Sports is one of those industries that have been around for centuries and will probably stay for good. People will always be willing to spend money to watch and experience football, basketball, soccer, tennis, baseball, and anything else that is currently popular. In other words, it is possible to build quite a successful career in the sports industry. Currently, one of the more interesting positions you could grab is a sports manager. The demand is high for this kind of job while the supply is quite low.
However, becoming such a manager is not easy at all. You will need to have the right skills and you will need a good understanding of the sports world. While it is hard to get to such a position, this does not mean that it is impossible.
If you manage to find the right information, you just might be able to do what you have always wanted.
Fortunately, you will not have to look any further because in this article I am going to provide you with the most useful tips and the steps you need to follow to become the sports manager you have always wanted to be.
A diploma is not mandatory, but it will be useful
This might seem like an obvious part of the process of becoming a sports manager, but I think that it is still important to mention considering how useful it can be in this industry. I know, getting a college diploma or a bachelor’s degree is not a simple, nor an easy task. It requires years and years of investment.
However, your chances of success could increase considerably if you get yourself a diploma. Worry not, there are some alternatives these days. You will not have to commit 4 years of your life and thousands of dollars just to get that degree. Thanks to various online studies, you could get your diploma in 2 years or maybe less, depends on which study you choose.
Do not think that this kind of diploma will be any less significant in the industry than the regular ones.
Keep in mind, if you do decide to study, I recommend taking classes for public relations, project management, and team management, and communication. These are some of those skills that would help you immensely to manage a team or an athlete.
Get some experience
After you get your diploma, this is the next step and it might be the most essential one if you expect success in this industry. In fact, this might be true for any industry, but I believe that it is especially vital for sports.
Without any experience, I do not think that many would be interested in hiring you. So, before you start asking around for any job positions, it would probably be better to find yourself an internship.
You might think that an internship is just a waste of time, but I think that you would find it very useful. Not only will you get the experience needed to be hired, but you will also develop some of your own skills. Later, you could use those skills to properly manage your clients.
Keep in mind, not every internship is equal. If you manage to get yourself inside some impressive football, basketball, or soccer team, I assure you that a lot of employers will notice that.
Although, not everyone has that kind of luck to get such an internship which is understandable. Either way, whatever you can find will be good enough to help you grow your career. Every sports manager has to start somewhere. Even Daniel Todorovic from o1nesport.com started out small and then ended up working with the top sportsmen. For this website, in particular, he connected with Gregor Haslberger and Marius Schulze and so far, this goes smoothly for the dynamic trio.
Start networking
Networking in this kind of industry might be one of the most important things you can do. The moment you start your internship, I recommend getting in contact with as many people as possible. Some of those people you meet during your internship could become your friends or coworkers for the rest of your life.
Every friendship that you form over the years could help you in the future to build your own sports managing career. Never stop networking even when you are most successful. Do not be shy to meet new people and make sure that you always introduce yourself properly. First impressions are essential.
Who knows, maybe your old boss could connect you with one of the best professional athletes in the world after a few years. You can expect anything in the sports industry.
Of course, while you are creating friendships, it is also smart to avoid creating any kind of enemies because that could slow you down. If you managed to create enemies, there will always be people trying to put you down as you try to strive and grow.
Build your portfolio
For this kind of job, it is essential to keep your expectations as low as possible. At least, while you are still young in the business. If you expect that you are going to start working with professional athletes such as Tyson Fury who is one of the best heavyweight champions in boxing today or Lewis Hamilton, one of the best Formula 1 drivers, you are going to be very disappointed. Unless you are very lucky.
However, most of the time, the outcome will not look like that. It is normal to first start with beginner and inexperienced athletes. It is your job to turn those beginners into professionals.
Think about it. If you managed to prove yourself by growing young athletes into true champions that is when people will start to notice your abilities and skills. After a few years of working with beginners or average athletes, you might get job offerings to work with one of the best athletes in the world
Becoming a sports manager is not easy, but if you follow these steps, I assure you that your path to success will be much less turbulent.
