Many people have fond memories of fun athletic events in which they were either active participants or loyal viewers. Often, this kind of nostalgia and personal interest point these people toward career paths in athletics. The sports industry presents people with varied career options that go beyond the roles of players, coaches, and broadcasters. Here are five underappreciated ways to make athletics a profession.
Sports Journalism
Great content that includes stories about sports industry trends and the lives of famous sports figures both on and off the court make the world of sports come alive to loyal viewers. These insightful stories come from trained journalism professionals that have a passion for the sports industry. They work beside photojournalists who capture amazing pictures that become associated with their distinctive stories. The internet has changed the landscape of sports journalism, and great content is still here to stay whether in print or in digital format. Those pursuing a career in sports reporting need at least an undergraduate degree in Journalism or Communications, and experience via internships is highly desired by employers. No degree is required for sports photographers, but an undergraduate degree in photojournalism enhances one’s employment options.
Sports Medicine Careers
Another approach to forging a career within the sports industry is through the healthcare profession. As expected, athletes that give 100% during games, training, and practice events often suffer from physical ailments. Physical therapists who work with athletes to recover from injury often get their start via a degree in sports medicine or through a health science master’s program like the one offered by Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions. Also, the mental stress of performing for many people for a lot of money often requires special attention by sports psychologists, who help athletes work through issues and boost their self-confidence, which assists them in reaching their optimum performance. Practicing sports psychologists have earned either a graduate or doctoral degree in Sports Psychology.
Sports Marketing Careers
People with an academic business background often find careers within the sports industry both challenging and exciting. The most popular careers within this category include marketing account executives, event coordinators, and public relations specialists. Marketing account executives are the creative powerhouses charged with promoting teams and various sporting events. Event coordinators facilitate sporting events making sure the events run smoothly as planned. Public relations specialists promote and help protect the reputations of athletes or coaches. There is a lot of competition for these jobs, and the barriers to entry are quite high for those without the right sponsorship. Often, an undergraduate degree in Business Administration or Marketing qualifies people to work in these sports marketing careers.
Quantitative Analysis Careers in Sports
Nearly all sports enthusiasts want to know who has the best opportunity for reaching the final events of given sports. They are no longer satisfied with just the predictions of commentators; they want information backed by the numbers. Academic sports statisticians analyze trends on a particular game or within the industry. A statistician who is a recorder simply documents all aspects of the game’s plays for permanent record. Professional sports statisticians usually possess an undergraduate degree in Statistical Analysis or Mathematics.
Culinary Careers in Sports
Athletes need great nutrition to perform at their absolute best, and sports nutritionists give expert nutritional advice and create customized menus designed to help athletes maintain their vitality by eating the best combinations of foods. While food at sporting events is known to be less than nutritious, many people are making substantial livings as concession operators who offer seasonal culinary support for hungry game-goers. While becoming a concession operator requires no formal college degree, a sports nutritionist may have an undergraduate degree in Exercise Nutrition and Wellness.
The diverse careers within the sports industry are not well-advertised. However, the approaches to careers in athletics described above offer participants intellectually stimulating work combined with a little of the glamor received from working within this exciting industry.
