Maybe your Little League or high school football, basketball or tennis playing days are behind you, but you've never lost your passion for the game. Or you never played sports, but your interest is beyond the average sports spectator's. Well, sport management careers are similar to being a part of the game. However, it's the business side of sports. Management careers in sports are definitely diverse and offer the satisfaction of being a team player without the injuries or grueling practices.
Agents
Agents represent professional athletes in contract and endorsement negotiations and other business contracts. For instance, you'd be responsible for duties related to promoting your athletes and their products. Sports agents work under pressure, sell and negotiate. Besides those skills, sports agents also need a bachelor's degree in business or related fields. Some agents also have law degrees. According to topendsport.com, sports agents work on commission and can make $400 to millions per deal.
Publicity
Sports information directors make $61,000 annually and are employed by colleges, universities or other schools with athletic departments. They represent their sports employers. In other words, the directors are the gatekeepers between the public or news media and their PR specialists' employers. They write news releases or answer journalists' questions. Also, directors keep track of players' statistics. In addition, sports information directors prepare press guides, which are player and school highlights that the reporters can use in their work. They also organize media days. Professional teams also employ media relations or public relations directors and the jobs are similar.
Directors
Athletics directors oversee day-to-day operations in college or high school athletics departments. Their responsibilities include budgets, creating academic sports programs and setting policies and standards. In large institutions, directors may divide these duties among other workers. Athletics directors begin in other fields, like teaching and coaching, before they become directors. Directors usually have a master's degree and make more than $56,000 a year.
Compliance
Compliance directors work on the collegiate level. They oversee, implement and ensure that all NCAA rules are followed. Directors assist and investigate any rules violations and report them to the NCAA. They also approve of all recruiting-related travel done by coaches. Directors need analytical, organization, written and verbal skills. Although master's or professional degrees are preferred, a bachelor's degree is the minimum requirement for the job. The average salary is more than $50,000 per year.
Marketers
Sports marketers are the middlemen between sponsors and college or professional sports teams. Sponsors are corporations that want their logos or names on stadiums, programs or events. A marketer would find the sponsors and teams and negotiate the contracts. Also, sports marketers plan events, manage ticket sales or manage interdepartmental groups in sports marketing firms. In addition, they create items they think die-hard sports fans would buy and ensure that all items on the market are licensed. Sports marketers earn approximately $80,000 a year.
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