No matter what natural talents an athlete brings to a sport, the game can be won or lost by the coaching. Coaches can be patient instructors, demanding bosses, and enthusiastic cheerleaders. Their job is to prepare athletes for competition and victory. The best coaches also help them learn from defeat.

They may work alone with young athletes, teaching them the basics, then refining their skills. Or they many manage entire teams, from running practice sessions to planning strategy for the big game. The work can take them outdoors in uncomfortable weather and can be physically draining. Off the field, coaches study team statistics and game tapes and work with athletes to improve their performance.

A head coach may hire assistants to take on some of the budgeting and scheduling tasks. Some coaches become scouts looking for fresh talent and picking new team members, or analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of opposing teams in order to develop game strategies.

Coaches work whenever practices and sporting events are scheduled, often at night and on weekends and holidays. Though a college degree is usually preferred, education and training requirements vary widely by sport. Coaches often start as assistants. They work their way up by developing good relationships with players, demonstrating expert knowledge of the sport, and working with winning teams.

Some coaches become celebrities in their own right. Others may be stars only to the players they've coached, inspiring them long after they've left the field.