Careers for Graduates with a Degree in Physical Education
Elementary, Middle and High School Most states require students at all levels of education, elementary, middle or high school to complete courses in physical education. Even the President of the United States has placed the influence of his office behind a national push toward improving the physical well-being and conditioning of our youth. For graduates with a Degree in Physical Education there are careers available as physical education teachers to instruct students at every level. There are also careers available for graduates with a Degree in Physical Education who have sufficient experience to serve as system wide directors of the school district’s physical education programs and classes.
Careers as physical education instructors or administrators can be found nation wide. The pay offered for these positions is determined by the community in which the teacher is employed. By choosing a career in teaching, graduates with a Degree in Physical Education are likely to be part of a bargaining unit that will provide job security, health and retirement benefits and provide for professional growth opportunities. To make a career of teaching physical education classes , graduates with a Degree in Physical Education need to be certified by their State Department of Education and most important of all, they should enjoy working with young people.
Coaching Some careers for graduates with a Degree in Physical Education require expertise in a specialized area. For example a graduate with a Degree in Physical Education who also has marked proficiency in playing football and perhaps some additional assistant coaching experience may find a career opening as a high school football coach. In some states such coaching pistons are compensated only as a part time, after school program and are not full time jobs. But in other states certain sports take on such importance at the high school level that school districts pay full time contracts for full time coaches. In either case graduates with a Degree in Physical Education may find that teaching at the high school level for a few years will provide them with the experience and the networking opportunities that will help move them along to the next level as a full time college coach.
While graduates with a Degree in Physical Education are unlikely to move directly into a college or professional level job without prior experience at a lower level, a Degree in Physical Education makes that first step of high school coaching possible and puts the graduate with a Degree in Physical Education in the running.
Health and Fitness, Clubs and Programs Many Americans today are battling either to take off unwanted pounds , to maintain good cardiac or pulmonary health or to firm muscles so as to become more generally physically fit and attractive. In fact, so many people are pursuing such goals that we have experienced an explosion of health and fitness clubs and programs across the country. Many clubs are opened to the public, some are restricted for the use of company employees but all of these clubs require qualified instructors and managers to provide and administer effective programs.
As a result of this near mania over health and weight loss, there are an ever increasing number of careers for graduate with a Degree in Physical Education in almost every state in the nation. Currently the demand for such services is large and growing with no slow down in sight. As in any business, job security in any of these organizations depends upon market forces, but the well trained graduates with a Degree in Physical Education will find that in this area of work there are many locations and venues from which to choose.
Youth Organizations While adults struggle to take weight off and build muscle, they are also concerned with the physical conditioning of their children. Some young people receive hours of exercise by joining a team sport at school but many others need other exercise alternatives. Some excellent chances for kids to stay active and grow up healthy and strong are offered by youth organizations like the YMCA or Boys and Girls Clubs of America.
Today graduates with a Degree in Physical Education can find careers with these youth clubs in almost every state , in cities, suburbs and even rural areas. There are careers for graduates with a Degree in Physical Education as an active counselor or as a club director, depending on what other previous experience or special skills appear on your resume.
Even at the management level, careers in youth work for graduates with a Degree in Physical Education are seldom likely to kick back a six figure salary. But careers in youth work for graduates with a Degree in Physical Education can return a marvelous feeling of accomplishment. Being able to keep young people safe, happy and healthy through well planned and well led physical activity is no easy task, but for graduates with a Degree in Physical Education, it may be the only job that really makes sense to them.
Town Recreation Programs In American small towns and suburbs many of the recreational opportunities available are scheduled and supervised by a Recreation Director. Depending on the size of the operation such positions can be career opportunities for graduates with a Degree in Physical Education. In small towns the job of the recreation director may only be a part time Poseidon offered in the summer. But larger communities do offer year round programs and sometimes several small towns will hire a single full time recreation coordinator. Full time directors are often in charge of year round programs that include organized sports leagues all year long for boys and girls.
Graduates with a Degree in Physical Education are usually well qualified to fill such positions. They may decide however that the salary offered is too low with little likelihood of substantial increase or that regular functions like scheduling, staffing or programming become enmeshed in town politics. This particular career for a graduate with a Degree in Physical Education may be best suited to someone who is really attached to his or her community and who would enjoy the challenge and the opportunity to provide an excellent recreation program for his neighbors, his family and the community that he or she calls home.
Regardless of which of the many opportunities graduates with a Degree in Physical Education select most have the unusual benefit of placing the graduates in positions that allow them to exercise daily and encourages them to maintain a healthy lifestyle not because its a good thing to do but because basically, it’s their job.
