NFL seats at the 50-yard line get you pretty close to the action. The right college degree can get you even closer. Between the athletes and their fans is a team of support staff creating the pro sports experience. You may not have a shot as the MVP, but with the sports career training you can be a valuable player in the business of professional sports.
The multi-billion-dollar sports industry employs a long roster of sports specialists, from business executives to medical practitioners. Be part of the action in one of these supporting roles:
1. Sportscaster
Put your love of sports to work with a career as a sports broadcaster. Sportscasters report and interpret the game for spectators, specializing in live commentary during the event or post-game analysis.
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If you're like most fans, you already specialize in these roles in your own den or at the stadium. Professional sports announcers and reporters turn this skill into a career. Besides a deep knowledge of the sport, sportscasters need to have excellent communication and analytical skills.
A bachelor's degree in journalism, communications or broadcasting supplies these essentials. NBC sportscaster Dick Enberg attests the value of a college degree: "You can't help but be better qualified to meet the challenge [of broadcasting] with four years of college education." Enberg recommends that aspiring sportscasters boost their communications degree with a physical education minor.
Salaries vary depending on experience, skill and reputation. One estimate places the range at $12,000 to $400,000 for the most coveted spots. The Bureau of Labor Statistics places the median 2008 salary for all broadcast news analysts at $70,730.
2. Sports agent
Athletes owe their astronomical salaries to skilled agents who negotiate the terms of their contracts on their behalf. Sports agents represent athletes in all their business deals, from team contracts to corporate sponsorships. They also play a marketing role, promoting their client's "brand" through endorsement opportunities, personal appearances and other promotional activities. Some agents also manage their client's finances.
Agents need well-honed business and negotiating skills to perform effectively as an athletic representative. A bachelor's degree in marketing or business offers a good mix of financial, analytical and communication skills. Some colleges offer a specialized bachelor's or master's degree in sports management. Extend your credentials even further with a professional law degree. The three-year postgraduate J.D. offers practical career training in negotiation skills.
It's difficult to predict your earning power as an agent, since each practitioner negotiates their own terms based on experience and track record. Estimates range from $51,000 for the agent of an average NFL athlete to $750,000 for agents representing the top NBA superstars. Signing multiple athletes can instantly double your earnings.
3. Sports marketing account executive
Marketing sustains the lucrative professional sports industry. As a marketing account executive, you may be responsible for staging event promotions, soliciting corporate sponsors or advertisers, conducting market research, or running an advertising campaign. You may represent individual athletes, teams, venues or sports media outlets. The stakes can be high in this billion-dollar industry. An IEG report estimated that sports sponsorship drew $8.8 billion in sales in 2006.
A bachelor's degree in marketing offers the most straightforward path to a sports marketing career. Some colleges even offer specialized courses in sports marketing. Related fields that can help you build the necessary skill set include statistics, media and mass communications, business, and advertising.
Salaries vary based on your role and experience. Public relations specialists earned a median salary of $58,960 in 2008. Marketing managers brought home $118,160 in the same period.
4. Physical therapist
You'll find a range of career opportunities in sports medicine, from orthopedic surgery to sports psychology. A physical therapy career offers the benefits of guaranteed job security and manageable training requirements. Physical therapists are always in demand in the sports industry, helping athletes improve their performance, recover between events and overcome injuries.
A master's degree from an accredited physical therapist education program offers the career training you need to get started as a sports therapist. Many schools offer specialized courses or degree concentrations in sports physical therapy. In addition to the degree, you'll need to pass a state licensure exam before practicing as a sports therapist.
Physical therapy is one of the fastest growing occupations in the U.S., according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In 2008, physical therapists earned a median wage of $74,410.
5. Sports information specialist
Your obsession with baseball stats could pay off in a career as a sports information specialist. Also known as media relations specialists, sports information experts make sure media outlets get their numbers right. Specialists collect and update information such as game scores, player statistics, or trade and contract deals. They work with media to produce feature stories for television, oversee media coverage of sports events, and fact-check promotional brochures and sports publications.
Information specialists typically enter the field with a bachelor's degree in marketing, media relations, PR or communications. Courses in statistics or information technology can be useful, especially if you extend your career into market research. Sports information analysts also rely on computer skills to produce reports and use specialized statistics software such as the Stat Crew Systems application.
Salaries for this specialized career path vary. Related occupations are media relations managers and public relations specialists. Salary.com lists an average salary of $88,944 for managers, and the BLS reports a 2008 median of $58,960 for specialists.
Don't let your lack of superhuman athletic ability keep you out of the major leagues. A bachelor's or master's degree in business, medicine or communications can be your ticket to a spot on the team beside the team.
