When watching sports people forget to eat, drink, sleep, or shower. Children wait for the clock to strike 6 pm, and rush to the pitch/court to play their favourite sport. Even those who don’t play sports are affected by the glamorous sports industry!
India as a nation is a breeding ground for sports, and now with a growing number of sports leagues coming up for a wide range of sports, such as Indian Premier League, Hockey Premier League, Indian Super league, Pro Kabaddi league, etc. opportunities in this sector abound.
While most people who dream of a career in sports wish to represent their country on the field at national and international tournaments, playing a sport is not the only way to be a part of it. There are others who have the requisite knowledge and understanding of the game but work behind the scene to organize matches, monitor team finances, negotiate contracts of athletes, etc. All in all, sports managers are required to manage all the key aspects related to the business and governance of sports at all levels.
So, if you are passionate about sports and want to handle the business side of the game, then Sports Management could be an exciting career option for you.
Let’s uncover the path, colleges, and scope of a career in Sports Management!
How to Pursue a Career in Sports Management in India?
Let’s have a look at the steps you need to follow to build a career in the swiftly emerging field of Sports Management.
Step 1: Opt for any Stream after Class 10th
To pursue a career in sports management, you can opt for any stream in your class 12th, however, it is advisable to take up the commerce stream. The commerce stream includes subjects like Business Studies, Economics, Accountancy, etc., which help to set up a foundation for students to understand business practices and acquire a deeper knowledge and understanding of business processes, as well as an awareness of global business issues.
Step 2: Pursue a BBA, or a Bachelor’s Degree in Sports Management
To jumpstart your career in Sports Management, the best program to pursue at your undergraduate level is a bachelor’s degree in Sports Management. BBA/B.A. in Sports Management is a full-fledged three-year degree course. Being a professional course, it offers students the opportunity to undertake professional projects and focuses on providing industry-specific knowledge related to marketing management, sports planning, sports funding, sports law, ethics, risk management, as well as the principles and practices of business in the sports industry. But fret not, if you don’t pursue a specialized course in sports management during your under graduation, then you can pursue a general BBA course followed by a master’s degree in sports management.
Some of the leading colleges that provide BBA/ B.A. in Sports Management are:
- National Academy of Sports Management, Mumbai – BBA in Sports Management
- George College, Kolkata, West Bengal – BA in Sports Management
- Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad University of Technology, West Bengal – BA in Sports Management
- International Institute of Sports Management (IISM), Mumbai – BA in Sports Management
Please Note: Candidates who have sports proficiency are given weightage during admissions in the above-mentioned institutes.
Some of the top universities/institutions for a BBA course are:
- Indian Institute of Management, Indore
- University of Delhi – Bachelor’s in Business Management
- Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai
- St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai
- Christ University, Bangalore
- Symbiosis Centre for Management Studies, Pune
- Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Delhi
Step 3: Pursue an MBA/ Master’s Degree in Sports Management
In order to enter the professional workplace a master’s degree is required. While some universities offer an MBA in Sports Management, others provide a master’s degrees and diplomas in Sports Management. Pursuing postgraduation in the field of Sports Management will give you an edge over others as it will not only help you acquire theoretical knowledge of sports but will also develop managerial skills that can be put to use in different business settings such as Sports Marketing, Sports Media, Sports Apparel, etc.
Some of the leading postgraduate colleges and programs in Sports Management:
National Academy of Sports Management, Mumbai
- MBA in Sports Management
- Post Graduate Diploma in Sports Management
Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management, Kolkata
- Post Graduate Diploma in Sports Management
International Institute of Sports Management (IISM), Mumbai
- Masters in Sports Management
- Post Graduate Diploma in Sports Management
Institute of Sports Management, ISST, Pune
- Masters in Sports Management
Tamil Nadu Physical Education & Sports University, Chennai
- MBA in Sports Management
Lakshmi Bai National University of Physical Education, Gwalior
- Masters in Physical Education (Sports Management)
- Post Graduate Diploma in Sports Management
Scope of Sports Management in India
After completing your education, you can look at the following professional opportunities to make a break into the sports business.
1. Sports Agents
Sports agents look after the athlete’s professional career and act as a bridge between the player and the outside world. They handle the athlete’s legal contracts, finances, and even endorsement deals. For example: In a case where a company wants to contact a sports person to endorse their product and inspire fans to use that specific product, they contact the agent and discuss the appointment, monetary aspects, and fix the shooting dates accordingly.
Expected Salary: Remuneration of a sports agent depends on the athletes they work with, and the years of experience in the industry. Salary can vary anywhere between 25,000 to 70,000 per month approximately.
2. Sports Information Directors
Sports Informational Directors work closely with a sports team and various media outlets to bolster public relations through positive media coverage. To this end, they organize press conferences to allow the media access, document and publicize their accomplishments in various media channels and write press releases for them.
Expected Salary: An expected salary of a sports information director is INR 40,000 to INR 70,000 per month on average. One moves up to this job role after having over 7 to 9 years of work experience in the same field.
3. Sports Marketing Manager
Marketing is an important part of any business and equally so for the world of sports, as it helps in promoting and sponsoring sports events. Besides this, sports marketing also helps in building brand loyalty, wherein fans positive association with the team help in supporting the specific team and the event. They don’t work directly with the athletes rather they are associated with particular sports companies the team is associated with.
Expected Salary: An expected salary of a sports marketing manager varies between INR 50,000 to INR 80,000 per month approximately.
4. Lecturer
With a degree in Sports Management, you can become a lecturer too, and teach at colleges and universities. You can impart your own knowledge to students about the principles and practices of sports management, it’s ethics and legal aspects, besides many other things.
Expected Salary: The monthly pay scale of a lecturer is INR 15,600-39,000 on average.
5. Sports Event Manager
A degree in Sports Management also allows you to be a part of the event planning team. The responsibilities of sports event managers include identifying the target audience and the brands to associate with. They also plan the event venue and overlook its proper maintenance, staff, logistics, and technical details to ensure smooth conduct of the match or event.
Expected Salary: The average salary of a Sports Event Manager is INR 36,000 per month on average. The average package increases with experience in the field.
Pros and Cons of a Career in Sports Management
Pros
- With an ever-increasing enthusiasm for sports, sports management as a field is reaching new heights. It is a diverse field that allows you to work not only with big brands such as ESPN, ZEE – Ten Sports, JSW sports, Edu sports, Libero Sports, IMG, etc.
- You can also freelance and work as a special consultant to celebrity athletes as well as work as a coach in school and colleges.
- It allows you to think creatively and put your leadership and organizational skills to use, especially where you have to organize functions/events that draw the attention of the masses.
Cons
- Sports Management involves hectic jobs with longer working hours on average. Taking care of teams and making sure that everything runs smoothly behind the scenes is a daunting task.
- Since sports is a flourishing field, there is a lot of competition and is thus one of the toughest job markets to get into.
If you have been ever inspired by movies like Dangal and Mary Kom, aspiring to become a Sports Manager for your own team of Sportsmen, then maybe you should consider this career path for yourself.
Not sure whether you can manage a sports person or not? Then check out our Virtual Internship Program in Sports Management and get a certificate to boost your resume. As a bonus, you will also get a sneak peek into all the tasks done by a Sports manager.
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