How to Become a Sports Person / Sports Manager

About Sports Person / Sports Manager

Every second individual has an inclination towards sports. At one point in time, we all wanted to become a sports person. For many of us, becoming a sports person is to become a cricketer, a footballer, a basketball player, a wrestler, a soccer or a skater, etc. But we never thought of exploring the other side of becoming a sports person. This is a fascinating side that offers a number of job opportunities to young professionals. Be it to become a cricketer, an announcer or a sports manager, all the possible sectors are available here to allow us to avail benefits from the different job opportunities offered.

Let’s know more about the different opportunities available as a sports person and read in detail the eligibility criteria required for becoming a sports person along with the different job profiles and the salary scale it offers. The article also shares the pros and cons of becoming a sports person and the different companies that can be checked from the job perspective.  

Eligibility to become Sports Person / Sports Manager

If you wish to have a prosperous career in the sports industry then you must know how to become a sports person. The answer to this question is given in detail in the below-mentioned pointers. In order to become a sportsperson, you first need to take admission in a reputed and affiliated sports institution. Now the admission to these institutions will be either done directly or through an entrance exam. Candidates must know that the institutions conducting entrance exam will judge candidates in three stages mainly comprising of Written Test, Physical Test (efficiency) and Personal Interview. Scroll down to know the details related to the eligibility criteria required to take admission in sports institutions.  

Subject Combination – Any Stream in 10+2 

Exam – SMAT and other Institutional Entrance Exams

Eligibility –

• A basic requirement is to have a 10+2 passing certificate with a minimum of 50% total aggregate from a recognised institution.
• A student can pursue any stream in 10+2.
• Involvement of candidates in sports activities can act a plus point for the admission in bachelor or master degree.
• To take admission in graduation level course candidates need to produce 10 and 10+2 mark sheet at the time of admission along with scorecard of entrance exam, if conducted by the institution. Scorecard of SMAT can also be accepted in some colleges and universities.
• If you want to pursue a post graduation course then mark sheets of 10+2 and graduation level along with the entrance exam score card, will be asked at the time admission.
• Sports activity certificates should also be carried by candidates at the time of admission.

Types of Job Roles Sports Person / Sports Manager

From management sector to the education sector, it is everywhere that a professionally trained sportsperson can fit in. There are about seven different sportsperson job profiles, that can be opted by the aspirants. Check these job profiles, choose the one that suits best to you and start preparing for it from the grass root level.

Sports Manager: A Sports Manager is the one who manages the business related to the sports and the players. Functions of a sports manager include finalizing sports deals, handling media relations, looking after promotions and organising events for the sports company or the athlete/s they are associated with.

Sports Coaches: These professionals are the ones who coach the athletes to perfection and make them ready to play on the ground. They train the amateur to become a professional of the future. A Sports Coach teaches the basic skills to play the game along with the rules and regulations that must be followed while playing a certain game.

Sports Teacher: As the name denotes, it deals with the teaching sector. Sports Teachers are responsible for disseminating the theoretical knowledge to their students. These can be the students of a school, college or sports academy.

Sports Community Manager: The work of a Sports Community Manager is to manage the social platform of the organisation or the athlete/s. The professional must be tech-savvy and have an interest in social media. Managing communication platforms and media marketing strategies are the main roles played by the sports community manager.

Sports Finance Manager: A Sports Finance Manager is a job profile designed mainly for the candidates of the finance sector. These professionals are the ones who are responsible to handle the financial aspects of a sports company. They look after the financial needs, produce financial reports, work on activities related to direct investment and find out the source of financial growth.

Sports Coordinator: These are the professionals accountable for developing the strategical relationships between a sports company and the athlete/s. They also look after the existing and new sports programmes and coordinate with the other managers to produce a successful event.

Sports Event Manager: The role of a Sports Event Manager is to plan and operate tournaments and events related to sports. They also look after customer relation management and event marketing and mainly focus on on-ground sports activities. These managers can also serve to be a bridge between a sports company and an athlete.

Employment Opportunities for Sports Persons/ Sports Manager

Availability of employment opportunities in the sports industry is immense. Different sectors offer good jobs to the professionals graduated from this stream. To know the employment opportunities for sports person candidates must also understand the kind of task each sector offers. Mentioned below is a list of different sectors and industries offering job opportunities to the sportspersons and sports managers. The list includes the following:

• Ministries of State and Center
• Governmental Organisations
• Sports Management Houses
• Sports Finance Companies
• Recruitment Agencies
• Education Industry
• Consultancies
• Product and Service Providers

Top Recruiting Companies for Sports Person / Sports Manager

Goals can be accomplished only when they are routed well and in the right direction. Studying from a good institution is just the first step towards a successful career. The second and the most important step is to get associated with a good, reputed and recognized organisation. In order to do so, you can check out the list of top recruiting companies for sportspersons and sports managers and select the one according to your choice. The list mentions the names of the companies from all possible spheres where job opportunities for sportspersons are available.

• Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports
• Board of Control for Cricket in India
• International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF)
• Indian Hockey Federation
• Rhiti Sports Management Private Limited
• SV Edusports Pvt. Ltd
• SRI Consultancy
• GoSporto
• School Sports Company
• Sports Gurukul LLP

Pay Scale/Salary of Sports Person / Sports Manager

The different job roles define the pay scale of a sports person. The amount paid to a Cricketer will be completely different to the amount paid to a Sports Manager. The pay scale also differs from one organisation to the other. Given below are the sportspersons’ salary that can be referred to as an assumption of the actual pay scale.

Note: The figures mentioned above are an approximate estimate and may vary from one organisation to the other organisation.

Books & Study Material to Become Sports Person / Sports Manager

Aspirants planning for Sports Management or Physical Education programme must know about the course and the sports they are about to purse. It is very important for candidates to read about top sports person, their achievements and their understanding of sports. This will help candidates to know about the diversities, challenges, advantages and disadvantages of becoming a sports person. These books will enlighten the thought process of the candidates and will help them in selecting the right field, in the right way, for the right purpose. These inspirational books will also serve to be the best books and study materials for preparation of becoming a good sportsperson of India. Mentioned below are top books recommended for the aspirants of sports.

• Playbook for Success: A Hall of Famer's Business Tactics for Teamwork and Leadership by Nancy Lieberman.
• In My Skin: My Life On and Off the Basketball Court by Brittney Griner
• The Race of my Life by Milkha Singh
• Playing it my way by Sachin Tendulkar & Boria Majumdar
• Born Again on the Mountain by Arunima Sinha
• Straight from the Heart; Cricket, My Style by Kapil Dev
• No Limits: The Will to Succeed by Michael Phelps
• The Business of Sports Management by John Beech and Simon Chadwick
• Exercise and Sports Science by Donald T. Kirkendall
• Financial Management in the Sports Industry by Matthew T. Brown

Pros of becoming a Sports Person / Sports Manager

• It is one of the most interesting job profile as all you need to do is to play your favorite sports for your country.
• The pay scale of a sports personnel is good as compared to other job profiles.
• You get to travel to different places, so if you like traveling then do try for this job profile.
• You get a social profile that everyone desires for.
• As a sports person, you get the power to decide for yourself, to play or not to play will completely be your call.
• If you are in to the management section of the sports industry, then you will get the chance to meet and work with your favorite sports person.
• It is a job that helps you to learn a new thing every day.   

Cons of becoming a Sports Person / Sports Manager

• Once you are famous you will not have a personal life. Everything personal will automatically become social in every possible sphere of social platforms.
• Sometimes traveling can be painful and exhaustive.
• Playing a game is not always interesting. There a number of situations when you will have to play under pressure.
• Management and financial aspects of the sports industry can become controversial and offensive in a number of situations.
• A wrong decision can ruin your career as a sports person.