There are many steps that can be taken for a coach to start coaching basketball overseas.  The main requirement that is needed whether or not an individual is coaching in their home country or overseas, is the knowledge of the game.  The knowledge the game is critical in all coaching jobs.  This is what many basketball organizations look for when choosing an individual for a coaching position.  If an individual is looking to become a basketball coach overseas he/she is required to obtain a passport.   This allows a potential coach to go outside his/her country when traveling overseas.

Coaches from the U.S. must be eligible to become FIBA approved coaches.  Individuals must have either held head coach or assistant coaching positions or any combination for at least 5 years on a professional, collegiate or scholastic level that is a part of USA Basketball.  The prospective candidate must also provide legal documentation proving his/her career as a coach along with references and must be a legal citizen of the United States of America.  There is also a $30 administrative fee that is to be paid to USA Basketball.  Once the above criteria has been met the individual must wait for approval and then can start their career as an international basketball coach.

Of course, the easiest way to get a foot in the door is to make contacts by taking trips and participating in coaching camps and clinics. Also, if you’ve been a head coach for some time, you might have to have a little pride and become an assistant to prove your skills.

When coaches decide that they want to become professional basketball coaches, their stats and ambition will show.  Coaches that have ambitions to reach the professional level have many tasks to prove to team owners that they are the right man to be named head coach of a professional team.  A coaches overall stats doesn’t always get him a job in the professional league.  Along with a coach’s stats his character and his ability to work under pressure plays a huge part.  Coaches in the professional leagues have to be able to perform as a professional on and off the court.

Many coaches that have climbed the ladder to the professional leagues have educated themselves every chance they can.  There are coaching clinics and conventions that held during the off season and not only educate coaches but gives them a chance to network with other coaches and scouts.  Believe it or not there are scouts that also attend coaching clinics and conventions to help scout for team owners in search of a new coaching staff.  There are many off season opportunities that can help a coach reach the professional level such as volunteering for summer league coaching where many scouts attend to watch up and coming players and participating in summer camps.

Exposure and statistics play a he role in a coach reaching the professional level.  Majority of team owners in the professional leagues solely look at a coach’s stats to see if he can take the team in a different direction and also boost ticket sales.  This is a business that team owners must run and they need a coach that has stats to back up his character.  Winning is the most important issue that all team owners care about aside boosting ticket sales.  Many coaches left the collegiate level and went to the professional level as an assistant coach and were promoted to team interim coach.  Some coaches that were interim coaches were able to turn the team in a different direction and were hired as the head coach.  After becoming head coach of one professional team and have the stats and reputation to back up your coaching skills, still faithfully attending professional coaching clinics and meeting more people in the business you will always have a job on the professional level.

There are many books that are on the market that are designed for coaches of different levels of basketball (community league to professional).  If you are learning to become a great coach for your community or you would like to coach on the collegiate level or professionally, learning the sport is the first step.  Even if you are a former player educating yourself with coaching is necessary.

The first book that I would suggest a person beginning his/her career as a basketball coach is “The Basketball Coaches Bible”, by Sidney Goldstein.  This book is the guide to becoming a good coach as well as how to teach players the fundamentals of dribbling, shooting and references to the game of basketball.  Many of the best coaches such as Phil Jackson, Jim Calhoun and others have used this book to gain the necessary knowledge in the game of basketball.  There are also other books that will be of some assistance in teaching the fundamentals of basketball to players.  A coach should also have knowledge of the proper training techniques and proper jumping and landing techniques to prevent injuries to players.  Players will need this knowledge down the road even if they are a community league to that wants play basketball in high school and so on.

There other books that can be helpful to those who have intentions of becoming a coach on any level.  Many of the game’s greatest coaches have written books either focusing on defense, offense, fundamentals and team organization.  Team organization is one of the most important factors when it comes to coaching a basketball team.  Every team should have organization and have intentions of being able to play with one another.  All coaches should at least read “Knight”, the legendary Bobby Knight book and “Practical Modern Basketball”, by John Wooden.  When it comes to becoming a basketball coach knowledge is what must be obtained to become a great coach.

There are many clinics that are sponsored by major corporations such as Nike, Reebok and Converse. Attending these coaching clinics are very important to advancement in coach, because these clinics are also a chance for coaches to network and meet coaches of different schools and of all levels of coaching.  Coaches also have the chance to meet with GMs and also learn new strategies in coaching.  Coaching clinics look good on coach’s resume’, that can be a great deal of help when advancing to different levels of coaching.  These coaching clinics are beneficial to coaches that are just starting off and would like to make coaching a career.

There are many coaching clinics and conferences that go on throughout the off season.  The best coaching clinics that can benefit your coaching experience and career are those that offer certification.  Some of the best coaching clinics are ones that are nationally well known and usually sponsored by Nike, Reebok and Converse.  These clinics usually have well known coaches with resumes as long as the basketball court.  For example the Nike Championship Basketball Clinics are among the top coaching clinics to attend.  Many camps do not require a coaching certification to attend these coaching clinics.  Although it is required that coaches of basketball teams must have coach’s certification.

Many of the best coaches in history have attended coaching clinics to gain more knowledge and strategies that can be helpful in becoming a successful coach.  At these clinics and conferences coaches are adding more training experience on his resume that impresses many GMs and team owners.  Team owners look at the training and the stats that a coach has under his belt before adding them to the club.  So if coaching is your career goal, you’re a coach looking to gain more knowledge of basketball or looking to network with coaches and team reps to gain exposure attending coaching clinics will be a good idea. There are so many types of coaching clinics:  mens basketball, women’s basketball coaching clinics, youth basketball coach clinics, invitational basketball clinic and even aau basketball clinics!

When you attend these coaches clinics be sure to follow these steps

1. Network with other coaches you admire or with the style that is similiar to yours
2. Take great basketball clinic notes
3. Keep your mind open to new strategies
4. Don’t miss a workshop
5. Participate and be active when you can

Most high school and college scouts have knowledge of sports and have taken sports management courses.  There are many companies that offer franchises that will assist you in finding and recruiting high school or college prospects around the world.  This business requires frequent traveling and dedication to scouting the best players around the world.   There are many companies that offer licenses to become a sports scout to represent their company.  With many of these companies you can buy into their franchises or you can pay the necessary fees to become a representative of their company.  These fees can cost you hundreds or even thousands of dollars and they will give you a certain region to cover in recruiting the top prospects in that area.

When scouting the top prospects you can either refer the players to college teams or professional teams.  Many people that have gotten in the scouting business have landed jobs for top college teams and only scout for that school or landed a scouting job for a professional team.  Although there are many freelance scouts they receive their pay either from the school directly or the agent they referred the prospect to.  So if you are considering becoming a scout for high school or college, remember there are many options to consider and many benefits to come.  Starting your career to become a college basketball scout or professional scouting job is easy it’s the dedication that you must consider and from there you are on the road to becoming a successful sports scout.

There are many advantages when it comes to starting your own AAU basketball team. Many AAU teams are coached by someone that has knowledge of the game such as a coach of local high school or former basketball player in your local area. Many AAU coaches got their teamed organized for a child and has continued to participate in AAU competition. There are many benefits that come with starting an AAU team if coaching is what you would like to do AAU is a good stepping stone to get exposure. There are many college scouts that attend AAU events scouting players for their program. In some instances many are there to observe the coach as well the players. By participating in AAU functions coaches and players have the chance to add new contacts to their basketball network. This is an experience for both the players and coaches that can take them to another level.

You must form a club name and apply for club membership with the AAU that ranges from $30 to $300. There is a maximum amount of 15 players and 4 non-athletes (coach, manage and personnel) that will represent your AAU team. Many coaches have multiple functions, for example the coach may also handle the administrative duties and also be a tournament director. There are fees that must be paid to obtain membership to the AAU. Membership prices range from $12 to $14 for athletes and $14 to $16 for non-athletes. There are also fees for participation in AAU Basketball tournaments (invitational, district, regional, national) that range from $150 to $600. When participating in the AAU you should consider searching for sponsors or holding fundraising events. Coaches also have to come up with funds that should cover uniforms, basketballs, travel expenses, a gymnasium for practice, and supplies. You can get supplies from your local sporting goods store that will possibly sponsor your team. So if considering starting an AAU team you are not only giving players an opportunity to play their favorite sport you will also be getting them the exposure they need.

Some received knowledge at a university and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise Science or related field of study.   After they have received their degree they received certificate from an organization accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA).  NCCA accreditation is nationally recognized by gyms all over the world and could be the start of your career as a certified personal trainer.  Before enrolling in a NCCA personal trainer program you should acquire CPR certification from the American Heart Association’s Healthcare Provider CPR classes that can be taken in your community.

Once you have landed a job at gym as a personal trainer you can add this to your professional resume along with your certifications.  This will give employers something to consider at your employment interview for a personal trainer position.  Once given the position as a personal trainer at gym you can gain years under your belt for experience that will also look good on your professional resume.  There are many job opportunities for personal trainers around the world.  Not only can you take a step to being a professional athlete’s personal trainer but the many sports teams collegiate and professional have job openings for team trainers.  There are also yearly workshops and training seminars that many personal trainers attend to learn new training methods, new products and the chance to expand your professional network.  At these seminars you can meet many new faces that may be able to help you land your job as a professional personal trainer for pro teams or even information on how to start your own business.

Being that you have received the proper training, you’ve received certification for CPR and as a personal trainer many sports teams are in search of good trainers that have the proper knowledge and experience.  This is why it is important that you gain work experience after receiving your NCCA certification.  This can land you a job on the prep level or on the collegiate level where you will have the opportunity to add more credentials to your professional resume.

Many personal trainers that have made a living working in the local gyms and becoming the trainer for many teams usually move on to starting their own business.  So after being a personal trainer in the gym and for teams you’ve had the opportunity to meet many people and that can be your clientele for your personal training business.  Some of which maybe some of the players from the teams were a trainer for and liked you as a person and as trainer and may want to use your services.  So becoming a personal trainer requires dedication and hard work.  After those two factors have been accomplished you are on your way to becoming a great personal trainer.

Certifications are also available online

1. AFPA -  American Fitness  Personal Trainer Certification
2. ACE Fitness – American Council of Exercise
3. NFPT – National Federation of National Trainers
4. NASM - National Academy of Sports Medicine
5. AFTA – American Fitness Training of Athletics

The education material for these certifications can be expensive. I recommend asking a friend for previous books or even search Ebay for used books. The concepts always remain the same. The exam can be taken online!

One of the many questions that people considering a career as a coach is, How do I get my foot in the door?  The answer to that question is deciding the sport that you would like to coach.  After you have come up with what type of sport that you would like to coach is what steps would I have to gaining the proper knowledge of the sport.  Many coaching jobs require you have a degree or a resume that describes you as a winner, teacher, role model and teacher.  You don’t have to be a former All-American to become a great coach, the key is knowledge of the game and the use of basic fundamentals.  Training can be obtained by doing research on the sport and attending coaching clinics.  This training will also look good on your professional resume and shows that you took the necessary steps to learn the sport that are attempting to coach.

Although with community leagues you will not have to take these necessary steps just being supportive of your players and creating plays which is the start of a person gaining coaching experience.  Coaching on a high school level requires training and attending coaching clinics and you must be able to be a parent figure on and off the court to your players.  Many high school coaches not only teach basketball to their players they also problem solving techniques that their players can use on and off the court and a lot of support.  Some high school athletic directors do an interview as if you were applying for a job, actually this will be your job if you are considering coaching as a career path.

Getting your foot in the door at the college level it requires a resume that will impress the athletic director.  You must be able to prove to the athletic director that you can change the direction of the athletic program and bring championships to the school.  If you can convince the athletic director that by hiring you as the new coach you can fill the stands as well as bring all american high school prospects and championships you are on you way as an collegiate coach.  Once you have suceeded as a well known coach that has knowledge and experience that has championships on his resume there is a chance that you may be on your way to the professional level.  Many coaches that have mastered the sport have passed up opportunities to move up to the pro level  and still earn the same pay that professional level coaches receive.  Some on the other hand were not ready for the professional level and eventually returned to the collegiate level.  So training, knowledge and experience are the keys to getting your foot in the door to becoming a coach.

Online there are several basketball job vacancies  posted on some good job hunter websites

1. NCAA Career Center - The first place you should look for a job in the NCAA
2. Athletic Link - Many basketball jobs listed daily- (Mostly Womens Basketball)
3. Sport Jobs  -
4. Monster.com – General job search website and some good sport jobs if you dig deep
5. Craigslist – Everything is listed but not so many and often.
6. Yahoo! Jobs – Job bank similar to Monster.com