Student's Guide to Careers in
SPORTS MANAGEMENT
What is Sports Management?
Career opportunities involve working with professional teams and leagues, college athletic departments, conference offices, national and international amateur associations, public/private recreational agencies, club & facility management, marketing and event promotion, sport clothing, and more!
Common Careers in Sports Management
Sports Marketing and Promotions – Promote the events, solicit advertisers, help generate income that makes the event successful.Ticket Sales - For amateur and professional events, ticket revenue is vital. The process is more complicated than simply opening the ticket booth, such as establishing ticket policies and ticket promotions. Responsibilities may include management of computerized ticket systems, accounting and auditing controls, group sales, and training of assistants.
Public Relations - The public is the customer. In order to help satisfy the customer and provide them the information they desire, a skilled communicator is necessary, one who is familiar with all of the aspects of the event or sport. Public Relations specialists work to obtain publicity to fill stadiums, increase the visibility of colleges, and promote players. Some typical activities of PR specialists include preparing media guides, arranging/conducting press briefings, coordinating press conferences, sending news releases to the media, maintaining files, and maintaining a scrapbook.
Sports Information - We crave statistics, trends, personal information and anything else that helps the fans understand the nature of the game better. The Sports Information Director handles media coverage of events; develops feature stories and arranges interviews; produces media guides, promotional brochures, and events programs; maintains up-to-date stats for media.
Facility Management - Sports facilities are multi-million dollar operations. Often times multiple sports events and even non-sports events are hosted. The manager of the facility must understand the business of sport and also be able to run a complex facility and staff. Responsibilities may include scheduling, personnel supervision, budget development and administration, and supervision of maintenance and support services. Renting facilities brings additional responsibilities that include contract negotiations, special staffing, traffic and security management, insurance coverage, and a hundred other things.
Event Management - Some events take an entire year to plan! The event manager responds to the needs of tenants, coordinates schedules of events, makes sure everything is in readiness for individual events; may also assist in obtaining bookings.
Concession Management - Large facilities generate large revenues from the sales of concessions. This may include food, beverages, as well as souvenirs.
Sport Governing Bodies - The NCAA, conferences and other regulating agencies need staff to work closely with athletic directors and coaches to ensure the smooth running of sport organizations.
Sport Agent - Serve professional athletes as agents that negotiate contracts with athletic teams.
Athletic Director - Athletic Directors form the heart of high school and collegiate athletic management. They oversee all aspects of athletic programs, and work with coaches and other professionals to provide a safe competitive experience for the athletes and an enjoyable product for the fans.
Resources in Career Services Office:
Fry, Ronald W. Public Relations Career Directory.
Heitzmann, W. Ray. Careers for Sports Nuts & Other Athletic Types.
Karlin, Len. The Guide to Careers in Sports.
Professional Organizations in Sports Management
International Sports Foundations & Governing Bodies
U.S. Sport Sciences & Professional Organizations
U.S. Sport Organizations
National Intramural - Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA)
North American Society for Sport Management (NASSM)
Information Centre at UNB, Canada National Association for Girls & Women in Sports (NAGWS)
North American Society for the Sociology of Sport (NASSS)
National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE)
Other Organizations & their Websites
Sample of Graduate Schools w/ Programs in Sports Management/Administration
Adelphi University Mount Ida College