by In today’s globalized world, the sports industry is a huge market growing at an astonishing rate. A sports management degree can open up a world of opportunities in the sports industry. Whether you want to work as a coach, manage a team, or work in marketing or athletics administration, a sports management degree can give you the foundation you need to succeed.
In fact, according to estimations from research conducted by Standard & Poor, the sports industry will have a value percentage of almost 25% of the total GDP in the next five years.
Sports Management Careers
A degree in sports management is useful for those who love sports and are interested in running a sporting organization or managing a successful sports team.
It can also help obtain higher-paying jobs with companies specializing in sports management and marketing, such as ESPN, CBS Sports, NFL Network, ESPN The Magazine, and others. Many sports management degree programs are also offered online to allow students to take classes from anywhere at any time.
Sports Management Salary
Aspiring students can choose from many different types of sports management degrees and online programs in their area of interest per college or university. One way people have been able to do this is through sports management degrees in athletics management, which can offer individuals extensive knowledge about business strategies and marketing. Most programs will generally be broken down into two different categories: high school level programs and post-graduate programs.
Most employers prefer bachelor’s degrees, with an average annual salary of $80K-$100K; however, high-ranking employers such as the NBA, NCAA, NFL, and NHL will accept a master’s degree, with an average salary of $110K per year.
The highest degree available in sports management is a Ph.D. and possibility for those who want to teach in colleges and universities. Athletics management degrees are offered at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.
Generally, these programs will simply be titled sports management or athletics administration. However, variations exist depending on how much emphasis is placed on teaching students business strategy versus marketing in athletics.
Typically, these types of programs concentrate on athletic marketing and administration, preparing graduates for positions in the sports industry,
These entry-level jobs may include sports information directors, ticket managers, media specialists, and athletic teachers. High school sports management degrees typically do not require students to possess a bachelor’s degree to enter the field.
However, many individuals who receive their high school degree in athletics management will later decide to apply for a post-graduate program to learn more about business strategy.
These types of athletics management degrees are designed to prepare students in the advanced area of business strategy. Before being accepted into post-graduate sports management programs, students are frequently required to have a certain amount of work experience.
Furthermore, post-graduate programs in sports management may include career development courses that can help individuals explore different career options once they have completed their education. Most programs will consist of advanced business strategy, marketing, and sports finance courses.
Sports management programs can be found at most universities and colleges, including online schools. There are both on-campus and online programs for those who can’t leave their jobs for the time taking a full class load.
Sports management degrees include many different areas of study such as athletics, marketing, sports information and sponsorship, the economics of the industry, and more. Sports management degree programs generally last between 24–48 months, depending on the program length.
Each schedule also varies in the number of accepted credits, with some schools offering sports management degree programs that are specifically focused on one particular sport.
According to a report by the Sports Management Institute, there were over 122 accredited degree-granting programs in sports management across the country. The majority of these programs are four-year degree programs, but some are only two-year.
Athletics is a subfield within the field of sports management. It may be viewed as a specialization within sports management or a separate discipline. Athletics may also be referred to as athletics administration or athletics management. However, those terms are sometimes not used because they do not focus on the purpose of the business of athletics.
Athletics organizations generally focus on the sporting aspect of the profession more than the business. The term “athletic administration” is often used to refer to athletic directors responsible for the organization’s sports programs and overseeing athletics coaches and staff.
In general, athletics management professionals are responsible for all aspects of running an athletic department at a college or university. This includes managing coaches and staff, developing recruiting strategies, managing budgets, supervising facilities and team travel arrangements, arranging game schedules (including television broadcasts), and supervising fundraising activities.
Sports Management Degrees In Athletics Management
They can include the following:
Sports Administration
Sports Marketing
Athletic Training
Sport Management Information Systems
Coaching
Exercise Science and Health Promotion
Sports Management Courses
The degree can lead to several careers in the sports industry, such as coaching, professional sports management, sports marketing, exercise science, and health promotion. A balance of courses in both business and athletics is desired.
Courses may include:
- Accounting
- Finance problems related to the sports industry
- Facility Management
- Sports Law
- Sports Marketing
- Sports Management
- Turfgrass Management
- Sports Entertainment Management
- Events management
- Sports Business
- Sports Administration
- Management Or Leadership skills
Sports Management Certifications
There are also several certifications available for a sports management degree. They include:
Certified Sports Professional (CSP)
Certified Athletic Administrator (CAA)
Certified Athletic Trainer (ATC)
USA Weightlifting Sports Performance Coach (USAWSCP)
Information management is the branch of sports management concerned with how people obtain, deliver, and provide information to others. There are two types of information management professionals in this group, one who creates content and one who allows access to others’ data.
The latter type is known as an “information access manager.” These people often teach or provide leadership for communication classes for groups. They may also be responsible for helping faculty and staff use digital resources, such as the library.
Sports Management Information Managers
There are many types of information managers. They include:
Sports Information (SID)
Public Relations (PR)
Media Relations (MR)
Web & Digital Communications (WDC)
Marketing & Promotions (M&P)
Many Information Management Specialists are graduates of Sports Information programs or Web Design Certificate programs. These two types of classes are often combined to give students a more comprehensive range of knowledge on managing information, making it more accessible to others. The first step toward becoming an information management professional is to attain a degree in communication, marketing, web design, and information management.
Top Universities That Offer Sports Management Degrees
Some of the top programs which offer these types of degrees are:
Indiana University – IUPUI (ESPN)
Kansas State University (SID)
Pennsylvania State University (WDC)
Ohio University (M&P)
Southern Methodist University (PR/MR)
Sports information directors take care of the media in a sports setting. They are responsible for giving media members, such as radio and television broadcasters, journalists, and bloggers, access to interview athletes and coaches at practices and games. They may also be responsible for creating press releases about current events in a team’s or school’s athletic department.
They answer questions from the media and arrange any press conferences that may be needed. In some cases, sports information directors have to run statistics for games and track records of athletes. They send out news releases about events in the athletic department to student newspapers, local newspapers, and alumni magazines.
In Conclusion
A sports management degree is an excellent option for those who want a career in the athletic industry. Students interested in coaching or sports administration should keep updated on current trends and issues in youth sports coaching. Visit the institutions or universities’ websites for more about the various sports management degrees available.
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