Athletes can be the image of the sports industry; however, there are many other roles that can be played within it. Behind the athletes’ scoring plays, workout routines, and marketing efforts, there is a specialist handling everything to make them possible. They can all be learned through a sports management masters program. A master’s degree in sports management can open the doors to many of these specialized fields in the world of sports that work directly with athletes as well as behind the scenes.
Here are some of the things that you can do with a sports management degree program.
Athletic Coach
If the very first thing that pops into your head is “coaching” when you listen to the words “sports management,” then you’re not far from reality. An athletic coach is among the most popular professions in the industry. An athletic coach or mentor can help train amateur and professional athletes with insights into a specific sport. They provide individual or team training on the best performance practices and help recruit new players for different types of sports teams. Coaches are widely needed in high schools, colleges, and other educational and sports organizations within a community to encourage athletes to do their best in the sport.
Facilities Manager
Another profession that can be practiced with a master’s degree in sports management is facility manager. A facility manager is in charge of the strategy, operations, and maintenance of an organization’s buildings so that they meet the legal requirements, health standards, and safety regulations necessary in a given state or city. A facility manager works not only in athletic buildings such as stadiums, arenas, and playing fields but also in other establishments such as gyms and manufacturing or engineering buildings.
These professionals can also work in organizations that manage operations for machine learning frameworks. A machine learning framework uses different sets of tools and algorithms to enable the machine learning life cycle, including data engineering, model development, hyperparameter tuning, testing and log in, and monitoring and deployment.
Event Coordinator
Additionally, a sports manager can work as an event coordinator for sports events. For instance, in a college environment, sports managers can work closely with other professionals to develop a structured schedule for basketball playoffs or a gymnastics tournament. They can establish dates, teams, activities, and even food venues for these events.
Sports Lawyer
Moreover, sports managers can also become sports lawyers. As a sports lawyer, you will make sure that athletes and coaches and everyone involved in any given sports are conducting themselves professionally and not being discriminated against on the basis of race, religion, gender, and other things, ensuring they are being treated fairly. You will need knowledge in both sports and sports law to represent your clients within the nation or internationally.
Marketing Coordinator
As you may already know, the sports industry requires a lot of sponsorship and advertising. This is where sports marketing coordinators come into play. As a sports marketing coordinator, you will be in charge of advertising and promoting any sporting events for various teams, players, and products. You will also be in charge of designing campaigns that represent your team’s fanbase as well as conducting the proper market research to strategize such campaigns. You will be developing reports to understand the different trends within your marketing efforts and the proper advertising methods for major rivalry matchups.
Fitness Manager
Lastly, you can become a fitness manager with the help of an advanced degree in a sports management program. A fitness manager will be in charge of facilities such as fitness centers, gyms, or athletic clubs. They can also take part in managing faculty members’ schedules, creating ideas and actions for revenue growth, and navigating crisis management strategies.
So, if you’re looking for a fun sports management career, be sure to take a deeper look at these career paths and choose the one that best resonates with your life goals.
