Minor in Athletic Coaching

This course will focus on basic principles, concepts, and skills of leading physical and recreation activities for children, adolescents, and adults. The psychomotor, social, cognitive, affective, and learning domains will be addressed as students learn to utilize a task analysis model to choose, and then lead appropriate activities that contribute to an improved quality of life for the participants.

A study of the basic principles of physical fitness and weight training as applied to a school or community setting. This course will also provide the opportunity for fitness and weight training skill development. A focus on techniques for assessing and integrating physical fitness throughout a variety of activity programs will also be included.

Students will study the central factors that make up the best approach to the acquisition of motor skills, while leading physical activities in a variety of settings. Topics include basic concepts of motor learning, development of motor responses, the nature of motor learning, feedback, timing, information processing, transfer of learning, perception, personality and performance, motivation, and practice conditions. The topics will focus on principles of human performance and principles of skill learning and how to integrate these principles in real life situations. For each major topic, guiding principles for the physical education and recreation leaders are presented.

A course designed to combine theoretical and practical knowledge related to the care and prevention of athletic injuries. The purposes of this course are to develop a safety- conscious attitude when participating in or conducting sports activities; to develop knowledge and basic skills related to the care and prevention of common sports-related injuries, including immediate and follow-up care and rehabilitative techniques; and to develop basic knowledge and skills related to the administration of a high school training room.

This course will cover the full spectrum and experiences involved in athletic coaching. This course will focus on the techniques of coaching; the psychological aspects of coaching; the growth, development, and learning of athletes; and the medical and legal aspects of coaching. In addition, it will provide the students with the practical application of these components in simulated and actual coaching situations.

The course offers practical field experiences in athletic coaching in an organized athletic program. The student must complete a minimum of 120 hours of practical fieldwork and the analysis of that experience. The course is required of all athletic coaching minor students. This practicum is one of the most important steps a student takes in preparing to become an athletic coach. This experience in an organized athletic venue is essential for students to develop the leadership and appropriate knowledge essential to successful athletic coaching.