career

Career Essay

Sport Management

For the longest time I could not decide on a major and a career to study throughout college. When I came to Georgia Southern University I discovered that they had a major that was very interesting to me. Sport Management id the ideal major for my interest and me. Since I love sports I figured that this would be the career for me. A degree in Sport Management helps to prepare for success in sport related occupations.

The job market varies in the field of sport management. Some occupational opportunities include: athletic trainer, coach, sports official, Sports agent, camp director, sporting goods sales/dealer, pro scout, athletic director, sport promoter. The list can go on of the opportunities in this career. Mostly anything sport related in today's business world is included also.

The nature of a person in a sport management career is based solely around sports. Depending on what occupation you decide to pursue the work and conditions will differ. Some typical activities are, plan and direct athletic events, represent professional athletes, plan and direct the training of the team players, evaluate skills and potential of players, or work extensively with players, coaches, officials, managers etc. The work condition can vary with different jobs or tasks. A scout will be called on to travel about 3/4 of the time. Athletic directors handle the athletics of their prospective schools along with coaches. A sports agent working conditions can involve a lot of long hours and extended pressure. Some employment settings are colleges/universities, camps, sporting goods stores, management firms, professional teams, fitness centers and the media.

The job outlook for most careers in Sport Management is fair to good. Sport Management is one of the fastest growing fields of study in the country. With that there will lots of job openings and new businesses starting. Some jobs in this field are limited. For instance, anything dealing with professional teams is limited due to the number of sports teams. Successes in the teams help with salary and benefits for the employees. Most jobs in the sport management field are setup to where an employee must work his or her way up the ladder. For example, the job may ask the employee to assist in work and the salaries are not as high. In some jobs such as being a general manager of a professional team the job is to an extent being in the right place at the right time.

Careers in sport management require some necessary in order to be successful. Being able to communicate effectively is a very important skill in this career. Giving Speeches is one part of communication that is important. Decision Making, Organizing, Leading/Coordinating and being able to motivate others is also critical in the career. Qualifications for most jobs require a bachelor's degree, sport experience and management training.