Entry-level options for a career in sport

If you’re a person who lives, breathes and sleeps a sport such as basketball, football or baseball, then you may be considering a career in sports. However, as everyone knows, to actually play any of these sports as a pro you have to have amazing ability, and the luck to be in the right place at the right time.

Many amateur sportsmen and women are realistic about the fact that they’re unlikely to end up playing for the Lakers, the New York Yankees, or the Dallas Cowboys. Even getting a college scholarship is difficult. The odds are probably greater for the Minnesota Timberwolves to become NBA Champions than for the average guy or girl being able to take their sport to pro level. But there are other ways to get a career started in the sports industry. And even though you may not be on court or on the pitch, you can still have a fulfilling career around the sports that you love.

Photos, video interviews and bios from Tuesday’s draft workouts in El Segundo: http://t.co/tjsDidMSYj pic.twitter.com/bS7qhbmFLS

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) June 2, 2015

There are lots of different ways that you can jump-start a career in sports management but be aware that competition for any of these jobs is high. You’re not the only person who thinks it would be cool to build a career around sport.
Here we profile just a few of the entry-level jobs that will give your sports management career a boost.
Group ticket sales rep
You may not see yourself as having a career in sales, but if you can demonstrate some experience of sports sales it could help you move onto other areas of sports management. Basically this is a telephone job where you sell tickets to large groups. You can expect strong competition from your co-workers and for most group ticket sales reps, they’ve either got what it takes and are earning well after the first year, or they’ve quit. In order to get a job in group ticket sales, you’ll probably need prior sales experience, even if it’s just shop work.

by vlima.com Caption: Your career in the sports industry may start in a place like this
Public relations assistant
Many sports management careers have begun in public relations. At entry-level, this means helping to draft press releases and organise media guides. To get a head start in public relations, go down to volunteer in your college sports information department. When you’ve got some experience under your belt, apply for openings with pro-teams and in league offices.
Customer services
Event management is another way into sports – every match is an event after all. All sports team will have entry-level posts around event organisation, including special stadium days or corporate hospitality events. Tasks will be varied from setting up hospitality tents to organisation of the half-time entertainment. It’s all about demonstrating to management just how good your organisational skills are, so put 100% effort into every task you are given.
Database management
Looking after a database may be as far as you could get from your dream of working in sports, but it may be the way to begin a sports industry career. The work can be pretty dull – inputting data from business cards, or tracking which people are attending which games. But if you do the job well, you’ll be ready for any openings that come up – such as selling suites. Demonstrate your salesmanship and you could soon be looking at management-level posts.
While you are trying to get ‘a foot in the door’ in the sports industry, the best approach is to be willing to try anything. If you’re picky, there are lots of other job candidates who will willingly take your spot.