Top 5 Career Options for Sports Management Majors

Whether you’re a die-hard pro football fan or just becoming interested in sports, now is a great time to start a career in sports management. Sports entertainment is a huge business. There are many job opportunities for new graduates with sports management degrees and the “playing field” is open to all levels of education. It doesn’t matter if you want to become a coach for a middle school or try your hand with working for the NFL, the doors are wide open. Read on for a list of the top five job careers when you have a sports management degree.

1. Statistician

A sports Statistician analyzes data that pertains to sporting events. They look for the best outcomes and trends in sports. Statisticians are sometimes called scorers, and they keep track of information related to a specific sport. Some objectives of a statistician might be recording statistics as they occur, preparing final stats for a financial report, and entering computer data. A sports statistician needs to have good math skills and statistics knowledge. Computer literacy and observation skills are also a must. As far as education, a Bachelor’s degree in mathematics, statistical analysis, and computer science usually is needed for the position. The median annual salary is $72,000.

2. Sports Psychologist

According to the American Psychological Society, Sports Psychology is an interdisciplinary practice that explores the link between psychological and physical factors affecting performance in competitive sports and athletic activity. A sports psychologist is an asset to any athletic team or league. Their job consists typically of counseling and rehabilitating athletes psychologically after an injury or other breaks in confidence, before heading back to the field. Confidence and a healthy mental state are necessary to be successful in any sport. Skills needed to be a Sports Psychologist are knowledge of exercise science and sports medicine. They must be able to think objectively, with knowledge of sports-related injuries and treatments. An education in sports psychology is recommended, however,  having a double-major in clinical psychology or exercise science will provide wonderful job options as well. A Bachelor’s degree is a minimum requirement for employment as a sports psychologist, but going for a Master’s or even Doctoral degree is best. The median salary for Master’s and Doctoral educated sports psychologists is about $100,000 annually.

3. Sports Agents

A sports agent negotiates contracts for athletes while working out contract details with sports teams and their endorsers. Having strong verbal and written communication skills is key. Sales management experience is also recommended. Traveling 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. While there no formal educational or licensing requirements to become an agent, and a degree is not necessarily needed, earning a master’s in sports management, sports marketing, or business with a focus in sports management will look good on any resume. The average salary for a sports agent is $62,940 annually.

4. Public Relations Manager

According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, public relations handle the public image of their clients, by advising the client themselves, as well as representing the client in public matters. PR managers coordinate public relations events, develop media influence, and create strategies for avoiding unwanted publicity. While an undergraduate degree in marketing, advertising, or communications is needed for a public relations manager’s job, a graduate degree in any of these is preferred. Median pay for someone with an advanced degree is $111,000 annually.

5. Event Coordinator

There is a wide range of career options for people who work as event coordinators. From managing music concerts to organizing a wedding, the opportunities are endless. In the sports industry, event coordinators are needed to find the appropriate location, schedule, and budget for sports events. Event coordinators may also oversee risk-management issues like crowd control and security and transporting guests or clients to and from the event. There is no specific degree required to be an event coordinator, however, a bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, or parks and recreation is beneficial for those entering this competitive field. The annual salary median is $48,290, according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics.

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