taught by experienced coaches, many of whom are current and/or former collegiate coaches including many UWL coaches.

Learn to be a complete coach

From learning about principles of strength and conditioning to understanding the psychological aspects of coaching, students learn how use best practices in order to maximize performance, facilitate learning and improvement, and promote a positive sporting experience for all athletes.

Rich history of exercise and sport education

The Coaching Competitive Athletics concentration is part of UWL's Exercise and Sport Science (ESS) Department, which has a strong tradition in preparing future professionals in the areas of exercise and sport.

Sample courses

ESS 205 Human Anatomy and Physiology for Exercise Science I This course is designed to cover the structure and function of the cellular, histological, muscular, nervous, skeletal systems, as well as the brain and spinal cord. Emphasis will be placed on the musculoskeletal system during the laboratory component. Lect. 2, Lab 2. Prerequisite: BIO 100 or BIO 105 or MIC 100. (Not open for credit to students who have credit in BIO 312.) Offered Fall, Spring.

ESS 281 Prevention and Care of Athletic Injuries This course gives students who are interested in inter-scholastic athletics part of the necessary background to become a qualified coach or director. This course includes common injuries occurring as a result of participating in athletics and physical education activities; procedures and techniques in the prevention and care of injuries; and the understanding of the coaches' and teachers' roles in the care of injuries. Prerequisite: ESS 201; and ESS 205 or BIO 312. Offered Fall, Spring.

ESS 349 Psychology of Coaching Competitive Athletics Aids the prospective coach to better understand the application of psychological concepts to the coaching of sports. Emphasis will be on the methods of improving the performance of athletes through a better understanding of the factors affecting teaching and learning in athletics. Prerequisite: junior standing. Offered Fall, Spring.