The sports industry is one of the biggest industries out there presently. It could be for a number of reasons such as the entertainment it brings or because it can serve as a great leisure activity. With that being said, those who thoroughly enjoy sports may have decided to pursue a career in that sector or be thinking about doing so. If you’re one of them then you should know that there are a number of niches that you can delve into within the sports sector. If you’re in need of some useful tips to help you along your journey, you’re going to find a number in the following article.
· Explore Your Passion
The first tip for pursuing a career in sports is to explore your passion. As with any career, you want to do something that you have an interest in. Having said that, sit and think about what your favorite aspects of sports are and what excites you. Are you passionate about working with people or do you like the events side of things? To find your true passion, explore different sports-related activities. You could also try and do some research and make a note of the areas of sports that seem to really ignite something inside of you.
· Explore Career Paths
Once you’ve been able to find out what you’re passionate about, the next logical step would be matching that to a career in sports. If you’ve done the research suggested in the previous tip, then you may have gotten to the point of writing down a few. Here is a couple that you could think about trying.
Personal Trainer: One career path that you can add to your list of potential careers is becoming a personal trainer. This can prove to be a physically and emotionally rewarding path as you can choose to train athletes or everyday people with fitness goals. To pursue a career as a personal trainer, you could do a distance learning fitness course so that you get the right certification and then choose to look for work in a gym or go freelance.
Sports Journalist: For those who have discovered that commentating and sports reporting is more of their interest, becoming a sports journalist may be a better path to take. You should have industry knowledge, research skills, as well as an ability to connect with sports fans. Watch enough TV, read enough sports-related news and make sure you remain current to set yourself on the right path.
Sports Nutritionist: Have you ever thought about who keeps your favorite players in good shape and ensures they’re eating the right foods? Some of them likely have nutritionists who help them develop positive eating habits so that they can perform at their optimum. In order to become a nutritionist, study a degree in nutrition or dietetics so that you have the right foundation. You could then go on to get a postgraduate degree and the right work experience.
Massage Therapist: Athletes are usually prone to getting injured by accidents that occur while playing or working out. One of the people that help them recover and get back into good shape is a massage therapist. To become one, you’d need good listening and communications skills so that you can help your client with symptoms. You could also choose to take a course so that you get more in-depth knowledge or certifications that give you an edge.
· Use Your Skills
When choosing any career path, in addition to choosing something that you’re passionate about, you should also choose a career that you’re skilled in. Although skills can be developed, focusing on your strong areas can help you progress a lot quicker. To identify your strongest skills or areas of competencies, think about what you’re undeniably good at. It could be communicating with others, managing projects, leadership or writing. Knowing your strong areas should help you choose the right career.
· Network
Aside from the mentioned, networking is another must if you want to make it in the sports industry. It can be relatively competitive, so knowing the right people should help you climb up the career ladder faster.
If you need a few networking tips, one is to have a strategy which helps outline what you want to achieve through networking. Are you trying to generate referrals or learn new things and gain new skills? Aside from having a strategy, get out of your comfort zone and attend the right events which will help you meet the people you’re targeting. When you meet people, following up is also essential if you want to maintain fruitful and healthy relationships.
· Get Educated
Not every career path in sports needs education, but there are some that do. Choosing the right education path is imperative as it could help you get the knowledge you need to succeed as well as help you get a better job or clients. A degree may be the right path for you. Weigh out your options and make sure that getting a degree is worthwhile or whether working your way up would be better for you.
· Look for Experience
The last tip that you should take on board when pursuing a career in sports would be to get the right experience. Many people could have saved themselves a significant amount of time and money if they would simply test the waters before jumping in. Look for ways that you can intern or volunteer in the niche you’re thinking about before making any final decisions. If, for instance, you want to become a massage therapist, see if you can find one of the best companies to work for or speak to a seasoned massage therapist to find out what your day-to-day activities would be.
Making the decision to pursue a career in sports could be one of the best that you make. In light of this, try to avoid procrastination and take the right steps towards making your dream a reality. Following some of the tips above could get you closer to reaching that end.
