If you can accurately predict the victory of a sports team just by analyzing its scores and by studying the nature of the performance of its players, if, apart from the sport, the entire grandeur of the event fascinates you, if you are aware of every possible sport and its events across the globe, have complete information about all the popular sports personalities, sports facts and can talk endlessly about them, if you hold the thirst to find out what goes behind an athlete’s mind, you sure are a sports enthusiast. The main question though, is, what are you doing about this undying enthusiasm of yours? Have you ever considered transforming this enthusiasm into one of the many sports careers?
One can be a non-athlete who merely enjoys watching other people play sports and doesn’t necessarily play sports herself/himself. So if you don’t want to be a Sachin Tendulkar, you can choose to be a Harsha Bhogle, because the sports industry has a wide and unimaginable range of sports careers for the non-athlete sports enthusiasts.
Out of the many sports careers, we have listed some of the most popular sports careers that hold high prospects and also pay high.
Sports PR
Just like companies and film celebrities, sports teams and players too have PR teams working for them. Sports Public or Media Relation is all about conveying to the fans and the general public, the various activities of a team, and grabbing their attention. To make this happen, a PR professional/agency reaches out to various media outlets, conducts press conferences, events, etc. to reach the common people. A PR professional is expected to draft press releases, prepare speeches, respond to media and interview requests, and other work, related to communications. Every sports personality too, has her/his individual team of PR as well that works towards increasing the linking of people towards her/him. To enter the Sports Media Relation field, you will need to be efficient with communication, have creative strategies to promote the team/player, the will to work with inflexible hours, and ofcourse sound qualification.
A bachelor’s degree is a must. Employers usually look for candidates who hold a degree in specialized Public Realtion course, Communication, Marketing, Business Administration or even Journalism with a good ability to speak English. A degree in Sports Management can be an additional benefit.
Sports Event Coordinator
A sports tournament is not just about a game played between teams. It involves much more than just that. A tournament is a grand event that requires proper funds to be organized. Looking for venues, planning the entire structure of the event, guests to be called, sponsors to be approached and so much more. There is a lot of hard work that goes behind the final event that we see on our screens or in the stadium as audiences. The people behind such events who organize and put the entire event in place are the Sports Event Coordinators. These are the people who plan the entire event/tournament from scratch right from deciding where the event must take place, raising funds for the same, chalking out the who schedule/time table of the tournament, places for players to stay and rest, other activities pre and post the game, to wrapping up the event. If you are someone who has been interested in sports as well as the event in whole, you must pursue the career of Sports Event Planning and Management. Working under pressure, coordination, organization, planning, meticulousness, leadership, and communication are some of the key qualities one must possess to enter this field of work.
While the above-mentioned skills are a must, you most importantly need the right education. A bachelor’s degree is mandatory. One must also have a degree or certificate in sports management or athletic administration as studies in this area ensures one has the necessary skills required to be in the sports sector. However, a degree in marketing, public relations, communications, or business administration can also work great in your favor. If you aren’t quite keen on pursuing these degrees, other short duration courses like sports promotion, sports operations, facility management, business law, and sports leadership can also prove to be vital for this career.
Sports Statistician
Sports statisticians are people who record the games’ scores live as they occur. Not just scores, they also analyze data of games like cricket, football, baseball, hockey, etc. The job role of a sports statistician include recording activities as and when they happen, preparing final statistics for the records and future reference, hold accurately the official and final scores, entering the data correctly into the computer systems, preparing reports to help the referees and umpires to make decisions, change and update the data when needed. The job of a statistician is a very intricate one and at times can get a little head wrecking. If you choose to pursue this career, you will have to give your undivided attention to the job and make sure you enhance your concentration level.
One must hold a bachelor’s degree with a combination of mathematics, statistical analysis, and computer science. You also need strong communication skills, computer literacy, keyboarding skills, sound knowledge of sports, great observation skills, and the ability to work under pressure and tight deadlines.
Sports Physiotherapist
Sports Physiotherapists work with the prevention and management of injuries that are caused by sport and exercise. They also ensure an active lifestyle to aid sportsperson in improving and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. A sports physiotherapist is also responsible to train the players to play and perform exercises the right way and treat injuries from time to time. Apart from having good communication skills, people pursuing this career field must also have the ability to building a good rapport with the sportsperson, be compassionate, and level-headed.
For becoming a sports physiotherapist, one needs to complete 12th standard education with Physics, Chemistry and Biology as the main subjects. In addition to this, one must pursue Diploma in Physiotherapy or Bachelors of Physiotherapy/B.Sc (Physiotherapy) course. After completing the degree, you also need to have six months of compulsory training.
The sports industry is flourishing year after year which is opening up innumerable opportunities for the prospective candidates. This said sports careers in any of the above-mentioned options will surely take you in an upward direction.
