Do you love college sports and organized competition? With an average annual There are many different kinds of college sports administration jobs that can offer this level of stability. Whether you would like to coach a college team, be a sports program administrator or manage developing athletes, earning an online master’s degree in sport administration can help you develop a lucrative career in an enjoyable field.
Coaching College Sports
For those who would like to work with college athletes directly to improve their performance both independently and as part of a team, coaching can be a fulfilling job. Coaches plan a team’s gameplay strategies and oversee their execution. They can help their teams succeed at the local and national levels, and they can guide players’ professional prospects after college. In addition, coaches have the unique job of helping college students integrate academics and athletics. Coaches provide mentorship and inspiration to student athletes.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of coaches is expected to grow by 26% by the year 2030, much faster than average. With a college sports administration job like this, you can have a direct and positive influence on your athletes in a field that is predicted to have many opportunities.
Sports Administration
A career in sports at a higher administrative level can be another smart move. Professionals at this level deal with the complex aspects of logistics, business practices, finances and management. “Sports managers strive to create programs that are profitable, beneficial to athletes and successful both on and off the field,“ and they are therefore vital to a team or company’s financial health and well. In addition to college sports administration jobs, this path can also offer administrative opportunities with professional teams or leagues as well as private companies like country clubs or fitness centers. Students in an online master’s degree in sports administration program gain the business management experience they need to secure these sought-after jobs.
Although it can be difficult to move directly into the higher ranks of an organization’s administration, there are ways to do so step by step. For instance, many college teams hire administrative assistants to whom the program sometimes offers financial help for graduate degrees. This helps the team develop better-trained, more effective staff while giving employees the knowledge, experience and education they need to advance their careers into higher-level college sports administration jobs.
Sports Agents and Managers
Becoming an athlete’s agent or manager can be another career path in both collegiate and professional sports. Representing athletes as they transition from college sports to professional sports — and even eventually to their own careers in sports administration — can be rewarding and lucrative for both the athlete and the agent or manager. Beyond advocating for the athlete in negotiations, a sports agent or manager will help raise the profile of the athlete through careful marketing. The coursework in the M.S. in Sports Administration online program at Arkansas State focuses on developing each of these skills to help prepare students for these challenges. This career choice is a great one for those who are driven and will go to bat on behalf of their clients.
There are many opportunities for good college sports administration jobs, whether you love basketball, football, soccer or most any other organized sport. Earning a master’s degree in sports administration can help you combine a professional career and your love of sports.
Learn about the Arkansas State University online M.S. in Sport Administration program.