IMG Academy OPT Eligible Jobs USA
IMG Academy hires OPT students across coaching, athletic performance, sports science, and operations roles at its Bradenton, Florida campus. Known for its elite sports training environment, it's a strong fit for F-1 graduates whose degrees align with kinesiology, sports management, nutrition, or exercise science.
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Get Access To All JobsABOUT IMG ACADEMY
IMG Academy is the world’s leading sports education brand, providing a holistic education model that empowers student-athletes to win their future while preparing them for college and for life. IMG Academy has been nationally recognized by organizations including Sports Business Journal, USA Today, and the Best and Brightest Companies to Work For for its workplace culture, innovation, and commitment to developing people both on and off the field.
IMG Academy provides growth opportunities for student-athletes and partners through an innovative suite of on-campus and online experiences:
- Boarding school and camps, delivered on a state-of-the-art campus in Bradenton, Florida
- Online coaching through IMG Academy+, focused on personal development through the lens of sport and performance
- Online college recruiting through NCSA College Recruiting and SportsRecruits, providing industry-leading recruiting education, tools, and access to a network of more than 40,000 college coaches for student-athletes, families, club coaches, and event operators
- Elevate by IMG Academy, a performance and personal development solution that delivers mindset, leadership, and wellbeing programming to schools, colleges, and organizations through a combination of digital content and immersive experiences
Position Summary: The Assistant Track & Field / XC coach is responsible for assisting the head distance coach in all aspects of training and coaching student athletes with an emphasis on middle distance and distance running as well as cross country.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Assist head coach with preparing training programs for all student-athletes who participate in middle distance and distance running including cross country
- Assesses the skill development of each student-athlete, and partners with school staff and performance coaches to ensure their ongoing comprehensive development
- Assists with the psychological preparation of the student-athlete in both pre-meet and post-meets
- Develops motivational approach to practices and meets
- Interacts with the student-athlete as a mentor and as an educator of the sport
- Responsible for delivering a high-quality program that aids in the annual retention of student-athletes
- Assists in the college placement of the student-athlete
- Supports and maintains a high level of understanding of the four-year model for the Academy program student-athlete
- Effectively communicates to student-athletes and their parents/guardians
- Partners with the student-athlete’s parent/guardian regarding their overall development
- Assists sport advisors in generating new leads and maintaining an accurate pipeline for enrollments
- Assures that proper safety is maintained
- Travels to tournaments and other events as needed
- Coaches at Track & Field and Cross Country camps held at IMG Academy
- Adheres to all company policies, procedures and business ethic codes
- Performs other duties as assigned
QUALIFICATIONS:
- Experience in coaching and/or competing in Track & Field at the professional and/or collegiate level
- Bachelor’s degree in an appropriate field
- Proficiency in all Track & Field training and instructional techniques with an emphasis on endurance events
- Strong commitment to student-athletes and their development academically, athletically, and socially
- Desire to work collaboratively with colleagues
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Commitment to comprehensive excellence
PREFERRED SKILLS:
- Bilingual
- USA Track and Field Level of certification and/or IAAF Level of certification in the Endurance Events
- CPR Certification
- Valid driver’s license with ability to drive for tournaments, games, travel
PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT:
- Ability to lift, move, push and pull equipment in excess of 40 pounds
- Ability to handle outdoor conditions for a reasonable period of time
- Ability to move around campus including gym, track and field stadium etc.
- Ability to work flexible hours to include nights, weekends and holidays
BACKGROUND REQUIREMENTS:
- Requires a background check upon offer
- Requires a drug test upon offer
BENEFITS:
As a full-time member of our team, you will enjoy a comprehensive offering listed below. Connect with your talent acquisition specialist to learn more about benefits for our part-time and seasonal/temporary roles.
- Comprehensive Medical, Dental and Vision
- Flexible Spending Account and Health Savings Account options
- 401k with an Employer Match
- Short Term and Long Term Disability
- Group and Supplemental Life & AD&D
- Gym Discount Program
- Pet Insurance
- Wellbeing Program
- and more!
Don’t meet every single requirement? We are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.
IMG Academy provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.
ABOUT IMG ACADEMY
IMG Academy is the world’s leading sports education brand, providing a holistic education model that empowers student-athletes to win their future while preparing them for college and for life. IMG Academy has been nationally recognized by organizations including Sports Business Journal, USA Today, and the Best and Brightest Companies to Work For for its workplace culture, innovation, and commitment to developing people both on and off the field.
IMG Academy provides growth opportunities for student-athletes and partners through an innovative suite of on-campus and online experiences:
- Boarding school and camps, delivered on a state-of-the-art campus in Bradenton, Florida
- Online coaching through IMG Academy+, focused on personal development through the lens of sport and performance
- Online college recruiting through NCSA College Recruiting and SportsRecruits, providing industry-leading recruiting education, tools, and access to a network of more than 40,000 college coaches for student-athletes, families, club coaches, and event operators
- Elevate by IMG Academy, a performance and personal development solution that delivers mindset, leadership, and wellbeing programming to schools, colleges, and organizations through a combination of digital content and immersive experiences
Position Summary: The Assistant Track & Field / XC coach is responsible for assisting the head distance coach in all aspects of training and coaching student athletes with an emphasis on middle distance and distance running as well as cross country.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Assist head coach with preparing training programs for all student-athletes who participate in middle distance and distance running including cross country
- Assesses the skill development of each student-athlete, and partners with school staff and performance coaches to ensure their ongoing comprehensive development
- Assists with the psychological preparation of the student-athlete in both pre-meet and post-meets
- Develops motivational approach to practices and meets
- Interacts with the student-athlete as a mentor and as an educator of the sport
- Responsible for delivering a high-quality program that aids in the annual retention of student-athletes
- Assists in the college placement of the student-athlete
- Supports and maintains a high level of understanding of the four-year model for the Academy program student-athlete
- Effectively communicates to student-athletes and their parents/guardians
- Partners with the student-athlete’s parent/guardian regarding their overall development
- Assists sport advisors in generating new leads and maintaining an accurate pipeline for enrollments
- Assures that proper safety is maintained
- Travels to tournaments and other events as needed
- Coaches at Track & Field and Cross Country camps held at IMG Academy
- Adheres to all company policies, procedures and business ethic codes
- Performs other duties as assigned
QUALIFICATIONS:
- Experience in coaching and/or competing in Track & Field at the professional and/or collegiate level
- Bachelor’s degree in an appropriate field
- Proficiency in all Track & Field training and instructional techniques with an emphasis on endurance events
- Strong commitment to student-athletes and their development academically, athletically, and socially
- Desire to work collaboratively with colleagues
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Commitment to comprehensive excellence
PREFERRED SKILLS:
- Bilingual
- USA Track and Field Level of certification and/or IAAF Level of certification in the Endurance Events
- CPR Certification
- Valid driver’s license with ability to drive for tournaments, games, travel
PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT:
- Ability to lift, move, push and pull equipment in excess of 40 pounds
- Ability to handle outdoor conditions for a reasonable period of time
- Ability to move around campus including gym, track and field stadium etc.
- Ability to work flexible hours to include nights, weekends and holidays
BACKGROUND REQUIREMENTS:
- Requires a background check upon offer
- Requires a drug test upon offer
BENEFITS:
As a full-time member of our team, you will enjoy a comprehensive offering listed below. Connect with your talent acquisition specialist to learn more about benefits for our part-time and seasonal/temporary roles.
- Comprehensive Medical, Dental and Vision
- Flexible Spending Account and Health Savings Account options
- 401k with an Employer Match
- Short Term and Long Term Disability
- Group and Supplemental Life & AD&D
- Gym Discount Program
- Pet Insurance
- Wellbeing Program
- and more!
Don’t meet every single requirement? We are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.
IMG Academy provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding IMG Academy OPT Eligible Jobs USA
Align your degree to IMG's roles
IMG Academy fills roles in athletic performance, sports science, nutrition, and coaching. Pull up O*NET profiles for your target job title and confirm your degree field maps directly to the listed education requirements before you apply. A clear degree-to-role match is your first filter.
Confirm E-Verify enrollment before accepting
STEM OPT's 24-month extension requires your employer to be enrolled in E-Verify. Ask IMG Academy's HR team to confirm their E-Verify status before you sign an offer. Without E-Verify enrollment, you'd be limited to the standard 12-month OPT window.
Time your application around campus hiring cycles
IMG Academy's Bradenton campus runs intensive seasonal programming, so hiring for coaching and performance roles often spikes before new training cohorts launch. Apply three to four months ahead of those windows so your OPT EAD start date lines up with when they actually need staff on the ground.
Search IMG's verified OPT hiring history on Migrate Mate
Check Migrate Mate to review IMG Academy's sponsorship history by role and visa type. That data tells you which departments have consistently hired international candidates, so you can prioritize teams where OPT hires have already worked rather than cold-applying across the organization.
Request an I-983 training plan early
For STEM OPT, IMG Academy must sign your I-983 training plan before USCIS can approve the extension. Raise this with your hiring manager during the offer stage, not after you start. Delays in getting the I-983 signed are one of the most common reasons STEM OPT extensions get filed late.
Position yourself for an H-1B transition
IMG Academy sponsors H-1B visas, so frame your OPT role as the first step in a long-term arrangement. During your first performance review cycle, ask directly about the company's H-1B filing timeline. OPT runs up to three years with STEM extension, giving you two H-1B lottery attempts before your authorization expires.
IMG Academy OPT Eligibility: Frequently Asked Questions
Does IMG Academy sponsor OPT visas?
IMG Academy doesn't sponsor OPT directly. OPT is work authorization granted by USCIS to F-1 students, not a visa the employer files for. What IMG Academy does is hire students who already hold an OPT EAD. If you have a valid EAD and your role fits their hiring needs, you're eligible to work there on OPT.
Which departments at IMG Academy typically hire OPT students?
Roles in athletic performance, sports science, nutrition, strength and conditioning, and campus operations tend to align best with F-1 graduates on OPT. These departments draw on kinesiology, exercise science, sports management, and nutrition degree backgrounds. Coaching and player development roles are also a regular fit depending on your sport specialty.
How do I know if IMG Academy is enrolled in E-Verify?
Ask IMG Academy's HR or talent acquisition team directly during the offer stage. E-Verify enrollment is required before USCIS can approve a STEM OPT 24-month extension. Confirming this before you accept the offer saves you from a situation where your extension is blocked by a missing employer registration.
What's the timeline for moving from OPT to H-1B at IMG Academy?
IMG Academy sponsors H-1B visas, so the path exists. H-1B registration opens each March for an October 1 start date. If you're on standard OPT, you have one lottery attempt. With a STEM extension, you may have two. Migrate Mate can help you track IMG Academy's H-1B visa filing history so you know how active they've been in past cap seasons.
How do I strengthen my OPT application for a role at IMG Academy?
Match your degree field to the role's specialty occupation requirements using O*NET to verify the education standard. Confirm your OPT EAD start date covers their intended hire date, and raise the I-983 training plan requirement early if you're pursuing STEM OPT. A clear degree-to-job connection is what separates approvals from requests for evidence.
How does IMG Academy hire OPT students?
OPT is work authorization granted directly to F-1 students after graduation — no employer petition is required. IMG Academy can hire OPT students as soon as their EAD card is approved. STEM degree holders can extend OPT by 24 months when their employer is enrolled in E-Verify. Most companies that hire OPT students also support the transition to H-1B when the student's OPT period is ending. Check IMG Academy's individual postings on Migrate Mate to confirm OPT acceptance per role.