The face of a sports organization may be athletes, but they are not the only stars. The skilled management professionals who make the game happen are behind every double play, touchdown, and penalty shot, whether they organize logistical information or work to draw crowds.
Careers with a degree in sports management draw professionals from several disciplines excited about the opportunity to work in professional, college, or recreational athletics. Sports organizations need personnel with many of the same financial, organizational, and marketing capabilities as any other corporation.
However, an aspiring sports manager should also have a clear understanding of special problems in the industry. Here’s everything you need to know about this fantastic rising career!
Overview: What is Sports Management?
In both sports and industry, people who work in sports management are involved. In training, sports management practitioners learn about economics, marketing, law, and business related to the sports world.
Graduates can start working in amateur, collegiate, or professional sports in just about any form of the sport after completing their education and often find jobs as administrators, scouts, coaches, and specialists in marketing and public relations.
Sports management is an excellent opportunity for many professionals to have outstanding careers since hundreds of billions of dollars a year are produced by the athletic industry.
Educational Background
There are several different degree programs for sports management practitioners, and students can enroll in colleges offering anything from certificates to master’s degrees.
Certificates are excellent for either continuing your education or training for a job at the entry-level, such as working at a fitness club. If a student wants a bachelor’s or master’s degree, it would precisely determine what career in the sports industry they are seeking.
Bachelor’s degrees will often be appropriate for public relations, marketing, sales, or finance positions. Still, master’s degrees will probably be required for those who have set their sights on top-level management positions, such as general manager for a sports team or executive producer at a sports network.
Career Outlook
It takes mastery of all the vital skills that the job needs to gain promotions and develop within the sports management industry, such as people skills, strong communication, coordination, decision-making skills, interpersonal skills, and sound judgment.
Of course, you will need to have a passion and a thorough understanding of sports. For example, having an advanced education will help you go back to school for a master’s degree or receive a credential in the industry’s particular field.
Climbing the ranks to the top of any given career path would often entail strategic job choices, beginning with the job you want to take at the entry-level.
Career Options
Event Coordinator
These coordinated, creative professionals supervise all the vital elements that effectively facilitate, conduct, and broadcast a sporting event.
Gameday coordinators, often serving as liaisons between fans, the venue, and management, help create a vibrant, interactive atmosphere and ensure that it is a fun experience for all participants.
Athletics Administrator
In sports organizations, athletics managers are also the key decision-makers responsible for overseeing almost every franchise, squad, or club aspect.
Anything from ordering machinery to recruiting and firing personnel will fall within their domain. Their role may also include ensuring compliance, especially in the collegiate climate, with changing legal regulations.
Sport Marketer
Sport marketing professionals concentrate on generating buzz about the franchise or company they represent and handling sponsorships that can impact the team’s image.
Overall, their goal is to inspire the squad, its players, and other stories or tools to attract public attention, increase revenue, and enhance the organization’s voice.
Organizations of all kinds depend on practitioners who connect strongly in both new and conventional media.
Financial and Contract Analyst
Sports teams and teams, as with any company, aspire to be profitable and fiscally responsible. As in other industries, financial analysts in sports support this goal: evaluating available funds, resources, and investments to optimize revenue and report results.
Given that much of the business’s capital can include athlete compensation and vendor deals, these professionals may also be called upon to review the terms of a pending contract and ensure that it represents the organization’s best interests.
Average Salary
In principle, for people with a degree in sports administration, the starting salary is between $35,000 and $42,000. Depending on various factors, including location, education, and experience, the salary range for sports management careers varies significantly.
When several different factors come into play, such as the demand for the sports industry and the cost of living, place is a significant factor.
Here is the basic average salary for the most common careers in sports management.
- Coaches and Scouts: $33,780.
- Sports Agent: $66,040.
- Sports Marketing Manager: $134,290.
Conclusion
You may start in the same position you would want with any other occupation when seeking a job as a sports management career. Job websites such as CareerBuilder, Monster, and Indeed are also helpful.
There are several other services out there that directly appeal to sports administrators, marketing experts, coaches, and agents online.