Sport Management

[Sean_CaseyRules]

Is anyone else on the board a current Sport Management major, or graduated with a major in it? It's my current major and I wanted to hear some stories, because I don't know anyone who has majored in that particular area of study around where I live.

[Degenerate39]

I was going to major in Sports Management. Then I got into management class and realized I would hate it.

[Reds Freak]

I'm a recent graduate of sport management and can tell you a few things. Not sure what kind of stories you are looking for but I hope I can help. I loved the major and the field and have found there is so much you can do with it from professional, collegiate, and high school athletics to parks, recreation, and fitness areas. I found I only needed a few more classes for a double major in business so I have that background as well.

One of the misconceptions of the major is if you like sports, this is the major for you. You really have to have a passion for the field and industry. It is a very competitive field. So many classmates and peers of mine that have majored in sports management have gone on to sell insurance or work in other areas because the money is so much better. In most cases, you have to ask yourself if you are willing to take a much lower salary and work a lot more hours for a while than your friends in other fields because it is that competitive.

My advice...During college, try to do as many internships, practicums, volunteer in a variety of different areas of sports to find out what you want to do with it and find out if it is right for you. Especially in this field, experience is so much more valuable than classroom work and can set you apart from your peers.

If you have any other specific questions, I'd be glad to help...

[GoReds33]

I know I didn't start this thread, but I have a question. What types of jobs do these majors usually have?

[Orodle]

Its not for those that think it will make them a GM of a baseball team some day.

Honestly I think majoring in something else such as accounting is even better even if you want to work in sports. My girlfriend (accounting and spanish majors) got job offers from the Houston Astros and Milwaukee Brewers without even wanting to work in sports....they came to her.

[NorrisHopper30]

I just switched from Pharmacy to Sports Management.

[Hoosier Red]

DEAR GOD NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay, sorry, had to get that off my chest. I was a Sports Communication major in college, it's great while you're in college, you get to do all sorts of fun stuff, cover games, not study, etc...

Than I got out of college all the team PR jobs were give to journalism and communications majors.

Many of my friends in the sports marketing and management majors found the same thing.
My strong recommendation is to get a management degree, it doesn't pigeonhole you like a sports management degree can. It also doesn't preclude you from getting jobs with teams' marketing or other sports related work.

[cumberlandreds]

A neice of mine married a guy who majored in this and he now is an insurance adjuster. It's a hard field to get your foot in the door with unless you know someone already in it.

[Reds Freak]

Originally Posted by GoReds33

I know I didn't start this thread, but I have a question. What types of jobs do these majors usually have?

Sport managment majors typically find jobs in the professional, collegiate, or high school athletics or the parks, recreation, and fitness fields. The jobs can be any number of things from administration, marketing, management, sales, development, etc..

If you want to do PR or sports information, you probably do need a journalism or communications degree. Sport Management isn't necessarily the right track for those jobs, Hoosier Red.

It's a fun field and it's a growing industry but it's not easy. It's imperative that you have a number of internships and experiences during college to get a feel of the industry and to expand your network...

[Raisor]

Originally Posted by GoReds33

I know I didn't start this thread, but I have a question. What types of jobs do these majors usually have?

Real Estate or Insurance.

[Stephenk29]

Two of my roomates had this major. None could find jobs in the field. Very competitve, and no one seems to realize what it really is. One now works for a bank and one is going back for the teaching degree. Really not trying to steer you away if this is what you love to do, but my two cents.

[Reds Freak]

Originally Posted by Stephenk29

Two of my roomates had this major. None could find jobs in the field. Very competitve, and no one seems to realize what it really is. One now works for a bank and one is going back for the teaching degree. Really not trying to steer you away if this is what you love to do, but my two cents.

The problem is a lot of people choose sports management (especially college athletes) and think because it says sports in the title, it sounds fun, and you just go to games and get paid. If you want to work in sports, you really have to work at finding the job you want. And that's why a lot of people do other things because they aren't willing to do that work, aren't willing to take that low of a salary, and aren't willing to work that many hours. A lot of people think the field and major is a joke, but those that are serious about it know what it is and love what they do..

[Hoosier Red]

Originally Posted by Reds Freak

A lot of people think the field and major is a joke, but those that are serious about it know what it is and love what they do..

Unfortunately a lot of those people are the ones hiring for teams, leagues, etc.. et al.

As a point of clarification, I was a sports communications major, not not sports management.

I interned every summer at WBOB, and came out and the best job I could get was the overnight producer at the local sports station.
Now I'm happy for this because I met a lot of people here on Redszone because I had a lot of time between 12AM and 6AM.

Now if I could offer some more advice, absolutely work hard to getting jobs, intern anywhere you get a chance. Most important, do not just intern at one spot. Go to different stations, go to different markets. If you only go to one place, and they don't have any openings when you graduate you're screwed.(In my case the station changed formats two weeks before I graduated. oops.)

[Sean_CaseyRules]

Thanks everyone for all the help!!!

[NorrisHopper30]

Another key I've heard from some people that I know that work for the Reds is networking. Get "connections", don't burn bridges, etc etc.