Do I need a license to be a bowling coach?
The USBC Coaching Certification and Development is the qualification you need to become a bowling coach. It helps provide coaches of all levels with the materials necessary to give them the best opportunities for coaching. It is the only program for bowling recognised by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC). USBC coaches are experts trained to instruct all levels of bowlers. The USBC Coaching Certificate program teaches current and aspiring bowling coaches the skills necessary to build a strong Coaching career. The levels of certification available are; level 1, bronze, silver, gold. USBC also offers the fundamentals of team coaching through their eLearning site. The fee to take the level 1 online eLearning test is $49 which gives you two attempts then it is $5 for every extra attempt.
The USBC Coaching level 1 covers the fundamentals of coaching that applies to youth and adults. It includes topics such as; roles and responsibilities of a coach, progression of skills from two-handed delivery to the basic four-step approach, sport safety, maintaining a positive approach and environment, adding fun to your youth program, and an overview of programs and opportunities. The USBC Coaching Bronze class is intermediate level training designed to increase Coaching skills and professionalism. The Bronze Certification covers; the philosophy of coaching, fine tuning the physical game, lane conditions and adjustments, the mental game, components of the bowling ball, dynamics of ball motion, video recording, video analysis, and giving a lesson. This coaching course costs $295.
The USBC Coaching Silver class is a three-day event designed to increase Coaching skills and professionalism to an advanced level. The silver certificate covers; finite adjustments to the physical game, building a bowling ball arsenal, advanced lane adjustments, matching ball surfaces to lane conditions, advanced mental game concepts, video analysis, establishing a practise plan to develop and expand a bowler’s options in competition. This coaching course costs $465. The final USBC Coaching level is gold. This is the highest certificate you can achieve. Becoming a gold coach requires that you complete all requirements and exercises outlined in the Gold Guidebook and successfully demonstrate skills and knowledge to a panel during a final review session. You have to have your Silver certificate before you can pass the Gold Certificate but you can start completing the Gold Guidebook no matter what level you are. The final review program of the Gold Coaching Class requires you to conduct lessons and clinics for bowlers of various skill levels while being evaluated by the final review board, which consists of active USBC Gold coaches and USBC staff. The Gold Guidebook costs $25 and the final review sessions costs $800.
How old do I have to be to be a bowling coach?
The age you have to be to become a bowling coach is 13. At 13 years old you can complete the USBC Coaching level 1. To complete the USBC Bronze Coaching Course you have to be at least 16 years old. To complete the USBC Silver Coaching Course you have to be at least 18 years old. Finally, to complete the USBC Gold Coaching Course you have to be at least 18 years old as well. If you are over 18, to complete any of the coaching courses you have to be approved through the Registered Volunteer Program.
To be eligible to complete the next Coaching certificate you have to have done the previous certificate at least a year before. This is to ensure that you have time to coach and gain enough experience for the next Coaching level. Also, before you can start doing your coaching levels you must be a USBC member in good standing.
How do I get a job coaching someone in bowling?
After you have completed the certificates to become a qualified bowling coach, you can start coaching someone. Many coaches will begin by coaching family members or friends for free or for a cheap price to get experience and be known in the hopes that the people they are coaching spread the word and the coach gains more clients. This is the cheapest way to become a bowling coach. However, a coach will have to either partner up with a bowling alley or pay the owners the alley to use their facilities to coach.
Another way to coach someone in bowling is to apply or contact a bowling alley for a job. Many bowling alleys offer coaching sessions which means they need coaches to coach the customers. Bowling coaches get an average annual salary of $44,388. So if you are passionate about bowling and want to change your job, this may be a good option for you. A different way to become a bowling coach is to start up your own business. You can start a social media page and advertise yourself and your skills to people in your local area. This will help you gain clients and begin your business. If you partner with a bowling alley you will be able to use their facilities and they may recommend you to customers if anyone is looking for coaching lessons.
Many people who become bowling coaches don’t do it because they want a job, they just want to volunteer and help people improve their game. Some people get coaching qualifications so they can improve their skills and coach their kids to become good bowlers. Many bowling alleys would allow you to help coach clients if you are willing to volunteer.
