If you love playing sports and want to share this passion with future generations, you might wonder if you can teach physical education in school with a sports management degree. Although sports management degrees generally focus on business aspects of sports, they can be helpful for those planning to pursue physical education. However, if you wish to teach in elementary or secondary schools, you also need to have a degree in education. Here’s a closer look at what a degree in sports management will do for you and how you can use it to meet your career goals.
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Sports Management Versus Physical Education
Some degree programs combine sports management and physical education. However, more commonly, these are considered two separate degree programs with specific and very different career goals. In a sports management program, you’ll learn about the financial structure behind the sports machine as well as how to keep athletes healthy, both mentally and physically. While some studies in sports management may overlap with those in physical education, those pursuing a degree in physical education will also take classes in education as well as learning the basics of sports medicine.
Choosing a Degree Program
If you have a passion for sports, it makes sense to seek a career in sports. Unfortunately, there aren’t a lot of jobs available for athletic directors or physical education teachers. Additionally, the field of sports management is extremely competitive. Coaches for professional sports often have sports management degrees, but they are also expected to have played on professional or semi-professional levels. While scouts may not have played a sport professionally, they must have a clear eye for talent and the business sense to make good decisions for teams and ball clubs. According to the Bureau of Labors Statistics, coaches for high school or community sports teams are not well paid, and many secondary schools hire full-time teachers and pay them an additional stipend for coaching a sports team.
Because of the competitive nature of any career involving sports management or physical education, it helps to be prepared. If you want to teach, consider adding a second major to your degree in physical education. A degree in business administration or business education will help you market yourself. You could get a job as a business teacher and also teach some physical education classes, or you might be able to both teach and coach at a small junior high or high school. If you want to be involved in sports, get your degree in sports management but remain open to jobs in business administration, finance or employee development. You might be thrilled to learn how much corporate team building has in common with team sports.
Related Resource: Sports Management Scholarships
If you have a passion for sports, don’t let anyone or anything get between you and your passion. Be aware that careers in sports management and physical education are demanding and competitive, and use this awareness to prepare yourself for the career you desire. There are some degree programs that will allow you to teach physical education in school with a sports management degree, but most institutions of higher learning separate these two courses of study. Research the degrees available, and choose the one with the most flexibility.
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