4 answers
Christian
Student
Lynn, Massachusetts
2
Questions
Asked
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what kind type of jobs should i look forward to when looking at business and sports industry
i am a junior in high school and am very passionate in sports. am looking for a career around this field. #careers #high-school #sports
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4 answers
Larry Margerum
Professor of Chemistry (emeritus)
9
Answers
Lafayette, California
Updated
Larry’s Answer
As a high school student you are already asking the correct questions! My university has a Sport Management department where students learn all kinds of skills (sport marketing, budgeting, customer service, career planning, data analysis). What they tell me, and from personal experience with my son who has worked in event management/promotions on game day, ticketing, sales and game day management, is to try many things so as to give a broad idea of where you might like and dislike. There are only a few undergraduate sport management programs and many students major in something else befor obtaining an graduate MS degree while working in the field.
take an athletic training or sports medicine course if you school offers
apply for summer sport camp jobs
take a speech and communication class
Larry recommends the following next steps:
Kathy Cortez
Operations Executive
17
Answers
Palatine, Illinois
Updated
Kathy’s Answer
The answers you received are a very good start, but if Sports Marketing doesn't spark your fancy, here are a few other things that you can consider: (1) Sales- For example you could work for a manufacturer or distributor of sports supplies and equipment, gym equipment, or safety equipment. If you love both sports and working with people, this might be a good fit. (2) General Management- For example you might consider being a Park District Director, Parks and Recreations, etc. (3) Entrepreneurship - If you are really ambitious and want to own your own company some day, you can consider owning or franchising a gym/yoga studio/Pilates/or other workout venue. Is there a sport you are really, really good at or know a lot about? Consider starting a club and building it into a local powerhouse. (4) Law / Accounting: Thinking of being a sports agent or maybe you just prefer to work in a sports-related business but be a behind-the-scenes contributor. You can consider a degree in a business field with a minor in sports studies, and then go onto graduate school if needed.
I have probably missed many possible areas of business you can pursue, but hopefully you get the idea that you don't need to go down just one road to meet your goals. I love the fact that you are thinking about mixing a career with your passion. You are on the right track. You just need to consider the type of work you want to do, and the type of worker you want to be. Best of luck as you move forward.
Make a list of sports related businesses and organizations you can think of.
Think of the types of things you are good at - and also what you hate doing. (Influencing people, numbers, solving problems, leadership/running the show)
Talk to people you know who do the kind of work you are good at, and see which type of work you think would be the best fit for you.
Then look back at your list of businesses and organizations and consider "where" you would like to work.
This will give you a general starting point to pick a major, select extra curriculars that that support goals, and make a network of contacts for then you finish school and start to look for that dream job.
I have probably missed many possible areas of business you can pursue, but hopefully you get the idea that you don't need to go down just one road to meet your goals. I love the fact that you are thinking about mixing a career with your passion. You are on the right track. You just need to consider the type of work you want to do, and the type of worker you want to be. Best of luck as you move forward.
Kathy recommends the following next steps:
Mauro Blardony
Recruiter
61
Answers
San Francisco, California
Updated
Mauro’s Answer
Im no SME on the topic for sports that is for sure. However I did notice their are Sport's Analyst, Sports Marketing in this field. Depending on what particular activity you enjoy about sports. It could be seeing how many viewers watch sports, it could be analyzing sports trends, it can be analyzing player movements. There is a lot of data revolving sports as it is an entertainment supplement.
Ask yourself what particularly you love about sports.
Ask yourself what you love about sports
Then find out who else shares the same passion as you do
Then conduct your due diligence by typing it into google.
Ask yourself what particularly you love about sports.
Mauro recommends the following next steps:
Stephen Clar
Rules Compliance
1
Answer
Indianapolis, Indiana
Updated
Stephen’s Answer
What a great time to consider going to school to study sports and potentially look to enter the sports industry! After working as an attorney for 5.5 years after law school, I changed up and spent the past 15 years working in regulatory compliance at the NCAA. Not saying law school is a requirement to work in athletics compliance, but was a nice entry into working in sports for someone like me who was not a former athlete or coach.
Another area to consider that is growing in the sports industry and may not have been covered in previous answers is data analytics. Whether it is for use in improving on field/court/ice performance for athletes, or off the field to drive ticket sales, sponsorships sales, etc., data is here to stay in the business world and is helping inform decision-making across the sports industry. So, if you are able to take a statistics course or two along the way, you will be much better prepared to tackle data analysis for a sports organization. Many colleges now have majors which cover data analytics, informatics, etc.
eSports is another growing area at the high school, college and professional levels. Although it may not be a traditional sport in many people's minds, it is often housed in a school's athletic department, and the administration of eSports requires a similar to skill set to more traditional sports (e.g., marketing skills, social media and content creation skills, governance and rules compliance work, legal support, sales, etc.).
As mentioned in another post, sport management programs have popped up in dozens of universities at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, so there are plenty of options to choose from. Take some time and explore these programs as many give you a good idea what types of courses are taught, and also where students and alumni are working in the sports industry. Good luck!
Another area to consider that is growing in the sports industry and may not have been covered in previous answers is data analytics. Whether it is for use in improving on field/court/ice performance for athletes, or off the field to drive ticket sales, sponsorships sales, etc., data is here to stay in the business world and is helping inform decision-making across the sports industry. So, if you are able to take a statistics course or two along the way, you will be much better prepared to tackle data analysis for a sports organization. Many colleges now have majors which cover data analytics, informatics, etc.
eSports is another growing area at the high school, college and professional levels. Although it may not be a traditional sport in many people's minds, it is often housed in a school's athletic department, and the administration of eSports requires a similar to skill set to more traditional sports (e.g., marketing skills, social media and content creation skills, governance and rules compliance work, legal support, sales, etc.).
As mentioned in another post, sport management programs have popped up in dozens of universities at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, so there are plenty of options to choose from. Take some time and explore these programs as many give you a good idea what types of courses are taught, and also where students and alumni are working in the sports industry. Good luck!