Job Discussion Forums

Santos L Halper · Joined: 11 Oct 2004 Posts: 37 Location: Left Below

I don't have any experience with universities outside of the US.

Do the univ in China have similar basketball, track, etc teams (either intercollegiate or club sports)? Has anyone ever become involved, say as coaching volleyball or cross country?

I'm thinking of joining up with a university after the new year, and I was wondering what the sports scene is like.

mat chen · Joined: 01 Nov 2009 Posts: 494 Location: xiangtan hunan

SLH I have been involve but not as a professional coach. I was on the Canadian Olympic team many years ago and competed internationaly. Before becoming an English teacher I was a sports coach. I watch kids here and say little and once and a while I make suggestions. I do this because of all the people who helped me when I was young. It's tricky though because there are people here whose job it is too coach. In Shanxi while working at a high school, the coach asked me to work with the kids. The sports scene here is not like the west. Athletes only train for sports so their education is neglected. You see their time wasted in their practice sessions. A basketball team here practices for three hours and gets the same work done as a team in the US does in 1 hour.
There are many foreigners working here in sports but in sports the Chinese are not good at like curling. There was a foreign coach in the China basketball league but I don't know if he is still here. The foreign national football coach left last year.
Maybe scouting for the NBA would be more lucrative.

Santos L Halper · Joined: 11 Oct 2004 Posts: 37 Location: Left Below

Thanks for the reply. I'm going for a teaching position, but I had been wondering if there were any opportunities to get involved, maybe volunteering to help coach from time to time.

sui jin · Joined: 08 Feb 2008 Posts: 184 Location: near the yangtze

You might not be able to join the weekly PE regime that most uni students have, but yes the students will really appreciate it if you volunteer; I have known FTs offering Tai Ji and yoga classes here.
You need to find a time outside the curriculum hours, probably late afternoon or early evening. Some students here play a lot of sports, especially basketball, volleyball, soccer, badminton and ping pong (of course).
They also have termly 'sports/athletics meets' and competitions between different schools in various sports

Santos L Halper · Joined: 11 Oct 2004 Posts: 37 Location: Left Below

Thanks for the input!

chinatwin88 · Joined: 31 Aug 2009 Posts: 379 Location: Peking

There are companies that provide pro trainers as coaches for schools.