It’s a fact. You can be a great athlete, but not be drafted to play professionally after college. Choosing a career that allows you to stay close to the game and express your love of sports will give you the best of both worlds. Every month SAO will highlight a sports related career. This month’s spotlight is on:

Sports Management Consultant (Strategic Planning)

A sports management consultant in charge of strategic planning will be responsible for working with team managers, athletic program directors or others involved in sports to develop long term strategic goals for the organization, team or even sport as a whole. A sports management consultant is usually someone that has a great deal of personal experience within the particular sport that then uses this personal knowledge to assist in the development of a plan for the sport or team for continued success.

The sports management consultant usually starts by working with the managers, owners or coaches of the team or organization to determine the direction that they would like to see the team move. This may include how to better promote the organization, how to increase the appeal to athletes, or how to education the public about the team or organization. The sports management consultant then drafts a proposal based on the needs of the team or organization and their own knowledge of the sport and current trends in the sport.

The sports management consultant then presents the report to the clients and discusses specific recommendations. Usually a sports management consultant will also do some follow-up to ensure that the consultation covered all aspects of the issue as originally defined by the clients. The sports management consultant may also meet with various boards or outside agencies
to assist with development of the overall plan or marketing proposal.

Common work activities include:

• Networking and marketing their services to various sports organizations locally, nationally or internationally.
• Managing multiple projects at one time and working with other consultants, financial advisors or strategic planners to develop the most comprehensive report possible.
• Researching and keeping abreast of current changes within the sport and within sports development and marketing.
• Hiring, training and management of other staff in the agency if applicable.
• Entering into contracts and agreements with sports teams, agencies or organizations to complete strategic planning.
• Meeting with stakeholders to determine the direction the strategic plan is to take.
• Writing and developing a strategic plan based on the needs of the sports organization.
• Presenting reports to various groups, management teams or boards to provide information on the strategic plan proposed.

Sports Agent

A sports agent works to market an athlete or products that are related to that athlete to promote the athlete's career within his or her given sport. This means that the sports agent is responsible for meeting with team owners, managers, coaches and other individuals to promote the athlete that they represent. Much of a sports agent's day is spent networking, talking with other professionals in the sport and keeping abreast of current trends and information that may affect decisions that the agent recommends to the athlete.

In team and individual sports the agent works to negotiate contracts that are in the best interest of the athlete. This usually means getting a better salary, making provisions for injuries, or taking other options in lieu of salary increases. The sports agent makes recommendations to the athlete as to which option is best for him or her or which options are better over the long-term as opposed to just short-term benefits.

A sports agent must be knowledgeable about investments, business management, financial and risk analysis, as well as about the particular sport and the trends in the sport. Staying up-to-date on sports investment and market changes is critical for a sports agent. Excellent communication and negotiation skills are required for this position as is a high level of motivation and an ability to work long hours at the bargaining table. Often sports agents will be in constant contact with the athlete and coaches during negotiations and may have several negotiations on the table at one time. The ability to multitask is essential for a sports agent.

Sports Writer

A sports writer has the responsibility to both entertain and inform people about issues occurring in the world of sports. Some sports writers focus on one particular sport whereas others write on all sports within a given area. Some sports are syndicated or published in more than one newspaper and others may write for a local newspaper even for a website, blog, magazine, or TV show.

Sports writers may work freelance and sell individual stories to various news or they may work for a given publication. Those sports writers that do freelance work choose their sporting events to cover, whereas those that work for a publication are usually assigned stories. Both types of sports writers have to be able to capture the excitement and interest of the reader as well as provide an accurate depiction of the sporting event or issue that they are writing on.

A sports writer must be willing to work long hours and still make dead- lines for publication. Most writers now use computer word processing programs that make editing and revising a bit easier, and also allows for submissions by email to meet tight deadlines. Creativity, a very complete understanding of the sport, good rapport with athletes, coaches, and managers as well as an ability to write are all important for a sports writer. An interest in news as well as keeping up to date on all issues with regard to the sports community is also important on a daily basis.

Information on this career was obtained from:

www.jobprofiles.org/artssportswriter.htm