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About Sports Management

Sports management is a work area that deals with the business of sports and recreation.

Who is a Sports Manager?

“Never buy gold, earn it” - MC Mary Kom, Professional Boxe

Be it a team sport or a single-player sport, all athletes have a TEAM. The team includes agents, managers, publicists, trainers, and staff!

Behind all that you see on screen, there are professionals contributing directly or indirectly making it happen - Sports Managers.

Sports Management is the study of planning, supervising and organizing different sporting events, both international and domestic. It involves handling all the administrative aspects of sports teams, sports clubs, athletes, sportspersons, sports venues, and sports events.

Goals, baskets, shots, dives, jumps, balls - Sport is just not all about what you see on screen.

According to reports, for every 1,100 athletes on the track, we would need -

  • 55 coaches
  • 15 track and field experts
  • 25 medical experts
  • 50 trainers
  • 22 nutrition experts
  • 11 sports psychologists
  • 106 strength trainers

According to a survey published by India Today, in India, the sports industry is expected to grow by 18% on average. With the industry expanding, the educational opportunities and jobs associated with it are on the rise too. This has also led to an incomparable increase in the scope of sports management.

Sports Management is a Billion Dollar industry. Even if you’re a die-hard sportsfan, or just exploring the industry, you don’t need to be an athlete to be a part of this world!

Related Departments

Sports 3221 Students Shortlisted

Top Colleges

India

Duration: 3 years.

Fee per course/annum:  Rs.7 - Rs.9 Lakh Per Annum

USA

Duration: 4 Years

Fee per course/annum: Rs.20 Lakh Per Annum

UK

Duration: 3 Years

Fee per course/annum: Rs.20 - 25 Lakh Per Annum

Canada

Duration: 3 Years

Fee per course/annum: Rs.25 Lakh Per Annum

Career Prospects

Statistician 

Remember Jonah Hill in Dallas Buyers Club? Utilising data to figure out what piece fits where - That’s what a statistician does best! 

By analysing the data that pertains to sporting events, they look for the best trends and outcomes in sports. Often called ‘scorers’, statisticians keep track of all information about a specific sport. 

Some of the job functions of a statistician could include - 

  • Recording stats in real time
  • Preparing a final statistic report
  • Computing data

Being a sports statistician, your grasp on Maths needs to be On Point! But that’s not all, computer literacy and observation skills are also a must.

Sports Psychologists 

Without injuries, sport is incomplete.

If you have followed or played any sport, you are no stranger to injuries. But can an injury break you mentally? Yes 

This is where a Sports Psychologist comes in. 

A lot of athletes in the past few years have come out and expressed their struggles with mental health and physical health. 

Sports Psychology is an interdisciplinary practice that explores the link between psychological and physical factors. These factors are key to performance and consistency in competitive sports and athletic activity.

A sports psychologist is an ASSET to any athletic team or league. The job consists typically of counselling and rehabilitating athletes psychologically after a physical injury or mental trauma, before heading back to the field.

Skills needed to be a Sports Psychologist are knowledge of exercise science and sports medicine. With the ability to think objectively, and have an expert knowledge of sports-related injuries, a sports psychologist must also be quick and agile to make sure the right treatments are being given for the problems faced. 

Sports Agent 

Every sports athlete has an agent. Be it Ronaldo, LeBron James, MC Mary Kom or even Virat Kohli!

But why is the job of an agent so important and impactful?

A sports agent negotiates contracts for athletes working out contract details with sports teams and their endorsers. If you think Virat Kohli or Cristiano Ronaldo gets endorsement deals and pay packages on their own, you’re wrong!

A sports agent is an athlete’s spokesperson. He or she keeps in mind the athlete’s best interests to make sure that the deals negotiated are in line with the aims and aspirations of their client.

Without a sports agent and their communication skills, there would be no Virat Kohli - Brand Ambassador of Puma, or Cristiano Ronaldo, the ambassador of Nike.

However, just having strong verbal and written communication skills is key, sales management experience is also recommended.

Travelling is often required for agents to get to and from sporting events, publicity events, and other meetings on behalf of the athletes the agent represents.

There are no formal educational or licensing requirements to become an agent, and a degree is not necessarily needed. But having a degree in sports management, sports marketing, or business with a focus in sports management will look good on any resume.

Event Manager

As an Event Manager, there is a wide range of career options for people. The world of sport is known for the players, the plays, but also the events that are made in a spectacular way.

From the Olympics, to the Commonwealth Games, FIFA, the NBA, or the Indian Premier League, all of these are events.

Most of these events have many people in attendance, and also are nationally televised. Due to this, the job of an Event Manager is of utmost importance.

From managing concerts to organizing a sporting event, the opportunities are endless. In the industry, event coordinators are needed to find the appropriate location, schedule, and budget for sports events.

Event coordinators also oversee risk-management issues like crowd control and security and transporting guests or clients to and from the event. With athletes being high-profile individuals, and large crowds of people visit to witness them, they often tend to break rules. Due to this, Event Managers have to ensure complete security for athletes and spectators.

There is no specific degree required to be an event manager, however, a bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, or parks and recreation is beneficial for those entering this competitive field.

Sports Data Analyst

Be it after an inning in Cricket, or a half in Football, or a quarter in Basketball, top analysts of the sport come in during the intervals to converse and analyse the game.

With the advent of big data and numbers being talked about in every sport, a Data Analyst’s role has become crucial over the past few years.

Professional teams and collegiate programs have taken advantage of data collection and analysis to understand where the gaps are, and how it can be filled efficiently.

Data analysts utilize data in a number of areas, such as marketing, sales, and healthcare, and even to gain a competitive advantage on the field, court, or track.

With access to specialised software, sports data analysts perform a detailed analysis of player performance, team performance, and other statistics using cameras and sensors that track movement and speed.

Athletics Administrator

Athletics administrators are often the central decision-makers in sports organizations. They are given the responsibility for supervising every aspect of a franchise, team, or club.

From ordering equipment to hiring and firing staff can fall within their purview. Their job can also involve ensuring compliance with changing legal regulations, particularly in the collegiate setting.

Jobs & Salary

In the field of Sports Management, the job scope is immense. With the rise in business orientations in sports, the need for sports management and its job roles are at an all time high.

There are different industries that hire for Sports Management professionals.
Some of the top companies hiring for sports management professionals are -

  • IMG Reliance
  • Baseline Ventures
  • Viral Nation

When it comes to the salary of a Sports Management professional, the annual average is Rs.7 Lakh. However, this depends on the job roles, the position in the hierarchy, and the location as well.

Pros & Cons

Pros
  • Strong growth in Industry
  • Flexibility in job profiles
  • Travel and experience
Cons
  • Highly demanding industry
  • Difficulty in Time management

Famous Personalities

Leigh Steinberg

Leigh Steinberg began his career as an agent and attorney over forty years ago and has worked with professional athletes in football, basketball, boxing and baseball, among others. He has been instrumental in negotiating over $2 billion in contracts for his clients, including eight top NFL draft picks.

Fun Fact - The movie ‘Jerry Maguire’ starring Tom Cruise was based on Leigh Steinberg and his career of representing top football players in the world!

Sir Alex Ferguson

Among the most prominent names in English football, Sir Alex Ferguson was the manager of Manchester United for 26 years. In that time, he led the team to win many championships over the years. He is considered great as he has won the most number of trophies than any other manager in the history of football!

Sourav Ganguly

Ex-captain of the Indian Cricket Team, Sourav Ganguly is widely regarded as one of the most prominent cricketers in the world. Today, he serves as the Chairman of the BCCI and also owns a local football team as well. 

Post his retirement, he also served as a commentator and a sports analyst for many of the tournaments held all over the world.

Timeline

1888 New Zealand’s Rugby Team performs the ‘Haka’ for the first time.

1967 Muhammad Ali refuses to take part in the Vietnam War Draft. Suspended.

1989 - 1990 Michael Jordan and Nike launch ‘Jordan’ Brand.

1995 South Africa wins the Rugby World Cup after being banned due to the Apartheid.

2004 Indian Cricket Team visits Pakistan to cut out intercountry tensions.

2016 The ‘Refugee’ Olympic Team was formed.

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