There are a lot more players in sports than just those on the playing field. A sport management professional deals with the business aspect of sports. You have to be involved with the planning, supervising and organizing various sporting activities like cricket, football, hockey, golf, and several other games at domestic and international level. It's about the play-offs beyond the field that helps sports organizations pull in billions from fans and corporate sponsorships, enough to reward their players with handsome multi-million dollar contracts. So if have the multifaceted personality and courage to manage the athlete beyond the fields and to face what the world of sports has to offer then the field is all set to get the ball rolling
Once into sports management you will be multitasking. At one time you will be negotiating and preparing contracts for athletes and at others strategizing about how best to leverage sponsorship. You will be planning and coordinating sports events along with conducting market research and analysis. You will be at one time running around for producing promotional material or talking with athletes and sports organizations about their needs. You can also be involved with monitoring sports activities and new trends and oversee the development of new merchandise and products associated with a team, player or a particular sport. Depending on how much you want to involve yourself you can see the upkeep and maintenance of a sports facility, keeping track of ticket sales and handling media during events. As a marketing director you will be responsible in building the visibility and reputation of an athlete, team, or company. Promotions managers plan and coordinate game day activities to attract sponsors and fans. You will be a part of bond building exercise between the athletes and the public through off-field events, like charity auctions and festivals.
While education in this area depends on the exact job, generally, people in this field need a master's degree in business administration with an emphasis in sports marketing or sports management. You can be a graduate in any discipline with 40% marks. Bachelors in Physical Education or any other sports will be an added advantage. MBA’s with experience are preferred by organizations, teams and sports personalities. You can also join this field if you have done mass communication and PR to handle the Media.
No matter which part or sport management you get into, the basic requirement will be a pleasing personality with a gift of the gab. You should be able to negotiate with various organizations at multiple levels. You should be strong in the number game as its required when you go out in the market for Sponsorship, or are a part of market research. You are required to be creative and have organizational skills while dealing with designing, production and marketing of sports merchandise. You should have a command over spoken and written language while dealing with the Communication in the electronic and print media. Knowledge about the market and sports law contracts and drug use is also critical when you are dealing with athletes and media at the same time.
As a Sports management professional you could either work for a league or sports association, like Major League Baseball or the National Basketball Association or work for teams, like the LA Lakers, the New York Yankees, Delhi Daredevils as a part of IPL Tournament. You can also choose to work for big brand like Coca Cola or Budweiser, managing promotional campaigns and sponsorships of domestic and international sporting events. You also have an option to work as a sports agent, managing an athlete's career by representing athletes, negotiating contracts and endorsements, doing PR work etc. You can become an event manager by organizing sports related events on behalf of sports organizations, associations, teams, or companies. As a market researcher in this field you can conduct surveys for sporting goods manufacturers, athletes, local governments, public relations agencies, tourist groups and sports retailers. Media can do magic to an athletes image, which gives you the opportunity to hold the wand and handle the electronic and print media.
Sports Agent
It is the responsibility of the Agent to manage the athlete’s career. Representing them and fulfilling their requirements such as Event Sponsorship, Television Coverage on a Free to Air Channel etc
Sports Promotions
Promotion of the events is of utmost importance to make it a success. Promoters solicit advertisers; help generate income that makes the event successful.
Ticket Sales
For amateur and professional events, ticket revenue is vital. The process is more complicated than simply opening the ticket booth, such as establishing ticket policies and ticket promotions. Responsibilities may include management of computerized ticket systems, accounting and auditing controls, group sales, and training of assistants.
Public Relations
In order to answer the queries of the public and provide them with the information they desire, a skilled communicator is necessary, who is familiar with all of the aspects of the event or sport. Some typical activities of PR person include preparing media guides, coordinating press conferences, conducting press briefings, maintaining files, sending news releases to the media and handling the print and electronic media before, during and after the event.
Facility Management
Sports facility is the center stage for all the action. The Facility manager must understand the business of sport and also be able to run a complex facility. You will be responsible for scheduling, personnel supervision, budget development and administration, and supervision of maintenance and support services. If an event requires renting a facility then you need to handle contract negotiations, special staffing, traffic and security management, insurance coverage etc.
Sports Information
Fans like to understand statistics, trends and anything that helps the fans understand the nature of the game better. The Sports Information personal handles media coverage of events. He is responsible for developing feature stories and arranges interviews, produces media guides, event program promotional brochures and maintains the latest statistics for media.
Sport Governing Bodies
The BCCI and other regulating agencies need staff to work closely with athletic directors and coaches to ensure the smooth running of sport organizations.
Concession Management
Fans want to have fun during a match and large facilities generate large revenues from the sales of concessions. This may include food, beverages, as well as souvenirs.
Event Management
Few events take an entire year to plan. The event manager is responsible to meet the needs of tenants, coordinates schedules of events, makes sure everything is in readiness for individual events and also assists in obtaining bookings.
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