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Sports Management Career Resource Guide

Find the information you need to get a sports management degree and start your sports management career

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"I'd like to add that negotiating is not something to be avoided or feared—it's an everyday part of life."

Leah Steinberg, Sports Agent

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Sports managers get to combine some of America's great passions: sports, business and health. In increasing demand over the last decade, sports managers bridge the gap between the business, sports, health and entertainment sides of athletic organizations. Because this multibillion-dollar industry is so competitive, a sports management professional must put in long hours and lots of hard work in exchange for an exciting, satisfying career.

Sports management has many different facets. Sports managers can handle the financial aspects of an athletic organization, create marketing strategies for special events, direct athletics in a school setting or help athletes negotiate contracts or sponsorship and endorsement deals. Other responsibilities may involve public relations, sporting goods sales, facility management, athletic fund raising or sports broadcasting. Those who focus on the sports medicine side of sports management will help athletes stay healthy through nutritional, fitness and psychological well-being. Regardless of specific responsibilities, sports management professionals often work irregular hours, including nights and weekends, and do a significant amount of traveling.

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Ace the Competition

Sports are one of the world's biggest and most lucrative industries, and they're not just the traditional American sports triumvirate of football, baseball and basketball anymore. Think of how NASCAR has exploded in popularity or of the universal appeal of the world's #1 sport, soccer. The Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal battle at Wimbledon in 2008 was the most highly-watched tennis final ever, pulling in a 43 percent increase in television viewership over the previous year's five-set match between the two same players.

So how do you set foot into the arena when you can't hit a 155-mile-an-hour serve like tennis pro Andy Roddick or drive a golf ball like Tiger Woods?

If you're more brains than brawn but still want to be a part of the sports scene, a degree in sports management could open doors to many of the responsibilities we've listed above. But you'll need the same competitive spirit as an athlete to succeed. The field of sports management is growing increasingly popular and you'll find yourself in the ring with business majors, communications majors and law students in order to have a "sporting life." Here is a list of tips to help you navigate your way past the competition.

  • Be resourceful – A degree alone won't necessarily open doors. Sports management requires a shrewd, pragmatic disposition, good decision-making skills and the ability to adapt quickly to changing conditions, as well as your college degree.

  • Location, location, location – There are certain areas of the country that are geographically closer to major sports markets or have greater concentrations of teams and sports centers. These regions make it easier for students who hope to attain internships, summer jobs or part-time positions with a professional or college team while going to school. Check out the city your school is in to see what teams or sports facilities they have.

  • Pick your academic department wisely – Know where your school's sports management program is located. Is it in the business school or in the physical education department? This will affect the type of education you'll receive by determining whether you're focusing on the physical, or sports medicine aspect of sports, or the business side of the industry.

  • Learn to network – Like any entertainment industry, sports are highly competitive, and the old adage "it's who you know, not what you know," rings at least partially true. Jobs in the industry are rare, so learn to speak up for yourself. Promote yourself first and put yourself out there. If you make yourself visible, you'll be remembered when an opportunity arises.

  • Use the Internet to find internship opportunities – Check out some of the legitimate internship programs on the web. Sites like the National Collegiate Athletic Association (ncaa.org) offer one-year paid internships for college graduates and provide invaluable on-the-job learning experience—and they look great on your resume.

  • Choose your school with an eye on your future – An accredited, sports-focused school, such as one of the Pac-10 Conference schools, could provide job leads or have a sports placement service to help you get your foot in the door toward your dream career.
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