By Gene Coleman, Ed.D., FACSM, RSCC*E and Matthew C. Krause, MA, ATC, CSCS*D, RSCC*E
Many young strength and conditioning coaches dream of working in professional baseball. They study exercise science, pursue certifications, complete internships, attend conferences, and look for opportunities to get their foot in the door. Those things are important. But getting into professional baseball requires more than knowing how to design a program.
Professionalism starts before you become a professional.
You don’t suddenly become professional when someone gives you a title, a uniform, or a paycheck. Professionalism is a collection of habits developed long before the first day on the job.
Your Internship Is an Audition
Every internship, volunteer opportunity, classroom experience, conference, clinic, and interaction with a coach is an opportunity to demonstrate how you will behave when given greater responsibility.
People notice. They notice whether you arrive early or barely on time. They notice whether you are prepared. They notice whether you ask thoughtful questions or try to show everyone how much you know. They notice how you treat athletes, coaches, athletic trainers, clubhouse personnel, interns, and support staff. Most importantly, they notice what you do when nobody appears to be watching. Treat every opportunity like an audition – because it probably is.
Your Reputation Arrives Before Your Résumé
Strength and conditioning is a relatively small profession, and professional baseball is even smaller. Coaches talk to other coaches. Former supervisors receive phone calls. Internships lead to recommendations. Relationships built today can create opportunities years later.
Your reputation is built through hundreds of seemingly insignificant actions.
- Do you follow through?
- Can people depend on you?
- Do you accept responsibility when something goes wrong?
- Can you receive criticism without becoming defensive?
- Do you give others credit?
- Can you be trusted with confidential information?
- Do you help when the job isn’t glamorous?
Technical knowledge might get someone’s attention. Character and reliability determine whether they trust you.
Learn Before You Try to Lead
Young coaches naturally want to demonstrate what they know. But one of the most valuable skills early in a career is learning how to listen.
Watch experienced coaches. Ask why they do things. Learn how they communicate with different athletes. Observe how they interact with managers, position coaches, medical personnel, front-office staff, and other departments. You don’t have to agree with everything you see. You do need to understand it before deciding there is a better way.
Education gives you knowledge. Experience teaches you when, where, and how to apply it. Don’t be in such a hurry to show what you know that you miss the opportunity to learn what you don’t know.
No Job Is Beneath You
Professional baseball involves long days and countless tasks that never appear in a job description. Equipment has to be organized. Weight rooms have to be cleaned. Water has to be available. Programs have to be prepared. Athletes need individual attention. Someone may need help before you planned to arrive or after you expected to leave.
Early in your career, how you approach the small jobs often determines whether you will eventually be trusted with the big ones. If something needs to be done, help get it done. Don’t wait for a title before taking responsibility.
Be the Person People Want on Their Staff
Baseball seasons are long. Coaches and staff spend more time with each other than they do with their families during much of the year. Competence matters, but so does being someone others can depend on.
- Bring solutions instead of complaints.
- Be prepared.
- Communicate clearly.
- Respect everyone’s role.
- Keep learning.
- Admit when you don’t know something.
- Do what you say you will do.
And remember that your responsibility is to help the athletes and the organization – not to draw attention to yourself.
Build Your Career Before You Get the Job
There is no guaranteed path into professional baseball. You can control, however, how prepared you are when an opportunity appears.
- Build your knowledge.
- Develop practical skills.
- Find good mentors.
- Learn to communicate.
- Protect your reputation.
- Treat people with respect.
- Become dependable.
- And practice professional habits every day.
- Don’t wait until someone calls you a professional to start acting like one.
Professionalism isn’t defined by the level at which you work. It’s defined by the standards you bring to your work every day.
The Bottom Line
If you want to become a professional strength and conditioning coach, start becoming one now.
- Prepare like a professional.
- Learn like a professional.
- Communicate like a professional.
- Treat people like a professional.
- Work like a professional.
Then, when the opportunity finally arrives, you won’t have to learn how to become a professional. You’ll already be one.
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Gene Coleman, Ed. D., RSCC*E, FACSM, was the Major League Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Houston Astros from 1978-2012 and Strength and Conditioning Consultant for the Texas Rangers from 2013-2020. He is Professor Emeritus in the Exercise and Health Sciences Program at the University of Houston – Clear Lake and Website Education Manager https://pbsccs.org/. Matthew C. Krause, MA, ATC, CSCS*D, RSCC*E, is Administrative Director of PBSCCS and has more than 20 seasons of professional baseball strength and conditioning experience, including work with Cubs (1999), Pirates (2000-2002), Reds (2003-2013) and Yankees (2014-2019).