✍️ Rohit Singh

🗓️ Oct 25, 2024

Sports is one of the best forms of entertainment that people love to get engaged with. Though the major limelight is on the athletes and coaches, a vibrant ecosystem of sports management professionals helps this big industry run behind the scenes. The sports industry is estimated to grow at 7% with a market value of $500-$600 billion between 2024 and 2034. Therefore, in this future potent industry we have a wide array of roles ranging from Game-day anchors who provide the audience with real-time updates, marketing professionals who plan and strategies for crowd engagement and brand deals. Finance people negotiate the vendor contract to Event management professionals who manage and schedule sporting events. 

This post explores some basic cum most vital skills that a sports management professional should be aware of before advancing the career in the billion dollar industry:

Leadership

Leadership is not just micromanaging your subordinates’ work or giving them the order, rather it comes with a lot more responsibility including, inspiring them to do their best, helping them whenever in need, motivating them through positivity, keeping the atmosphere light and friendly and finally building strong trustful connections with the team.

Financial acumen & Negotiation

Another skill that has a huge role in sports management is Negotiation. Through negotiation, you can convince or persuade other individuals to rely on your terms. For example – Sports managers have a lot of public meetings either with coaches, players or other team staff hence has to negotiate the contracts. In addition, managers are also responsible for revenue generation, budgeting, and financial planning.

Networking

The best way to get into the competitive sports industry is through an inside connection or internship. Hence, having valuable connections will surely favor you. So how could an individual network? By attending industry conferences or workshops in sports, marketing, and Entertainment one can develop relationships that could help them in the future. Another way to build a professional network is to grab an internship, apply for what you are really interested in, seek help, go for a little extra, contribute and build connections with potential employers.

Communication

Communication is a free tool through which you can make someone like you. This not only involves the ability to speak nicely but also the listening and non-verbal part. Internally, it fills the gap between people and unites them to work together and also creates an atmosphere of transparency. 

Marketing

Marketing skills are one of the most vital talents that help sports managers create the right strategies to promote the sporting team or event. Through the experience and skill earned they plan a proper strategy to invest in advertisements, plan events, and social media posts using different tools like the internet, and television to spread their message. 

Want to make a career in Sports Management in India?

In this competitive sports management industry, considering a master’s program in sports management can give you an edge. Mumbai-based ISM GLOBE offers a sports management masters program or PGPSM. This eleven-month master’s program helps the students to be exposed globally to international universities, and global brands to understand the dynamics and their functionality to get a pleasing and lucrative career.