I have approximately 30 months before I can retire. I am interested in using the US Army Soldier For Life Transition Assistance Program (SFLTAP) when I am about 24 months from retirement. I ran track in college (400/800m) and was a 3 Sport Varsity Letter in High School. I have always wanted to coach at virtually any level of Football and Track & Field. I plan on retiring in Texas in the 2022 (Summer) timeframe. Much like my military career, I have always approached my understanding of a subject by utilizing training, mentorship, and self study.
Where do I start to get the mentorship and training to ensure that I can find a job that also has coaching opportunities? I will be in education (teaching history, social studies, and computers) but want to ensure that I can mentor youth in athletics as well. I completely understand that athletic opportunities much like the military is tied to who you know and the success you have. Maybe two years is a bit far off for seeing opportunities....but definitely not to far off to see what training is available or making connections in the coaching realm. Even if it's cutting tape or helping with scouting local team's in Texas on the weekend, I just want to try and get my foot in the door.
Any help or guidance would be greatly appreciated.
Answers
Thank you very much for both the responses. Unfortunately, at least High School wise, you must be an employee at the school district to even volunteer coaching. I will try to coordinate with some local AAU or Club teams to keep gathering the experience.
Hello Brent,
Thank you for your question, and thank you for your service! With regards to your question, I imagine that you have already identified one great approach in terms of networking. And while it maybe early with 24 more months until your transition, being early cannot be a bad thing, especially when going about the networking angle, as it will take time to develop the requisite relationships to get your foot in the door.
You mentioned coaching football or track and field at any level. Do you have any connections to local high schools where you can speak to someone about volunteering on some level now, so you are familiar and possibly even seasoned by the time you are ready to take on that role in two years? This not only gets your foot in the door, but can shed light on whether or not you would need additional degrees or certifications, like CPR, for instance.
Keep us posted on how your networking goes!
Best,
Andrea
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