In 2000, at the inaugural Laureus World Sports Awards, Nelson Mandela gave one of the most powerful statements. Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. Sports career opportunities are not only limited to athletes. Now there are many positions for sports fans to show their love for sports. These jobs support the sports industry by providing mental and physical health services, sales and marketing revenue, and sports media content. Here are some of the careers in sports for non-athletes.
General managers
A general manager in sports supervises the day-to-day operations of a team or organisation. He handles budgets and revenues, all the business matters for the team, and ensures that everything runs smoothly. They work on players schedules and contracts. It is one of the highest positions in any sports organisation. With that position comes a lot of responsibility. Also, it’s the toughest job to do, because it takes many years of experience in lower-level positions to become qualified for a GM position. A GM is also the media spokesperson at press conferences and other events. To become a general manager in sports, one should excel at communication, management, problem-solving, decision making, leadership and time management.
Sports broadcaster/Journalist
As much as sports fans enjoy watching a game they do enjoy talking about it. This means there is a huge media market for broadcasters, journalists, and bloggers. Who are keen to offer their thoughts, observations, and predictions on the game. Sports journalists perform extensive research, attend official events, press conferences, conduct interviews of players, etc. Whereas sportswriters write articles for publications in newspapers and sports magazines. There is no shortage of mediums on which to do so, there are countless websites available which offer you an opportunity to work for them. Most professionals start out with a degree in journalism and then you would then need to gain work experience, either through an internship with a media company or by simply touting your services to whoever will hire you.
Data analyst/Statistician
The demand for data analysts is very high in the modern workplace. You need someone in your management to guide you through all the details of how you played the game, to know the weakness of your opponents so that you can have the edge over them going into the game. Indeed, in an environment where the smallest detail can be the difference between winning and losing, organizations are keen to hire data analysts that might give them an advantage. The main job is to assess the performance levels of players, gather information about your [performance, and use certain formulas to convert statistics into new data with the objective to provide insight into the performance of athletes and discover or expose the strengths and weaknesses of opponents.
PR/Social media manager
The power of social media is an indisputable force in the modern world. Social media offers you an avenue for companies to not only engage with customers but also influence them with the content which assists them with making a decision. And as businesses across every industry, social media have already started to make a huge difference. In professional sports organisations are also getting in on the act. Most teams now have their own social media presence, run by a dedicated team of content specialists. So,If you have a background in content management, social media marketing or digital marketing in general, then this could be an ideal role for you. You’ll be able to interview your fav players, spend time with them and produce the content daily.
Sports therapists
Sports therapists are basically those who work with players to help prevent injuries, recognise, manage and treat them when they occur during, before or after a match, and rehabilitate them back to full fitness.Helps them to prepare athletes both mentally and physically, they promote an active lifestyle to aid individuals in improving and maintaining their quality of life, making decisions about whether athletes and players is fit to play or not. And nowadays, this job has a huge demand in the market. They are responsible to conduct regular assessment of the fitness level of players and advise on exercises, diet and nutrition based on your fitness level. Sports Therapists work in sports clinics or they can also get associated with a sports club or sportsperson in particular.
Sports careers like umpires and referees
This has a great scope if you’re very much into the sports. If you don’t have much talent to play a particular sport but have a great knowledge about the game and want to join this field then it’s ideal for you. You’ll need to be physically fit, an expert in the rules and capable of making high-pressure decisions in the blink of an eye. These officials may stand relatively still as they officiate competitions, which may include keeping time, signaling infractions, judging performances and enforcing rules of the game. Most of these professionals have a high school diploma and an understanding of the sport they are officiating, but education requirements vary by sport and state. Most of the organisations conduct seminars, workshops and training programs for the same.
Sports psychologist
Sports psychology is a job in which one has to analyze how psychological factors influence sports, athletic performance, exercise, and physical activity. Psychologists also investigate how participating in sports can improve the health of the players. Many players in the recent past have opened up with mental health issues and taken a break from the game.
With the current situation, it’s normal that professional players get mentally disturbed. If any player is going through a rough patch, the media and fans will go after him. No matter how professional you are, it does affect your mental health sometimes, and due to which athletes utilize psychology to improve their sports performance and mental well-being. And given the increasingly high-pressure environment that athletes operate in, this is a field that is only set to grow.
So, If you happen to have a background in clinical psychology, then working with professional athletes is fascinating, particularly given the level of credibility it has received in recent years.
Coaching
There are coaching positions in every level of sports, from high school to professional sports. Each level brings different responsibilities, knowledge of the game and requires coaches to have sports experience. Coaches train and prepare players for the different competitions. They are responsible for conducting regular practice sessions for athletes to sharpen their skills. Coaches develop sportsmanship and responsibility among the players. They also teach various match strategies to the team of players. Coaching is one of the toughest jobs. You’ve to know your team players inside out, work on their weaknesses and make them better players. A good coach is someone who’ll always be positive, enthusiastic, supportive, focuses and monitors the game. So, if one has the above qualities then this job is for you.
Sports Internships
One of the best ways to get into a career in sports is with an internship. You’ll gain so much experience and knowledge from the professionals in the industry. Working as an intern gives individuals a chance to earn practical experience. While learning valuable information about a particular area you want to focus on. In addition, interns have the opportunity to connect with players, coaches, administrators, and others in the industry. There are internship opportunities in all areas of sports including professional sports organizations. So, if you really want to get into this field then you can start as an intern, gain experience, and then work with professional organizations.
Sports Marketing
Sports marketing is something in which you’ve to promote goods and services through the use of sporting events and the endorsement of athletes and sports teams.
It also involves the promotion of athletes, sports teams, and sporting events to raise revenue from the public interest that is generated. The main job is to provide the client with strategies to promote sports or to promote some other product through sports. And in this social media world, it adds a great advantage and helps your industry to grow faster.
Sports careers such as marketing are basically like sports promotion. It involves a wide variety of sectors of the sports industry, ticket sales. including broadcasting, advertising, social media. Marketing is a very powerful tool that many brands have taken the advantage of to go viral. Sports marketing has been in the market and will be in the market for a long time. So, if you’re interested in marketing and sports then this is an ideal role for you.