The sports industry in India is at its very beginning as we all know and hence, not a lot of information is easily available to any of us when it comes to making a decision, if sports management is a good career option or not. This is also the reason why we don’t have a lot of people going opting to pursue a course in sports management in India and the other reason being the lack of quality options. However, there is absolutely no doubt that we as a country have loads of talent, potential, and all the resources required to become one of the biggest sporting economies in the world. All that is only going to be possible if we start building the base now, starting this very moment. But how are we going to do it?
To start with, none of the things mentioned in these articles are hard facts or rules which will guarantee you a place in the institution of your choice, but it’s something I have learned during my journey so far, which I started back in 2018. The best thing to do always is to listen to all the stories and experiences, learn from them and then follow your own instincts and do what you feel is the right thing to do.
Sports has always been a huge part of my life in some way or the other, but for some reason, I never realized I could have a proper career out of it. I was pursuing my undergrad degree in Environmental Science back in 2016 when I had to spend a lot of time away from sports and that’s when I had a feeling that something was missing from my life and I did not feel the same passion for my degree as I would have while playing tennis (yes, I play tennis). So, after my graduation, I took a year off, gathered a lot of information about different courses in sports, both in India and abroad, and decided to switch my profession. The transition was rather smooth than what it may sound like as I had already gathered a lot of information about the industry, and more importantly, was moving in the direction which I have always admired and followed passionately. The only question was whether to go to one of the well-known universities abroad or to take a risk and opt for a course in India instead. The decision to join MBA ESG in Bengaluru was a very instinctive one, and something which was finalized within a span of just 10-15 days. As I already mentioned how I spent an entire year doing extensive research and looking for suitable courses, one day Google just decided to pop up a link of this newly opened college in Bengaluru which offered a course in sports management. The next thing I knew, I was fairly happy and satisfied with the kind of prospects on offer, and I immediately signed up for an online consulting.
After the initial call-ups and then finally deciding to accept the admission offer, given I pass the online interview which they had arranged for on Skype. The interview itself was a funny incident in itself as the Dean of the college who was supposed to talk to me, had a few issues with his Skype account and we had to switch to a normal call for the interview, which went pretty well, to be honest.
It took me a few weeks to settle in a new city and especially coming back from a gap of a year and a half, college life felt all new to me. But the best part was to be surrounded by so many other people who had the same passion and more importantly knowledge about sports, which is what I eventually wanted. I personally went with an empty mind and was ready to learn whatever I could from anybody, and as the days passed by, I slowly started to feel like a part of the sports industry. As far as getting the idea about what exactly I want to pursue in sports and the process of narrowing down your career options, it only comes when you try different stuff. And the chances are you are going to like more than one thing and that is okay, that is when you have to pick one and go for it and make it look like the right decision. If not, you pick another one and try how it works out for you.
Things to be aware of:
Before applying to a course or a university
There are plenty of things you can do or try your hands on even before getting into the sports industry to get a fair idea of how the industry works. Even though getting an internship might not be easy, volunteering is probably the most suitable option to get some experience in the industry and also to build a possible network. A lot of sports NGOs arrange their own sports tournaments and they are always looking for some helping hands. If you are already practicing a sport, training in some academy then working at that academy on a part-time basis might actually be a very good idea to start with. I personally was a part-time coach at the tennis academy I trained at taking care of the 8–10-year old’s which taught me a lot of things. Not just my speaking skills improved, but when you have to take care of an entire batch by yourself and have a time crunch to complete all the training regimens during that one-hour period, the management skills get tasted too.
A lot of sales and marketing level jobs at the beginner level too don’t ask you for a specialized degree in sports and if you are willing to hustle for a while and go out of your comfort zone, working in sales in a sports shop or some newly formed academy/club could teach a lot, plus you get to observe their daily operations from a close quarter.
Also, something which you could do right away by yourself is extensive research and try to find a lot of information by yourself. Try and connect with people who are already part of the industry on LinkedIn or any other platform you prefer. It’s actually a fun process where you’ll learn about so many different things which might or might not be important. Connecting to people is not bad either, you may get replies or you may not, but just keep trying.
There are mainly two types of courses available in sports in India. One is the Post-Graduate Diploma which approximately goes on a year and a half and the other one is the MBA in Sports Management which is similar to your normal MBA course, with the specialization being in sports. I belonged to the latter of the two categories which was a two-year extensive MBA program.
After applying and during the course
The best approach to start with is to try and explore as many things as you can and then compare your experiences, rather than making a conclusive opinion about a particular skill-set. It’s very easy to get overhauled by the situation and feel lost and think if you are qualified enough or not for the industry, but remember that you are at the very beginning of the process and it will only get easier going forward if you stick to the right attitude and surround yourself with people who will help you.
In India, we don’t have many sports-specific professionals yet and even the colleges are learning with us as we go forward. So, rather than getting disappointed with the situation and the lack of hands-on experience, we can look at it as a crazy opportunity that we can literally go in any direction we want from here provided all of us work together and focus on collaboration instead of competition.
The things I mentioned before like networking and research still play an important role during the course. This little period between the first semester and the final semester if utilized properly to ideate and plan for life after the degree could prove to be a gamechanger. If you use your resources smartly, then it would definitely help during the placements and job search.
Whether you want to start something of your own or want to work in a company, it’s always good to work on some of your own skill while you are still part of the college as you may not get the same amount of time when you actually start working and it’ll also add as an added incentive on your resume. Plus, it’s all about having fun and enjoying this journey, isn’t that the main reason why we all chose to be part of this industry? (or are willing to if not already)
After the course
The placement scenarios in most of the sports management colleges in India are still trying to catch up with the industry, as one can predict. No one guarantees you a 100% placement and to be honest no one exactly can, as a lot of things have to fall in the right place for everyone to get placed at the company of their choice. Even with the college assistance and help, our own networking, previous experience of working somewhere for an internship or some project is of immense value.
Also, don’t go for a particular industry or a brand just because of their name or popularity. You can of course and nothing wrong with it, but play it smartly. Start small where you’ll have to work multiple roles but you’ll learn a lot, then move to a bigger organization and see how the things differ there. All these experiences will only help in making the right choices.
Going Ahead
The sports industry in our country is only getting better every year and this is actually the best time to invest your time and money in sports in India. With many problems, there are also many opportunities and if you are smart enough, you can earn enough while following your passion and also have a lot of fun during the process.