Careers in Education: Benefits of Being a Coach

"Mr., wake up! Some guy in a tie is in the back of the room."

I snorted. How long had I been sleeping? How long had my administrator been in the back of the room? Last night's game had gone into double overtime and I didn't get home until midnight. "All right class, who has the answer to number 2?" I asked.

"Number 2 on what," asked Johnny Dufus. "You told us we didn't have to do nothing today cause you was tired."

"Ha ha ha. Good one Johnny." The bell rang.

The principal left a note on my desk: "Excellent lesson, coach. That was a great win last night, our first over East High in 13 years. I'll make sure you get a superior review."

• Relationships: High school is a distant memory. Geography and Chemistry have long since been buried in the recesses of the brain. The old high school flame weighs 300 lbs and has no hair. The high school coach, however, will never be forgotten.
• Competition: It's hard to hang up the sneakers. The only alternatives to professional sports, however, is playing softball with a bunch of drunks, shooting hoops at the Rec center with old guys wearing knee braces, and coaching. I'll take the latter.
• Teaching: Coaching is teaching without the grading. The test is game day and the scoreboard is the report card.
• Status: Most administrators recognize the amount of work coaching involves. Good administrators make sure the coach is taken care of. And have you ever noticed the football coach always has a hot wife?
• The Whistle and the Clipboard: Nothing screams "I'm a man!" more than a whistle and a clipboard.
• Dress Code: The coach gets to wear shorts whenever he or she wants. I think that's a benefit.
• Activity: Coaching gets you out of the classroom and into the gym or field. Associating yourself with young athletes is motivating.
• Enjoyment: Spend the afternoon doing what you love. Your NBA dreams ended years ago, but that doesn't mean your love for the game ever ended.
• Money: A little bonus at the end of the year is always nice.