Opt for a lucrative career in Sports Management

Are you a sporty entrepreneur? Then sports management may be the right career for you. Anyone with an interest in sports, finance, management and leadership should consider a sports management degree and career. It will give you a chance to not only work with athletes, but also see the corporate and business side of the sports world. Sports management jobs are completely unlike the work of professional athletes.
Sports management studies offer an excellent grounding in business skills like finance, physical resource management, marketing, customer service etc. Many graduates who are seeking employment in sports management often go for professional qualifications offered by the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA).
The most obvious type of companies that hire sports management people are sports teams themselves. Amateur, collegiate, and professional sports teams all need managers, marketers, public relations specialists and coaches. But other companies, including sports networks like ESPN, athletic apparel companies, sales and advertising companies, marketing and public relations firms, and other organisations also hire sports management professionals.
Sports management degree programmes are available at associate, bachelor's, master's and doctorate degree levels. Bachelor's degree would suffice for most job posts like marketing, sales or finance, but for more senior posts like the general manager for a sports team, you need a master's degree.
With sports leapfrogging and emerging as a great industry, doors have opened to many professionals beyond athletics and sportsmen. People with a passion for sport and with the right managerial skill set and attitude can leverage their talents and grow within and with this sector. The future of the sports industry looks challenging, competitive and yet exciting. 
Shyamala Elango is Director, Educational Services at Inner Universe. She can be reached at elango.shyamala@inneruniverse.org