Sports management is a broad term, and the field incorporates a number of potential career options for people who are interested. Individuals with sports management degrees and interests can work in college sports and in all levels of professional sports. Some might work on the business side of sports, handling advertising ticket sales, professional development, or promotions. Others might work on the sports side, handling personnel issues. At the higher reaches of professional sports, there is a dramatic split in team leadership. Those tasked with handling the business side generally have little say-so on personnel decisions, while those who handle personnel do not spend time on the team’s general financial issues. Different career paths within the industry are suited for people with specific talents.
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Steps to Becoming a Sports Management Professional
Sports management degrees require individuals to have at least some understanding of math though the degree is not highly technical. In some programs, students will have to learn the basics of marketing and management before moving on to the sports specialty. In other programs, a person can jump right into sports management. These degrees can take anywhere from two to four years to complete, and students learn the fundamentals of management, advertising, and finance. The degree programs are quite obviously geared toward the world of sports, so students learn these topics in the context of what actual sports teams do. Ohio State University and Central Florida University currently have two of the best undergraduate sports management programs in the country, while Georgetown University features a top graduate program. Jobs in this field remain competitive though individuals with enough training can expect to find employment within nine months of graduation.
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Steps To Getting a Job in Major League Baseball with a Sports Management Degree
Individuals with sports management degrees often like to go into Major League Baseball. These jobs have become even more competitive with the advent of the Moneyball generation, as more and more smart people have decided that baseball is where they need to be. To improve one’s chances of getting one of these jobs, it’s important to make connections within the industry. A student might start with an internship. Those who eventually want to work in Major League Baseball should try very hard to get an Major League internship, since it is difficult to transition from minor league baseball into the big leagues. An especially dedicated candidate might visit the Baseball Winter Meetings in December to meet with potential employers and gain important connections. Jobs in Major League Baseball can start with low salaries, as entry-level professionals make between $50,000 and $75,000. Those who rise up a level can expect to make close to $100,000. Team vice presidents and those in other supervisory roles can make well more than that, and those at the upper reaches of management can make into seven figures.
Popular MLB Jobs for Sports Management Professionals
People trying to get into Major League Baseball could do so either on the baseball side or the business side. Some individuals will land on the business side in a marketing or ticketing manager role. Director of promotions is also a popular job for an individual with a sports management degree. On the personnel side, a person working in Major League Baseball might start out as baseball operations manager or as an assistant director of minor league operations. These positions come with fancy titles though they are usually well down the totem pole of power in a Major League front office. Students should know that business side jobs are much less competitive than baseball side jobs. A marketing manager or promotions manager would be tasked with developing new ideas to either market the team in the community or improve the atmosphere in the stadium. These individuals make anywhere from $50,000 to $100,000, depending upon the city and the individual’s experience level. On the baseball side, a baseball operations manager would be in charge of internship programs, and he might serve as a coordinator of various analytical research projects. These individuals need a strong understand of statistics, and they can make anywhere from $75,000 to $100,000.
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