Okay, I think I'm about 90% sure that I'm going to college for Sports Management. I'm gonna go to a local community college for free, to get the basics out of the way. After that, (my girlfriend, who is a sophomore this year) will have graduated, and we'll figure out a good college for the two of us to go to. Anyways, I'm planning on transferring to finish out my degree, but I have some questions... Okay, first of all, for this type of degree, how much weight would the school you graduated from hold in getting the better job? (From what I've heard, I guess schools are mostly how you get a job, so I guess that can be abig factor?) Secondly, how hard is it to actually land a decent job in this field? Thirdly, I think I'm gonna try and get a major in either broadcasting, physical education, or marketing. Which, in your opinion, would open more job opportunies for me? I know some people will probably see this as lazy on my part, or question me as to how I can be ready to go into this career field when I have all these questions, but I'm just trying to get opinions, and maybe a few facts. Thanks for the help!
Few tips of advice... 1. Don't wait around or go to a school because of a girl. 2. College is where you're supposed to find out what you want to do and what you're interested in. Deciding before you even take a class in it is dumb. 3. Good luck.
What exactly do you want to do? Management like.. front office stuff? If that's what you mean, I don't think broadcasting etc would be of help.. or anything necessarily athletic related at all.. if you are talking actual business management.. or are you talking about something that actually is sports related.. like for grad school etc I was told if ever wanted to do like executive for a team.. better off getting an MBA than some other specific sports related degree
Yep. Yep. and Yep. The college decision is mostly about it being no cost whatsoever the first year. As an added bonus, I'll still be hanging around town.
Ideally, I'd like to work a front office job, or even a sports marketing job somewhere with a professional sports team.
Then I think you should be worried about business related industries.. because the theory is if you are a good management person.. you can manage anything.. I don't think PE or broadcasting will do you any good... last I checked most vice presidents for teams etc didn't need to know anything about physical education or broadcasting.
In other words, I think you are making the mistake of thinking that anything related to sports is the best way to get into them.. For instance.. if I wanted to be the accountant for a computer company, I wouldn't take classes on how to build computers, I'd take accounting classes.. If i wanted to be an executive for a sports team, id take things to help me to become an executive.. not something random just because it relates to sports.. I don't see broadcasting as beneficial to being a sports executive... marketing classes.. stuff like that more so..
Getting into the sports field is 90% "who you know," unfortunately. I'd suggest trying to obtain internships with various teams during your summers. Also, back in college, I volunteered for the local college radio station, broadcasting sports scores and representing Texas (i.e. getting insulted by New Yorkers) in the weekly sports panel show. I also volunteered at the local YMCA. Extracurricular activities help, as experience is so much better than some sports management class you took in school.
Go to blogmaverick dot com (Mark Cuban's weblog) and read his piece on majoring in sports management from a couple of months ago. He's very negative about the idea, saying that instead you should get really good at something else (finance, accounting, marketing, sales, etc) and then try to use that to get into the sports industry. It was an interesting read.
Get a finance degree...and get a minor or added emphasis..or whatever...in marketing. Make kick ass grades. Go to law school. Many if not most of the top executives in professional sports have law degrees, even if they never were attorneys.
bigtexx.. my sports econ professor (who is a pretty big expert), was saying something similiar. He was particularly talking about his opinion is instead of getting some grad degree in sports management you should just go the route of an MBA etc. Don't necessarily need to take things that limit you to sports. In other words, your major/grad degree don't actually have to be related to sports. I'm an economics major, and actually would love to front office work for a sports team one day... (rockets, texans, astros, one day).. Really need to locate an internship for this summer though.. madmax.. I was actually discussing last night with someone the idea of getting a law degree, not so much to practice law... but for use in other jobs. I wasn't quite sure if it would be worth it or not, but you seem to think it may be. Maybe I should have gotten something law related to do this summer, just to see if it's something I'd like at all. Someone was telling me I could probably find work (like legal aid) to do in the summer.
Sorry Eddie, looks like you're screwed...remember to ask your tables if they want dessert when they finish their meals.
I was advised to not get a masters in sports management. That you'd be better off just getting an MBA.. and if you look at some of the top people they have MBA
I'm a first year Sport Admin major at Miami, which just received full NASSM approved membership this year. Of course I'm skeptical that it's going to help me greatly considering the fact that most (if not ALL) sports agents have either their MBA or law degrees. If I was trying to be an agent (no clue what I would like to be: agent, work with a team, work within an athletic department, etc) I would want a law or business master's degree instead of a Sport Management/Administration only because you can do so much more with an MBA or law degree. I'm more inclined to think I would get a law degree instead of business, if only because law degrees do encompass business aspects to some extent. And if worse comes to worse, you still have an MBA or a law degree that you could use anywhere. Tulane has a great Sports Law masters, but I don't know the details about it. I still don't know what I want to do, and one of the reasons I chose Miami was because there was a major that I was interested in. If I ended up going to NYU or Tulane or Georgia, as great as the schools are, I would be 100% undecided. Experience is the best thing and pretty much the only thing that will help you get a job that you want in sports. I waited too late to apply for the internships I was interested in, but I called the U of Alabama's AD last week about seeing if I could do some type of volunteer or intern work (even though they don't have a internship program). Even if it's just stapling papers, sending faxes, and answering phones, the experience of working in a major sports environment and having that on a resume will help so much. My major also has a mandatory internship "course" during my senior year, in which the school helps to get internships for the students; I'm hoping for the Heat.
mr mooch.. did you have any luck with asking the Athletic department? I'm still trying to find something to do this summer.
Actually I'm calling back tomorrow; without an actual program it makes it easier/more difficult. Considering I've waited so long to not apply for other internships, this is something where I can almost make my own "internship". I figure that, especially over the summer, they can use help and it's not as hectic so that I might be able to actually get more in-depth experience. It may be more difficult because there is no actual program. When I called up the first time they weren't exactly sure who to transfer me to (I called the main line because I was debating whether or not to send in my pathetic resume with letter of intent to the main office, a specific division (marketing, sales, public relations, human resources) or to just call up ask and then send it in (if they request). Besides, most summer internships offered through teams (like the Rockets, Knicks, Astros) or major corporations (Nike, CBS Sports) only allow for upperclassmen to apply and I question how much I could actually learn from a carved and crafted internship, from which I understand aren't too exciting, but they are starts. For instance, a summer internship at David Letterman predominately involves seating the audience and getting them loud and laugh at Dave's stupid stupid jokes (Call me a hater; I just don't find him funny anymore). And if it doesn't work out I'll just take 3 or 4 general requirement classes (English Lit, Accounting, and another Science credit) and get them out of the way so I can have more time for either a more breathable schedule or work toward an undetermined second minor (my advisor suggested Leadership...haha....HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHA...no way). But yeah, I'll post an update of what they say later in the day.
king .. good point. I plan on doing as much networking as possible.. through friends, alumni, whoever
This is not something to be excited about. You dont want to be the creepy guy at parties that people point and comment about...."Didnt that guy graduate like 2 years ago?" "what the hell is he still doing here.
