Sport is in. The times are long gone when people mainly trained in dusty sports halls or on the football field. Sport has become a lifestyle . Millions of people keep fit in fitness studios and sports clubs and manufacturers of sporting goods generate billions in sales. Large sporting events such as the soccer world championship are meanwhile given the character of a folk festival through joint public viewing .
This poses challenges for the sports industry. There is an urgent need for skilled workers who run sports clubs or develop clever marketing strategies for fitness studios and for manufacturers of sporting goods. In addition, the demand for specialists in the organization of large sporting events is increasing . Degree programs in the field of sports management prepare for precisely these tasks.
The sports management course
In Germany, both universities and technical colleges offer sports management as a subject. For example, the “Spoho”, the German University for Sport in Cologne, is known for this subject area .
In the meantime, various universities even offer dual studies in this area. This offers the opportunity to combine practice and theory and thus optimally prepare for the demands of the job.
The name sport management also suggests the content of the course: The courses combine knowledge from the field of sport science with content from business administration . The universities sometimes have very different priorities. Make sure to compare the various offers with each other before you decide on a particular university!
Bachelor sports management
At the beginning of their bachelor’s degree , students first learn the basics of both subject areas . On the one hand, the curriculum includes subjects such as
- Sports history
- Sports medicine and
- Training science.
On the other hand, the students attend lectures and seminars over
- Marketing
- Human Resources and
- Sports and tax law.
One or the other university also demands physical activity and fitness from its students . Sports such as athletics or gymnastics are definitely on the curriculum.
In the higher semesters, specific topics are increasingly in the foreground for the course, such as
- Management of sports clubs
- Designing marketing strategies for companies in the sports industry or
- Planning and organizing sporting events.
It is possible to start your career immediately after completing your bachelor’s degree. Anyone considering taking on managerial roles at a later date should also acquire a master’s degree.
Master in Sports Management
According to Ehuacom, the Master’s Sport Management continues to combine the content of sport science with that of business administration. The students deepen their knowledge, for example, in areas such as bookkeeping, association law or financial management . Soft skills, such as international competence or knowledge of one or more foreign languages, are becoming increasingly important in the master’s degree.
A few universities check the athletic ability of the applicant in the so-called sports aptitude test . Here the candidates have to prove themselves in around twenty sports. Private universities often carry out their own selection process in the form of a written application and personal interviews. But enthusiasm for sports and fitness alone are not enough for studying. The content of business administration is clearly in the foreground and applicants should also be interested in it. Good math and English skills are an advantage for the course.
Professional fields in sports management
The career opportunities for graduates of the sports management are diverse . For example, you manage sports clubs, manage the finances of fitness chains, work in PR or in event management. In the sporting goods industry, they work in market research, marketing or project management . Advising competitive athletes can also be part of the tasks of a sports manager.
Sports tourism is an ever larger field of work . For example, sports managers organize sports trips or are responsible for marketing in wellness hotels. Even large companies employ sports manager. Be it to increase awareness of the company through sponsorship measures or to keep the employees in the company’s own sports departments fit.
Many graduates become self-employed after a few years of professional experience. As a freelancer , you take on various assignments in the relevant areas or open your own fitness studio or sports school.
Advantages of a semester abroad for sports managers
The sport industry has an international character . Many sporting goods manufacturers sell their products worldwide and when organizing sporting events, sport managers deal with people of all nations. Employers therefore generally expect sports managers to have knowledge of at least one foreign language and the ability to communicate across cultures. One or more semesters abroad train these skills. In addition, the students get to know the international facets of sports management. They not only expand their professional and personal skills, but also have the opportunity to make international contacts and network around the world.
