Sports management is an ever increasing field of interest and because of this, there is many colleges and universities in the United States that offer sports management degree programs.
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Sports Management Degree Programs
While some colleges and universities call the program “Sports Management” and others may call it “Sports Administration,” there are many schools in North America that offer degree programs that will train and develop students for a career in the sport industry.
Why a Sports Management Degree Program Online?
While the Movie Jerry Maguire brought Sports Agent careers into the spotlight, being a player’s agent is only one of many careers for those interested in Sports Management.
So You Want To Become A Sports Agent?
So you want to become a sports agent?
Sports Management Careers
Sports is one of the world’s biggest and most lucrative industries with Sports Management continuing to be a fast growing field.
Sports Business Management Career Outlook
In Sports Management, there are a lot of careers that are more focused on the Business Management side more then anything else.
How Technology Has Changed Sports Management
Technology has come a long way and it affects Sports Management just as much as it affects the sports themselves.
Sports Management Scholarships
These days having Sports Management skills and knowledge is highly sought after and are in high demand. Someone with a Sports Management degree can make a big salary in an exciting and diverse career field.
A degree in Sports Management can lead to a number of career paths including:
- Athletic Director
- Event Planning
- Facilities Management
- Publicist
- Sports Agent
- Sports Finances
As with any degree program however, colleges and universities are not cheap and attending a school for four years can be highly expensive.
There are however numerous opportunities for prospective students to find great scholarships to assist them in paying for their Sports Management degree program.
FINDING SPORTS MANAGEMENT SCHOLARSHIPS
There are plenty of scholarships available for prospective Sports Management students if you do the proper research. To help you out we have put together a list to get you started in your search for financial aid.
- Careers and Colleges has some great information to help you find scholarships and finding loan providers.
- College Scholarships has a specialized section with information for a Sports Management scholarship.
- Fastweb is an excellent source for financial aid and scholarship information.
- Financial Aid Finder has some great information concerning financial aid and scholarships.
- Next Student has numerous types of different college funding to help pay for your Sports Management degree.
- Scholarships.com matches your profile to relevant scholarships which are available.
PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS
Private organizations and companies may also offer Sports Management scholarships or grants and a few good places to start your research include:
- Women’s Sports Foundation offers the Dorothy Harris Endowed Scholarship to female students studying Sports Management, physical education, sport psychology, or sport sociology and has the intention to go to grad school.
- Institute of Sports Management offers two different scholarship programs, but you have to be a member to apply.
- Black Coaches Association gives out multiple scholarships for post-grad minority students who have been accepted into a sports administration-related field.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SCHOLARSHIPS AND GRANTS
While they are both sources to help you with your college education, scholarships and grants do differ a little bit.
Scholarships are usually awarded to students based on:
- High School Grades
- Standardized Test Scores
- Special Talents
- Community Service
Once you have been accepted for these merits many scholarships require you to write an essay based on a question that the scholarship committee asks with the best answer winning the scholarship.
Grants on the other hand are usually based on financial need and characteristics such as sex, race, or military status.
The Federal Pell Grant is a government grant that is available to any student whose family meets the financial qualifications.
In order to get the most financial aid for college, you should apply to both grants and scholarships.
With the Sports Management scholarships and grants you receive, you just may be able to get your Sports Management degree at no cost to you.
Finding a Sports Management scholarship is not difficult if you have good grades and can prove that you have a passion for Sports Management.
Why a Sports Management Career?
There are many reasons as to why you should consider a career in Sports Management but the biggest reason is the fact that the field of sports management is filled with many different exciting career opportunities.
Sports Management Jobs and Salaries
Due to the ever increasing knowledge of the sports industry with the general public, Sports Management careers are extremely sought after in today’s world.
In the Unites States especially, sports has always been a rewarding industry and because of this the demand for Sports Management professionals has been on the rise.
A few jobs that have been on the rise in Sports Management include:
- Equipment Managers
- Food Service Managers
- Public Relations Coordinator
- Winter Sports Managers
EQUIPMENT MANAGERS
A popular job in Sports Management is the equipment manager. An Equipment Manager’s responsibility is to keep track of everything that has to do with sports equipment.
In addition, Equipment Managers deal with:
- Athletic Vendors
- Maintaining Equipment Budgets
- Tracking Sports Equipment
The basic requirement for an Equipment Manager is to have a Bachelor degree in business administration or Sports Management.
Having experience in handling equipment facilities would be a big advantage if this is the career you would like to have. A good way to gain this experience would be 2-3 years of an internship.
There are numerous different popular businesses that use Equipment Managers including:
- Academic Institutions (High Schools and Colleges)
- Health Resorts
- Hotels
- Professional Sports Teams (including minor leagues)
The average annual starting salary of an Equipment Manager is between $50,000 and $60,000.
FOOD SERVICE MANAGERS
Every team, whether it be collegiate or professional has a sports stadium that they play their home games in and with every stadium, there are concessions, which sell food and beverages.
The Food Service Manager’s job is to supervise all food activities of the stadium including:
- Establish all Food Policies
- Supervise all Facility Employees
- Supervise all Food Concession Workers
A Food Service Manager requires at least a Bachelor’s degree in food management, Sports Management or business administration.
The average annual starting salary of a Food Service Manager is between $65,000 and $70,000.
PUBLIC RELATIONS COORDINATOR
One of the most challenging jobs in sports management is probably the Public Relations Coordinator, which requires long irregular hours including holidays and weekends.
Regardless of the long hours, the rewards can be enormous as you will get to promote the team’s image, meet a lot of important people which will increase your network and give you the connections needed to advance in your Sports Management career down the road.
Some of the job responsibilities of a Public Relations Coordinator include:
- Assist with Media Relations
- Organizing Public Appearances
- Track Media Coverage
- Work Closely with Ticket Department
- Writing Press Releases
A Public Relations Coordinator requires a Bachelor’s degree in marketing, public relations or Sports Management.
The average annual starting salary of a Public Relations Coordinator is between $55,000 and $65,000. There are also excellent perks including:
- Free Tickets
- Profit Sharing
- Stock or Stock Options
WINTER SPORTS MANAGERS
One of the coolest jobs in Sports Management is a Winter Sports Manager, which for the most part works at a winter hotel or ski resort.
Some Winter Sports Managers even work for more then one resort and supervises all services and programs at some of the most popular winter tourist destinations in the US.
Some of the job responsibilities of a Winter Sports Manager include:
- Advises Management of Dates for Opening and Closing
- Coordinates Activities of Resort Employees
- Coordinates Activities of Staff
- Directs sports program
- Ensures that Skating Rink, Ski Slopes and Snowmobile Trails are suitable for use
- Inventory all Supplies
- Give Winter Sports Instruction to Guests
- Keep Records of Current Weather Conditions
- Orders Supplies, such as Skiing, Skating and Snowmobile Rental Gear
- Schedules Snow Removal from Roads by Public Authorities
A Winter Sports Manager requires a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business or Sports Management.
The average annual starting salary of a Winter Sports Manager is between $65,000 and $75,000.
