Sports Management

Tyler Emperador

Mr. Alburger

English III

14 February 2018
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Tyler Emperador

Mr. Alburger

English III

14 February 2018

Sports Management

People who have an interest in pursuing a career in the sports management field often do

not understand the magnitude of what is required in order to achieve the highest level of success

in the field. While there are several different levels in the sports management field, most people

agree that sports management as a whole revolves around the business aspects of athletics. A

large part of sports management deals with communication - with athletes, marketing teams,

media outlets, and with executives from professional teams. Creating a successful career in

sports management requires a combination of relevant education, experience in the field, and

cultivating personal relationships with athletes.

Entering the field of sports management requires the proper education, both as an

undergraduate and later on through a graduate program and internship. Building a successful

career in sports management begins as early as when a student declares the degree in college.

Choosing relevant classes and internships that will support and train a potential sports manager

to adapt to an ever changing field must be a high priority while pursuing a bachelor’s degree and

graduate degree. With the continuously growing field of sports management the demand for

highly trained applicants in that field increases as well. Potential future sports managers who

dedicate the time and effort to acquire knowledge and strategies in the field provide unlimited

growth potential for the sports management industry in the future. A large number of students
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interested in pursuing a career in sports management first earn a bachelor degree in business,

marketing, or law before obtaining a graduate degree in the specific field of sports management.

The decision to pursue only an undergraduate degree versus continuing on for a graduate degree

depends on what level the future sports manager expects to achieve in the field. For a

professional sports manager where connections and relationships can make or break a career, a

bachelor degree with a strong internship that leads to an entry level position might be all that is

required. A collegiate level or high school level athletic director career requires a bachelor

degree and a graduate degree remains highly advisable. Most high school athletic directors also

hold a certification or teachers licensure depending on the state.

A solid internship with a successful sports manager or sports management team provides

an opportunity to learn how the system works ahead of time. Shadowing a successful sports

manager during an internship allows a student to take advantage of their experience and

knowledge while learning the best methods, industry standards, and expectations. During the

internship a student should learn the realities of a career in sports management and the amount of

work and effort it takes to become successful. The primary goals during a sports management

internship include developing strong communication and social interaction skills, and a sense of

professionalism. In addition to those personal growth goals the internship also should focus on

developing academic skills including problem solving, critical thinking, data analysis, and

relating theory to practice. The primary objectives during the final stages of the internship should

include career planning skills, developing strong interview skills, understanding what to expect

from a career in the sports management field.

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The perception of a career in sports management includes a glamorous lifestyle and a

high salary. Unfortunately for many people who enter the field unprepared the reality does not

live up to the perception. According to a survey of sports managers who left the field entirely the

primary reasons for their dissatisfaction included boredom, lack of security, desire for free time,

limited opportunities for advancement, unwillingness to invest emotional involvement in the

work provided to them or a need for higher level of responsibility. Once they left the field of

sports management they chose to pursue other paths including returning to school to complete a

graduate degree, enrolling in specialized management programs or they moved to different

careers such as bank teller, sales or advertisement. Many of the women pursued a different path

and chose marriage and motherhood.

Sports management is a rapidly growing field due to the large numbers of athletes

making it to the collegiate and professional levels of sports as well the highly competitive

atmosphere in high school athletics around the country. There are different sublevels of careers

in the field of sports management including professional, collegiate, and lastly high school level

commonly referred to as athletic directors. Each sublevel works with athletes in various ways but

they all share a primary goal of assisting the athletes in any way possible to ensure the athletes

benefit from their expertise and find success. Sports managers generally work either with

individual athletes, for a team or organization as a whole, or as the athletic director for a school.

They can work at the high school, collegiate, or professional level of sports and the

responsibilities vary depending on which group they represent. Regardless of whether they work

at a high school, collegiate, or professional level one of the primary responsibilities of a sports
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manager involves making it easier for the athletes or organizations they represent to concentrate

on winning by handling the business side of the sports world for them.

A sports manager working with individual professional athletes often takes responsibility

for not only keeping the athlete in good physical and mental health but also acts as a

spokesperson. They keep the athlete organized, make sure all their physical and emotional needs

are met, and ensure their client is portrayed positively in the media. The sports manager often

consults directly with the coaching staff and trainers to be sure the athlete has access to any

training or resources needed to perform at the highest level. While working for a professional

team or organization the manager often takes charge of ensuring the entire network surrounding

the team runs smoothly. The responsibilities may include resolving differences between

departments, overseeing all aspects of player management, and working on the public image of

the organization with the marketing team. In some cases, the sports manager assumes

responsibility for helping draw up and negotiate athletes contracts for the organization.

At the collegiate level the sports manager often works with the recruiting team to identify

high school talent, assists in recruiting the high school athletes, and helps with scholarships and

perks to secure high level athletes. One of the most important responsibilities of a sports manager

at the collegiate level includes acting as compliance directors for NCAA regulations. They often

will act as the face of the organization or team, taking the role of spokesperson and conducting

interviews and press conferences with the media on behalf of the team. Coordinating media days

and acting as the liaison between the athletes and the media can be one of the biggest and most

challenging responsibilities at the collegiate level, allowing the athletes and coaches to
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concentrate on the sports aspect without distractions. Some sports managers also fulfill the role

of fundraisers, helping to bring in corporate sponsors and endorsements for the school.

At the high school level, a sports manager generally takes on the duties of the athletic

director for the school. An athletic director typically manages all aspects of a school’s athletic

program from budget to facility management to handling the schedules for all sports teams. The

athletic director oversees the budget for all sports including travel, uniforms, equipment, and

facility costs. They also oversee hiring coaches and ensure program compliance with the state

and local regulations. One of the most challenging parts of the job for a high school athletic

director involves deciding how to allocate practice time and facility time for multiple teams

during each season. They act as mediators between athletes and coaches, resolve disputes

between coaches, and work with school administrators to be sure student athletes are

academically eligible to play each season.

Athletic directors, Sport managers and all other positions that relate to sports

management receive an annual salary for the work they accomplish in the field that relates to

their duties. Similar to all the other salaries that workers receive when they complete the

assignment that is given to them, salaries that are given to sports managers or any other position

in the sports management field vary. Salaries are determined by different levels, beginner level

gets paid around $14,000-32,000 annually, mid level gets paid roughly $33,000-50,000 annually,

finally top-tier level workers are the higher ups in the sports industry they get paid $100,000 or

more annually. Those rough estimates of what the payment could be in the field of sports

management depend greatly on factors such as education level, past experience, and the success

of the team or organization. Data reveals the differential salary pay related to sex, the average
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women get paid more than an average man on the first, second, and the last job. In the industry

of sports management there is a decisive difference between the number of men and women who

work in the field there is a larger number of men that work there than women, the men that work

in the field receive low pay and work in lower positions than women who work in the field.

At the professional level a sports manager typically holds a bachelor’s degree in business

or marketing. They also generally hold a graduate degree in sports management or law. Most

have successfully completed an internship and often the internship leads to an entry level

position. These high level professionals excel at communication, organization, marketing, public

relations, and business negotiations. At the highest level, professional sports managers who

double as agents or business managers for athletes can expect a mean annual salary of $95,810

according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2015.

A sports manager working at the collegiate level generally is referred to as an athletic

director and holds a bachelor’s degree in business, physical education, or marketing. They also

usually hold a graduate degree in sports administration or a similar field. While an internship

might not be a requirement some prospective sports managers gain experience as interns in the

front office of collegiate or professional sports teams. In addition to education, experience as a

coach or a lower level sports administrator is often required to acquire a position as a collegiate

athletic director. As the athletic director at the college level, sports managers take charge of the

athletic department as a whole and possess strong business and finance knowledge as well as

working knowledge of multiple sports. Collegiate athletic directors can expect a median annual

salary of $107,578 according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2016.

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An athletic director working at the high school level generally holds a bachelor’s degree

in education and many hold a graduate degree in sports management. Some districts require

athletic directors at the high school level to obtain teacher licensure or certification. High school

athletic directors often began as coaches who demonstrated success and leadership through their

tenure. Many are former athletes who learned strong leadership skills from their own

experiences. High school athletic directors generally fall into the category of school

administration and salary depends heavily on the region where they live. According to the U.S.

Bureau of Labor Statistics the average salary in 2015 for a high school athletic director was

$90,410.

Although the management of sport activities has been a vocation for a small number of

people for centuries, only in the last decade has it coalesced into an occupational field (Kjeldsen,

1980; Zeigler, 1987). As the demands placed upon athletes grow so does the need for sports

managers to handle the business part of athletics. Entering the field of sports management

requires complete dedication and the ability to grow and adapt to a changing field. Successful

sports managers understand the nature of the job available to them, salaries available, conditions

and requirements for employment, competition to be faced with in the job market prior to

entering the field. With the changing climate in sports today graduates holding a degree in sports

management can expect to find a wide variety of career opportunities available to them in

professional sports organizations, colleges, high schools, private companies and non-profit

organizations. Their roles vary widely from assisting with marketing, handling social media

issues and advising athletes on best practices while on social media, helping athletic

organizations host events or secure funding.

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What someone needs to know for how to successfully advance in the sports management

industry is all explained in this paper. Education is one key point in becoming a successful sports

manager without knowledge and understanding of the nature in how the sports management field

is operated, one absolutely cannot succeed in the industry. Experience is another point in which

someone should have if they want to proceed in continuing with their path towards a successful

vocation in the field. Lastly communicating and cultivating a reliable relationship with athletes,

will provide the person with the opportunity to succeed in the path they chose to proceed in.

There is one last thing that needs to be explained in this paper, false accusations, if someone

desires to work diligently and show dedication in the work that was assigned to them, then the

satisfaction will be well deserved. For those who complain about the workload or dissatisfaction

with the position that is given to them will not last long in the field of sports management.
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Works Cited

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2008, pp. 36-40. EBSCOhost,

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