X Careers for Sports Lovers Who Don’t Want To Be Athletes

Many sports fans dream of having a career in the sports industry, however only a few people tend to make it that far when they become professional athletes. There are few opportunities available with immense competition. But that does not mean you cannot have a career in the industry! A career in sports does not always mean being a professional sports player.

Some people may have an injury that prevents them from playing, a lack of athletic ability, or personal opinions. However, that does not mean they cannot have any other career in the same industry.

There are plenty of people who work in the sports industry and are not related to the game. Yet, they play a crucial role in athletes’ success, planning sports events, and the industry’s progress.

Below we will talk about five career options sports lovers can opt for without becoming an athlete.

Manager

Sports managers have a crucial responsibility of ensuring that their team and their sports events are successful. It is a great career choice for people who are business savvy. Sports managers have to look over the operations and business while implementing and evaluating different sports programs.

It includes making sure that they are creating a winning team. Most sports managers must have a bachelor’s degree in a sports major, along with some business experience. However, some people choose to improve their skills and want an increase in employment opportunities. They can do so by acquiring a master’s degree.

They can enroll themselves in an online master’s in sports administration to increase career prospects. After acquiring higher education, they can accomplish other tasks as well. These include monitoring the recruitment, signing, scouting of players, coaches, administrative, and support teams.

Coach

Many famous coaches do not have a professional sports background. Coaches such as Arsene Wenger never played yet achieved immense success in his career. Most of them start from the very basics and slowly become qualified to learn coaching skills that help improve players’ progress.

In the beginning, they assist the head coaches, learn from them, and then start coaching solo once they have plenty of experience. The primary role of coaches is to train players before their games.

They have to teach rules, honesty, responsibility strategies, and sportsmanship in every game. Coaches must also ensure their players are active and are regularly practicing to stay in shape before a tournament.

Physiotherapist

A physiotherapist or a sports therapist ensures all the players are healthy and fit to play. To be a physiotherapist, you must have a doctorate in physical therapy and a license to practice medicine. Sports therapists have to treat and manage injuries players face on or off the field, along with helping patients with pain or mobility problems.

The treatment involves them to help the players regain full fitness and form so that they can quickly play again. The therapists that stay committed to their work advise their patients on exercise, diet, and overall wellness.

Most of the physiotherapists work in sports clinics. However, big teams hire their own medical team. If you work full-time for a sports team, the pay will be fruitful. However, you will also have to put in the extra hours and effort.

Umpire

Umpires or referees play a crucial role in ensuring fair gameplay. For any sport, umpires officiate at games to maintain the standards and rules of the game. They also look after penalties, scores, and time. They will also usually check the sports equipment to ensure it is not faulty. Being an umpire is not an easy job.

You have to make quick decisions instantly, know the rules of a particular sport in and out and be physically fit. Not all referees make it to the big leagues. They have to start from the bottom and go through immense hard work to succeed.

It will require days of memory retention of the game rules, along with fitness training. However, if you reach a certain level of experience and qualification, where you officiate for major leagues, you will have a rewarding compensation.

Statistician

Due to the rise in data analytic jobs, sports statisticians are now an essential part of any sports team. Statisticians gather data and then use different formals and mathematical models to provide insights on players and team performance. The win or lose predictions of a team, for example, is the job of a sports statistician to calculate.

The findings assess the players’ performance and determine the strengths and weaknesses of the other team. The new information goes to athletes who make different game strategies from it.

Journalists and news reporters also use this information to report performance and competitions. The career is best for people who have a degree in mathematics or statistics and can analyze data.

Final Thoughts

All the careers listed above are high-paying jobs in the sports industry. These job prospects make it easier for sports lovers to follow their passion without playing the sport. They will be just as involved with the players, and these jobs play a huge role in determining the team’s success.