How exciting would it be to work in a fast-paced sports management environment, one where your leadership skills and business knowledge were applied to the athletic arena?

If sports are your passion, follow your heart to sports management colleges and discover a career in the center of the action.

Sports Management Programs
In July 2008, the Commission on Sport Management Accreditation (COSMA) replaced the Sport Management Program Review Council (SMPRC) to accredit sports management degree programs. Currently, 94 bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs in sports management have been approved by SMPRC and are therefore recognized by COSMA. Click here for a list of accredited sports management programs.

Sports management programs offer a strong foundation in accounting, finance, communications, ethics, management, marketing, and the legal aspects of business. Sports management courses provide an understanding of the role of sports in society, the role of management in sports, and the opportunities to apply your knowledge in sports-related organizations.

In short, sports management colleges help you hone the conceptual, managerial, and practical skills you need to become a sports manager. These programs blend general management skills with skills specific to the demands of managing sports organizations.  

Sports Management Courses
Most sports management programs include required courses in sports marketing, which cover advertising, licensing, location, market research, market segmentation, pricing, promotions, public relations, and sponsorships. Courses on contemporary issues in sports are foundational to sports management programs as well. These courses deal with child and adult programs, economics, gender inequity, globalization, human growth hormones, management structures, media involvement, performance-enhancing drugs, and race and ethnicity.

Sports finance courses are also essential to sports management colleges, covering the financial challenges facing the profession, budgeting and financial statements, sources of funding, economic impact analysis, and pros and cons of using public sector funds. Elective sports management courses may include the history of sports, psychology of sports, sociology of sports, sports law, and Olympic culture.

Sports Management Experience
But sports management colleges offer more than academic knowledge. You'll have the opportunity to take practical courses in event coordinating, sponsorship, and community relations. In these courses, many of which are market-driven and boast corporate partnerships, you will work with organizations in the sports industry to enhance your hands-on experience.

Plus, sports management colleges allow you to put your skills to the test outside the classroom through practical field trips and real-world internships or mentorships. These experiences solidify your understanding of the business of sports as well as your professional connections in the sports world.

Sports Management Careers                                              
With training from sports management colleges, the field is wide open with career opportunities. You may choose to pursue a career in athletic training, fitness instructing, coaching, dance instructing, health club management, and more. Depending on your specialty and preference, you may look for work in fitness centers, sports clinics, athletic clubs, sports and entertainment centers, adult care facilities, or weight reduction facilities. You may even choose to pursue a specialty in golf or turf management.

What are you waiting for? Get off the sidelines and take charge of the action with a career in sports management.