A bachelor’s degree in Sport Management can lead to careers in sports marketing, event planning, team/league operation and managing athletes or sports programs.
What is Sport Management?
Sport Management can encompass many converging areas of expertise that are required for an organization or department whose primary focus is on a specific sport or physical activity. A leader in this profession must have a skills set of abilities that include organizing, planning, directing, controlling, leading, budgeting and evaluating multiple and varying areas within the organization. The role of Sports Manager can be found in college sports, professional sports, Olympic or amateur sports, sport management companies who employ agents on behalf of the athletes, communication experts , media outlets, corporate sponsors, advertising executives, sporting equipment firms, managers of arenas, stadiums, civic centers and other recreational locations of events, community sporting programs, social services recreational agencies, such as the YMCA,YWCA, and the JCC, private golf, tennis and aquatic clubs and military sporting programs.
And now that the sporting industry has evolved beyond traditional sports to the more alternative and extreme style of sports activities, both amateur and professional, the increase in professional sports publications, media marketing, internet sites, and attendance at related sporting events has created an upsurge in the need to fill multiple vacancies with specialized individuals possessing the unique talents required for a career in Sport Management and Communications. Due to all of this amplification of activity in the sporting communities, in sporting events from football to skateboarding to rock climbing to boogie boarding, many academic programs are now offering a course load that combines sports communications with media majors. And with this vast increase in types of sporting events, it only stands to reason that an increase in the need for additional locations for all of these events is also on the rise. The sports industry is booming with the onslaught of more specialized sport facilities, an increase in tourism and adventure travel for extreme sports, and the need for more diverse and globally available sporting goods and services. These continuous improvements and increasing developments make certain that a career in the field of Sport Management is more than secure in its future opportunities due to the diverse and ever changing nature of the business.
Preparing for a career in Sport Management
For those who want to pursue a career in Sport Management, an advantage for advanced employment would include the completion of an academic degree that combines business management with a thorough understanding of the sport, with some meaningful work experience as a supplement to this education, usually in the area involving the management of sporting events, teams, or organizations. A preference is given to graduates who have acquired a degree with a MAJOR in Sport Management, with course work in areas of human relations, business administration, physical education, communications and organizational management. Because the industry is now so vast and varied, some colleges and universities now offer specialized degree programs with specific concentrations on individual segments of the sports industry, such as golf course management, sports tourism, or sports communications and media.
In preparation for college academics, the high school student can enhance his future course load by taking classes in economics, business, management, sociology, psychology, history, mathematics and statistics. Playing varsity sports, involvement in school sports clubs and intramural activities, and assisting in school sports workshops and clinics will also prove extremely advantageous to the new prospective college student by providing an abundance of leadership opportunities.
Get related work experience before deciding on a Sport Management Bachelor’s degree
The opportunities to acquire work related experience prior to and after enrollment in college are various and plentiful. Experiences with lifeguarding, officiating or coaching intramural sporting events, attendance and counseling in youth sports camps or clinics, serving as a volunteer for professional sports teams, or as a volunteer worker for college sporting events can all assist the candidate to enhance their background in leadership for preparation in the study of Sport Management.
Job opportunities for those with a Sport Management degree
With the previously mentioned sudden increase in types of sporting events, the opportunities for career placement and advancement are both as diverse and extreme as the sports world itself. Many types of organizations are in search of individuals with this very specific skills set, including roles needed to be filled in vacancies of areas in marketing, administration, public relations, and communications.
