Career Opportunities in the Sports Industry In Europe (1)

The Sports Industry in Europe is an untapped niche. Beyond the athletes that do the business on the pitch and the court. There are so many other key players in the sector that stay in the background and behind the scenes to make sure that the sports industry is growing rapidly. 

The global sports market is expected to reach $5799.9 billion by 2025, a figure that is expected to rise to $826.0 billion by 2030. 

With the huge influx of cash in the industry, the industry needs a sturdy mechanism that ensures that athletes, fans, clubs, teams, coaches and everyone involved in sports development get the best out of the sports both on the pitch and off it. 

There are career opportunities one can pursue in Europe as regards the sports industry and they include: 

Sports Agent 

A sports agent is that guy that negotiates contracts between an athlete and a sports team. It’s a rewarding career that entails helping athletes plan their careers and attain their goals through good decision making. 

The agent is expected to scrutinise deals and make sure it favours the athletes. Sports teams deal directly with agents of players. Sports agents facilitate talks with interested parties using what their clients have to offer as leverage. They try to sell their clients the most potent quality and what they bring on board. 

Jorge Mendes

PC: Irish times

To become a sports agent you should get certified by the player or league associations, these certificates vary among leagues. 

You can also enrol in sports management programs to become an agent. A sports agent must have the following skills: networking, salesmanship, data collection, negotiating, promotion, knowledge of their clients’ sports 

Popular sports agents include Jorge Mendes, Jonathan Barnett, Ton Condon, and Todd France. Sports Agents is a luxury career that allows you to help young people aspiring to have a career in sports live their best lives. 

Sports Journalism

Sports journalists cover sports events and produce content for public consumption. You can be an independent sports journalist or you can work for a media house. Sports journalists attend press conferences, record documentaries, give opinions, cover live games and add glamour to sporting activities. A sports journalist needs to be a good communicator essentially, you have to be a good writer and an outspoken fellow to thrive. Sports Journalists are responsible for drafting the game statistics. Sports content is the ‘new oil’ in the content creation industry and all media platforms (newspapers, radio, magazines. Television, and websites) are all queen into it. 

A sports journalist should have the capacity to build relationships, be creative, possess excellent writing and verbal communication skills, have excellent research abilities and should also have an in-depth knowledge of the sports business in the industry that he is operating. 

A good journalism portfolio is essential as it indicates the various skills and experiences that make you fit for the job. As a student on campus in Europe, you can start your sports journalism career campus by reporting sporting events on campus for campus newspapers, you can also do it independently on your own. 

The best part of sports journalism is that you don’t need a journalism degree to get in. You need to have a good knowledge of the sports, then possess the knowledge of media ethics and codes of the organization you walk in.

Sports Lawyer 

Sports lawyers provide legal advice to athletes, intermediaries and teams primarily regarding contractual matters ( employments, representations, transfer and image rights agreements) and defending clients’ interests before the court and sports tribunals. 

Sports lawyers resolve conflict disputes, handle false accusations, speak to the media on behalf of their clients, provide legal advice to clients, represent clients in court, help clients understand endorsement deals, offer dual representation as agents and take care of other legal matters as must have agreed with the clients 

To become a sports lawyer you need to have a law degree and also attend law school. A sports lawyer in Europe can work as a permanent employee representing the interest of the sports team.  Asides from that, Sports lawyers hold diverse positions in the sports law field. They can teach sports law in the universities, they can also engage in private practice.

Sports lawyers prevent their organization and clients from making legal mistakes that can cost them. Sports lawyers hold diverse positions in the sports law field. They can teach in the universities, they can also practice on their own.

Scouts

Scouts are talent hunters that travel extensively to watch athletes play their chosen sports while they assess their attributes and skill set to know if they will be the right fit for their team. Sports scouts don’t just write notes, they engage in a lot of research. They engage with Athletes and their families on the prospects of taking them to their teams. They also debrief the organization they work for on their findings. Sports teams have scouts that work exclusively for them. Sports teams that want to stay ahead of their competitors invest so much in the recruitment of scouts and provide the right environment for them to thrive. Scouting helps sports teams increase their global reach through scouting. 

Scouting can either be tactical scouting or talent hunting based on the attributes of the player.  To become a sports scout in Europe you have to undergo training to have an idea of what is required of you