By Team NSHM | Jul 1, 2020

Surprising Realities of a Sports Manager’s Job


Being a Sports Manager is much more than just a glamourous PR job. While the aspects of any talent management job remains in the setting up of press conferences, negotiating endorsements and promoting the team members, a sports manager needs a more varied skillset than that. They also have to the know ins-and-outs of the sport itself, business and law to be able to do their team justice. This is why sports teams often employ people with business or law degrees to be sports managers, often only sticking to graduates of specialized sports management MBAs and Masters. Here are some of the lesser known aspects of being a sports manager:

Scheduling: Time management and balance are vital in managing any kind of talent, especially those in the public eye, like sports teams. But managing the scheduling of a sports team isn’t quite as easy.

  • One needs to have an intimate knowledge the sports business, the sport itself and the physiology of the sportspersons involved.
  • While the scheduling meetings, appearances and practices all have to be balanced, the sports manager needs to keep special track of how much practice vs. rest and recovery time their team is getting.
  • They often need to do this whilst accounting for individual team members as well.

That makes this job not only one that requires administrative prowess and a good relationship with sports facility personally, businesses and media, but also knowledge of sports, physiology and psychology.

Legalities & Negotiation: A big part of management of sports teams involves managing contracts. This includes but is not restricted to

  • negotiating endorsements and appearances for the team and players
  • working out the players’ contracts with the team
  • other specific legal requirements as maybe
  • Work out compensation clauses in the event that a sports injury leads to the end of a player’s career. Planning their financial well-being is also a concern for the sports manager.

It’s a careful balance of figuring out what’s best for the players as well as ensuring a good deal for the owners of the team. A good sports manager is one, that can ensure a good career for the team & the players.

Insurance: Insurance issues are a crucial part of managing a sports team. In a field where injuries are a common occurrence, insurance for the most valuable players is a prime component of business costs. This has lead to career-specific health insurance for player’s own security and smooth functioning of the team. Sports managers need to scrutinize every detail, making sure that any mishaps that might happen during their tenure are covered. So more than just the fun and flair for the game, there is more to team management than what meets the eye. This is one of the most demanding professions in sports today and needs quick thinking and great negotiation skills. To learn the ropes for team management, there are new courses that teach you all the basics to start a career in this line. One of these is BBA Sports Management at NSHM Knowledge Campus.

This is one of the most demanding profession in sports today and needs quick thinking and great negotiation skills. To learn the ropes for team management, there are new courses that teach you all the basics to start a career in this line. One of these is BBA Sports Management at NSHM Knowledge Campus. Explore your eligibility here