“When you are a player, you think, 'Me! Me! Me!' When you are a manager, you think 'You! You! You!'” -- Arsene Wenger
Sports is no more just a source of entertainment, it has turned into a full – fledged industry that has the capacity to employ a large number of people. Due to the dynamic nature of sports, people from various fields and disciplines become a part of it. One such avenue is in the field of sports administration and player management. Sports Managers are the people who see sports as a business and take care of the financial aspect of running a sport. Sports managers are hired by teams or individuals to look after the professional needs of players and make sure that their career is moving in the right direction. They give their clients the best possible facilities and training.
Player managers or agents as they are often called on the other hand focus more on maintaining an image for the client and getting him the best possible deals and projects. Agents are generally hired by Sportspersons to look after their schedule and contract negotiations amongst many other things. One of their main jobs is to negotiate contract signings and tilt them in the client’s favor.
What do Sports Managers/Agents do?
Sports Managers and Agents together form the managerial side of sports. They deal with their respective clients, advertising agencies, coaches, media, other agents etc. Their main job is to take care of the interest of their client.
When hired by a team, Sports Managers/Agents organize and look after sporting events and see that they benefit the team and the club.
Sports Managers help in developing an organizational structure for the team so that there can be effective communication within the hierarchy. This helps a lot in contract negotiations as well as during media interactions.
Sports Managers/Agents make sure that their client is getting the best possible training and sometimes advise coaches on what training methods to adopt so that their client can perform well on the field.
Sports Managers/Agents deal with the financial aspect of sports as well. They make sure that their client gets the best possible sponsorship and investment deals.
Many Sports Managers/Agents also look after the financial aspects of their client’s careers and find ways for them to increase their financial well – being.
Another important duty of a Sports Manager/Agent is to look after the schedule of their client. They schedule events, meetings and promotions in a way that the client is happy and relaxed.
Sports Managers/Agents work very hard to create and maintain a particular image of their client in front of the media and the public. This image affects the way people perceive the client.
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How to become a Sports Manager/Agent?
As it an upcoming profession, the possibilities and opportunities in the field of Sports Management are good. And as it is a management job, there is considerable financial security.
To become a Sports Manager/Agent, it is important to have a Bachelor’s degree in Management. Though it isn’t necessary, it would help to specialize in sports management at the bachelor level to know about the technicalities of the business before you enter it. Once you have a Sports Management degree, you can either join a Sports Management firm or work individually. You can also choose to graduate with a B.Sc in Physical Education & Sports.
If you plan on becoming a Sports Manager/Agent, a Bachelor’s degree in law can also benefit you greatly. This can be of big help during contract negotiations. If you’ve studied law, you will able to spot even the minutest of hidden clauses that can go against your client.
Another way of becoming a Sports Manager/Agent is to join a Sports Management firm as an intern after you graduate with your bachelor’s degree. You will have to prove to your seniors that you can handle the pressure and deal with big clients. You can slowly climb the ladder of success and eventually become the General Manger of the firm.
You can also become a Sports Manager/Agent through networking. Even though all Sports Managers need to network, the ones who’re really good at it can use it to start their career. As this field does not require any necessary educational qualifications, contacts and negotiation skills are enough to make you really successful.
What are the skills required to become a Sports Manager/Agent?
Most importantly, you need to be in love with the sports and understand the psychology of a sportsperson. If you fail to understand the culture of the sport and the psychology of your client, you’ll never be able to become successful. To know all this you need to have been a fairly good sportsperson yourself even though it might have been at a much smaller level.
You will need to have good managerial skills. Considerable knowledge about sports, recent trends in sports, economics, marketing and finance will be helpful. You will need to use considerable communication and networking skills to just survive in the industry. The more people you know, the better it is. Also, you need to have excellent negotiation skills. These help you massively when you’re trying to swing things in the favor of your client. Another essential requirement is a lot of self confidence to deal with successful and often egoistic celebrity sportspeople. You have to come across as a professional who knows what he is doing otherwise nobody will pay heed to you.
Is this the right career for me?
You will have no holidays as a Sports Manager/Agent. You have to be working during the holiday season, as well as on the weekends. You need to be in touch with a lot of people, as you never know who you might need. Sports Managers/Agents not only lead a hectic life, but do so without any appreciation. A lot of times you have to deal with high profile clients and their unreasonable demands. You should be prepared to deal with media pressure.
But if it is important for you to be a part of the sporting fraternity, if you like being in touch with high profile and famous athletes, and you have the required managerial and interpersonal abilities then this might be just the perfect job for you.