Sport a Chance

If you can’t make it as a player in the world of sports, you can always contribute by getting into sports management. This is one side of sports that helps to plan, supervise and organise all sorts of sporting activities on domestic and international levels.

All tournaments of cricket, hockey, football, basketball and other sports events that we get to see are brought to us through the hard work of the sports management team. Although the work may sound simple it has many things associated with it which requires an individual to seek training in the field. Various institutes in India have set up sports management courses with the aim of training individuals in different aspects related with the field. The primary focus is on developing leadership qualities and the ability to coach sportsmen from various sporting activities.

Sports Management is a new and emerging concept in India and has made a good beginning. Indian sports, over the years, were plagued by lack of professionalism, misuse of power and political influence etc. Of late, things are changing with the introduction of professionalism in our sports.

Qualifications

Individual is required to complete graduation in any discipline with 40 per cent marks. Bachelors in Physical Education or any other sports will be an added advantage.

Need for Management

Recent years have scene an increasing number of people taking up sports management as a serious career option. The media explosion has helped to popularise various sports and as a result the amount of investment in the sports industry has increased. This has made sports management into a lucrative career option.

Career opportunities

An increasing amount of money is being invested into the sports industry these days. A job as a sports manager in a reputed sports management team like Tigers from India is a very lucrative job. Individuals trained in sports management can also work as personal managers and agents for players. Clubs, hotels, gymnasiums and sport centres also hire such people.

There is also a growing hub of opportunity on the international level for sports managers. Even educational institutes require the services of trained professionals in the field. Sports management seems to be a decent career option in today’s times.

Scope in India

One can join Tiger Sports Management as a sports manager conducting various tournaments and communicating with the press. One can also be the personal manager or agents of renowned players who do PR work, career enrichment and get the brand endorsement assignments. Many private and Government institutes require sports managers to supervise the sports activities. Even club hotels, resorts recruit sports managers to manage their gymnasiums and sports centres.

Scope Abroad

International companies like Globosports, World Tel Sports, International Management Group are key players who look after the public relation and brand endorsements of renowned players of the world.

If he/she is armed with a bachelors degree in physical education degree coupled with a postgraduate diploma in sports management, one can teach sports pedagogy abroad and work as a sports supervisor in various clubs.

University of Lougborough, University of Wales and University of Bath in London provide job opportunities in sports management.

Areas of stress

The courses on sports management in India stress upon the following principles:

• Social and ethical relevance of sports management
• Sponsorship, marketing and merchandise of sports
• Inter-relationship between finance and sports
• Communication with the electronic and print media
• Knowledge about sports law on contracts and drug use
• Ethics in sports organizations

Where to study

• Alagappa University, Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu, offers one-year Post Graduate Diploma in Sports Management (PGDSM).
• Indira Gandhi Institute of Physical Education and Sports Science, New Delhi, offers a one-year PGDSM.
• Amity School of Physical Studies and Sports Sciences, Noida Uttar Pradesh, offers a one-year PGDSM.