By Geetika Vasudeva:
Does the sophistication of the management world and rawness associated with sports attract you? Well, you are looking at the right space then. Here’s a course that will make use of both, your managerial abilities and passion for sports. Sports management is steadily gaining popularity as an alternative career path among the youth. And the ongoing Commonwealth turmoil has also accentuated the lack of managers in the field of sports.
The institutes in India provide a one year diploma in sports management. The course essentially provides a student with the holistic knowledge of organizing a sports event. Not only does it make the student learn the art of planning and execution, but also equips him with the practical knowledge related to garnering sponsorships and marketing. Along with instilling the organizational skills, the course makes the students capable of becoming a personal manager for players, which basically involves handling the PR activities and endorsements of the player.
The following institutes provide Post Graduate Diploma in Sports Management (PGDSM):-
1. Indira Gandhi Institute of Physical Education and Sports Science, New Delhi.
Eligibility: Bachelor’s degree in any discipline with a minimum of 40%. The college provides 50 seats. The application process starts in the month of June and ends in July.
2. Alagappa University, Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu
Eligibility: Students with a Bachelor’s degree in Physical Education and an NIS diploma are eligible for the course.
Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad(IIM-A), also plans to come out with a sports management course very soon. This course will be started under the category of short term Management Development Program. Apart from these Institutes, there are certain private colleges as well, that also provide this course.
Talking about the scope of the course, you can either work with a private sports management company or assist the government in organizing various sports events. You can also manage the sports facilities present in clubs and hotels. There is an increasing demand for specialised sports centres that cater to a particular sport. Golf clubs, resorts, adventure sports or other leisure activity centres require trained personnel to manage and promote these sporting activities. The course also has a tremendous scope outside.
Sports Journalism is also becoming an increasingly popular option these days. A course in Sports Journalism might land you a job in sports magazine/newspaper. You can also become a freelance sports writer.
So, sports have thrown open a plethora of opportunities for people like us, who might not be good at any sport, still know our games really well!