I think coaching isn't as lucrative as you think. I know a few Olympic level coaches that don't make the money you would imagine. A lot of times these coaches coach pro bono for their top athletes if they don't have the money. And these top coaches put in a majority of time to these elite athletes so they can't just make the cash teaching beginners because of the travel for comps and stuff. They also pay the rink a cut for services and for insurance plus taxes for being self employed . It's a lot of long hours and babysitting for athletes even adults.
There are a lot of costs people don't realize. Insurance, coaching credentials, and the rink always gets part of the cut.
I think you're conflating a lot of different types of coaches and also rink arrangements.
Yes, there is liability insurance, but it's not very expensive (certainly not anywhere as expensive as professional malpractice insurance). And certification costs are more of a one-time deal and again, not a lot of money.
Rink arrangements differ, but most coaches that I know pass any of these costs through to their students.
And a coach who is traveling to international competitions is likely of a higher caliber and making a higher rate. So if they are not charging their students for lost lesson time, they are making up for it with their billing rates.
It's been decades since I skated but when I last had a coach (or rather, coaches) they were all making close to $100 an hour, and they weren't Olympians or national-level coaches.
And finally, for
@ilovepaydays, work is out there. Maybe Kori Ade wasn't able to teach at Broadmoor, but she certainly found herself another rink, and I'm sure she's making good coin.
Bottom line - for a profession that requires no secondary education and maybe only a few relatively easy PSA certifications*, coaches in the U.S. make pretty darn good money.
*The top-level PSA ratings are NOT easy, but the first levels are not difficult, and in many places even the entry level rankings are not required.
Erm, don't we all pay taxes?
You aren't making millions at all.
I never claimed coaches became millionaires, only they they could readily make $70K+ a year, right out of the gate, which certainly beats being a $10/hour greeter at Wal-Mart.
And it certainly isn't a 9-5 job.
Most jobs aren't.
Ok, this tangent was in response to
@ilovepaydays concerns for what Adam, Ashley and Joshua might do for a living after they move on from skating, and my point was that if they decide to coach, they will probably do just fine. Back to U.S. men.....
