Image meisters: Sports management professionals help with players’ career progression and their media and public relations

does sports seem to be the main focus of your life? When you read the morning newspaper, do you go straight to the sports section? Does the thought of working around sports really excite you?

If your answer is “yes” to the above questions, then sports management may be the right career for you.

The sports and leisure industry is one of the top industries today and generates a lot of revenue. As sports has evolved into an integral component of our culture, the operations of sports programmes has become more sophisticated and complex.

Sports management as a profession and academic discipline includes a broad spectrum of activities ranging from professional sports, college athletics, recreational sports, health clubs and fitness centres, sports facility management, sports governing bodies to sports marketing firms.

Thus, sports management is the application of business and management knowledge, leadership principles and skills to the sports.

What do i have to do?

Nowadays, there is so much money in sports that all successful players have their own personal agents or managers.

Even new entrants and budding stars have started employing managers to look after their career. As a sports agent, you will be responsible for the player’s schedules, career progression, business promotion as well as media and public relations. The administrative aspects like budgeting, finance and other logistics would also be your responsibility.

Sports agents or managers package the skills of budding youngsters and sell them properly at the right time. They also undertake aggressive marketing to ensure that their clients land plum endorsement deals.

In case of leisure and sports-club management, you are expected to handle administrative work, including managing accounts, planning, preparing schedules and timetables as well as arranging for specialised coaches as per requirement.

Golf clubs, resorts, adventure sports and other leisure activity centres require trained professionals to promote these sporting activities.

So what does it take to become a successful sports manager? First and foremost, you must have good communication skills and a strong business sense. In addition, you must also be passionate about at least one sport.

Commitment to the sport and the profession, energy and enthusiasm, patience and perseverance are other essential attributes. Sports persons after retirement can also utilise their experience and pursue a career in sports management.

What should i study?

To do a postgraduate diploma in sports management, you should have a graduate degree from a recognised university. If you have done your graduation in physical education (PEd) or a related course in a sport of your liking, it will give you an added advantage.

What next?

The increased emphasis on leisure and recreation, health promotion, and sports has created a need for expertise in sports management.

You can be employed as a sport development officer in Regional or National Sporting Organisations. Or you can be employed as an event manager — organising ongoing events or programmes for national or local organisations.

You may also become a volunteer manager in national sport associations or recreation organisations.

Several corporate bodies and sponsoring agents are tapped for major sporting events. This creates brand equity and brand awareness. IMG, World Sport Group, Percept D’Mark Sports Management, Nimbus Sport and Globosport are some of the renowned names in the field.

These firms and other smaller outfits are expanding the market and creating unprecedented opportunities for those interested in a career in the business of sports.

where to study

• Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management, Calcutta
• Indira Gandhi Institute of Physical Education and Sports Science, New Delhi
• University of San Francisco, Sport Management Graduate Program, San Francisco
• Florida Atlantic University, Fort Lauderdale, Florida