If you are a big fan of sports and dream of working in this exciting field, then you should probably consider having a degree in sports management. Sports have greatly developed in the recent years changing its nature from just a hobby to become a huge industry that generates hundreds of billions of dollars per year. Sports industry is also an important foundation for other industries as advertisement, fashion, mobile applications and sports equipment. Sports management is a profession that handles an exciting and rapidly changing world that lies behind the scenes of sports competitions, clubs and athletes. Sports management includes planning, organizing and budget management related to sports. Managers get the responsibility for the finance, marketing and management of sports events and facilities. Sports management is not limited to professional sports but it also includes amateur sports, school or college teams as well as governmental, social and private sports organizations.

What does a sports management student learn?

Sports management degree programs focus on four main elements: finance, marketing, management and law of sports. Sports management programs aims at preparing the students to deal with sports organizations. Students need to apply critical thinking to solve the problems and boost the growth of these organizations. The following list includes the common courses included in sports management degree programs:

1. Foundation courses include: principles of management, principles of marketing statistics, algebra and accounting.
2. General psychology, biology and physical science.
3. Humanities and public speaking
4. More advanced courses include: sport facility design and management, sports and society, ethical issues in sports, sports business finance and sports law.
5. Students are commonly required to complete an internship in one of the sports management companies.

Students may choose a specialization as marketing, scouting or coaching.

Now I have the sports management Degree…where can I work after graduating?

Sports management degree prepares the students to work in any position related to athletic teams, organizations and facilities. The starting income for sports management jobs is usually above average compared to other jobs. Career opportunities can be enhanced when the students have athletic experience as professional or amateur athletes. If you have a sports management degree, you should consider the following career options:

1. Couching: people would consider this the most exciting career option in this field. You will manage athletic teams which may be national teams, professional teams or school and college teams. It includes setting the playing strategy, training schemes, selecting players and leading the team in general.
2. Scouting: If you enjoy watching athletic games and travelling, then this career is the best choice for you. Scouts are responsible for recruiting promising players from school leagues, amateur games or small professional teams. They are also responsible for the transfer of players within teams of the same level. Scouts are responsible for matching the team needs and available players as well as negotiating the recruiting terms.
3. Facility management: sports facilities have special requirements to fulfill their intended purpose. Some sports facilities as stadiums host events that may have more 100,000 attendees. Management of such facilities is a huge task that requires strong management skills.
4. Career options also include jobs related to marketing as marketing consultant and coordinator, public relation manager and sales coordinating.
5. Other available jobs include: business development coordinator, contract negotiation manager, event coordinator, fitness manager, fraud manager or sport lawyer.

Should I choose a sports management degree?

Sports management is a highly competitive field that is known for having very high pace. People working in this field sometimes get one chance that makes huge difference for their teams or organizations. Accordingly, sports managers are expected to have unique set of skills.

1. Flexibility and multitasking: sports management is not a job with clearly defined and limited duties. You will usually need to work on new types of tasks and to deal with several tasks at the same time.
2. Time management: time is critical to sports management. You cannot delay things that need to be done because the competition will never wait.
3. Communication: sport managing is eventually about working with teams of staff and athletes. You need to have good communication skills to deal with them in a proper way.
4. Analytical and problem solving skills: sometimes things will start going wrong and if you do not have good analysis, you cannot figure out the reason for that. You should also know how to deal properly with the problem you are facing.