5 Wonderful Sports Science Careers
- Sports Managers
- Athletic Coaches
- Fitness Instructors
- Sports Nutritionists
- Athletic Directors
Sports science careers are perfect for people who would love to combine their passion for sports with a job that is exciting and pays well. Sports science graduates are needed to fill positions for a variety of organizations including fitness centers, colleges, universities, and athletic teams. Although the career possibilities for sports science grads are numerous, five of the most popular careers in sports science that are available today are described below.
1. Sports Managers
Some of the most popular sports science careers today involve sports management. Sports managers are those individuals who are directly responsible for handling all of the business matters for athletic teams on the college, university, or professional levels. They partake in many important activities including negotiating the terms in contracts, handling and monitoring media relations, organizing special events to promote athletic teams, and managing athletic budgets. Other tasks that they are often responsible for may include recruiting athletes, locating and hiring coaches, arranging travel accommodations, and preparing financial statements.
2. Athletic Coaches
Another great career for graduates with a degree in sports science involves athletic coaching. The major part of an athletic coach’s job involves such tasks as coordinating and leading training sessions, identifying and nurturing athletes’ unique talents, assessing the performance of athletes, and developing tactics for optimal team performance. Athletic coaches are often involved in a variety of administrative tasks as well that may include assisting with fundraising activities, representing the team at press conferences, handling legal and safety issues, managing lower-level personnel, and overseeing the maintenance of facilities and equipment.
3. Fitness Instructors
Another terrific career for persons with sports science degrees is that of a fitness instructor. With more people than ever before showing concern for their health, there is currently a growing demand for qualified fitness instructors. In fact, these positions are growing at a rate of about ten percent according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The main job of fitness instructors is to lead fitness classes in health centers, gyms, large corporations, or various hospitals. Other tasks performed by these professionals include designing exercise programs, coaching on healthy living, providing nutrition counseling, and conducting personal training sessions.
4. Sports Nutritionists
Also among the most popular sports science careers available today are positions as sports nutritionists. Sports nutritionists can work independently but often work for such organizations as fitness centers, colleges, universities, or professional athletic teams. Their main responsibility is to advise clients on proper nutritional programs that will help increase their health and athletic performance. In addition to nutritional counseling, sports nutritionists are also responsible for creating customized nutrition plans, providing nutritional guidance to clients suffering from various ailments or injuries, and providing counseling pertaining to eating disorders.
Related Resource: 50 Best Bachelors in Sports Science Degree Programs
5. Athletic Directors
Sports science majors who are looking for top-level sports science careers may want to consider obtaining positions as athletic directors. Many of the responsibilities of athletic directors are similar to those of sports managers, but athletic directors are responsible for much more. Common duties of these experts often include scheduling games and special events, preparing athletic budgets, handling facility management, ensuring compliance with legal matters, allocating spending, providing guidance for coaches, and mediating disputes. While a bachelor’s degree in sports science can qualify graduates for these positions, a master’s degree can help broaden graduates’ career opportunities.
Sports science is an exciting field that offers many fantastic job opportunities. And for graduates who are looking for the best sports science careers available today, one of the five careers discussed above may be exactly what they are looking for.
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