Is a Sports Management Career Right For You?
You don’t have to be an athlete to have an impact on the world of sports. You just have to aim for a sports management career.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics says that there are approximately 16,500 professional athletes in the United States. That means only about two of every thousand high school athletes make it to the professional realm of athletics. That’s based on participation numbers of about 7.8 million. Many more athletes give their best, but simply don’t reach professional status. This can happen for many reasons, like injuries or difficulty competing at the highest elite level. But the love of sports can still lead to a sports management career.
Could a Sports Management Career Be the Right Fit?
Often, sports management majors get involved with the business side of sports. This can include finances, data analysis, marketing and the day-to-day operations of professional sports teams. Do you enjoy looking at sports statistics, promoting a sports team or helping to make decisions about personnel and staffing? If so, then you might be a good fit for a sports management career.
A sports management career could mean that you not only get to focus on sports during your working hours, but you could rub elbows with athletes you admire and contribute to their careers.
A Persuasive Mindset
A full 22 percent of sports management jobs are sales-related, so a persuasive mindset or some sales experience might be useful. If you were your sports team’s best fundraiser and could sell raffle tickets like they were bottled water in the desert, then you might have a bright future in the sales segment of sports management.
Every professional sports team needs to sell tickets, merchandise, and concessions. Someone who gets that done will be highly valued. But even if selling isn’t your strong suit, you may still be well-suited to a sports management career. If you can take complex data and make it understandable, or create a budget that helps sports teams maximize their profit margin, you may be able to find your niche in sports management.
There’s a lot to learn about sports management. Florida Institute of Technology offers a business administration in sports management major with many background courses like Sports Psychology and Sports Marketing. These courses will give you the foundation you’ll need to do the fun stuff — like provide leadership for a sports team or maybe just get to know some athletes you admire and their families so that you can provide support for them.
At FIT, you will also get to participate in internships in the sports community, giving you practical experience to put into practice during your career. Learn more about our Business Administration & Sports Management program.
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