Within the broad category of sports administrator, there are several job opportunities. A sports administrator may be in charge of running programs at a gym or fitness center, or he or she may be in charge of managing an athletic program at a high school, college, or university. Other sports administrator jobs may work directly with professional sports teams, with duties such as clubhouse management, player representation as an agent, contract negotiation and administration, equipment and facilities management, event coordination, and a variety of other sports and athletic operations-related duties. A candidate for such positions may or may not require a higher education degree, but they must have a working knowledge of and passion for sports.
A sports administrator may be in charge of a professional team’s marketing efforts. Promotions, press releases, websites, and advertising campaigns aimed at attracting fans to the team’s games are examples of this. A marketing sports administrator will most likely conduct market research and develop marketing strategies tailored to a specific audience. He or she may be involved in logo design and placement, local, national, or international promotions, television commercials, radio spots, and internet advertising, among other things.
Other types of sports administrator jobs will focus on the team’s, organization’s, or company’s day-to-day operations. The administrator may be in charge of day-to-day operations as well as the supervision of other employees. He or she may also be in charge of maintaining the athletic fields, courts, and equipment, among other things. Professional sports teams will require administrators to oversee vendors such as food and memorabilia. Some administrators will also be in charge of ticket sales and fan management, which will include security, ushers, and other personnel who will interact directly with fans.
College and university administrators are sometimes in charge of recruiting potential players and coaches. They may also be involved in scholarship administration, salary negotiations for coaches and other professional staff, and the development and enforcement of a code of conduct for both players and coaches, among other things. To deal with budget issues, staffing, revenue, and other issues, college and university administrators may have to interact with other college administrators. A sports administrator at the high school level may be in charge of attracting college recruiters to games, enforcing codes of conduct, and even coaching when necessary.