Every year, hundreds of athletes hope to join the NBA, MLB, NFL, NHL or leading soccer leagues around the world. Yet, less than 2% of pro-sports hopefuls make it to the big leagues. Fortunately, the sports industry relies on a lot more people than athletes.
Motorsport drivers need pit crews. Basketball players require trainers, referees and announcers. Golfers require caddies while track athletes pay their pacemakers handsomely.
Here, we’ll highlight a series of amazing jobs that can make you reach thanks to your love for sports. To spice up things, we’ve highlighted jobs that don’t necessarily need a bachelor’s degree. Let’s dive right in.
A Sports Analyst
When you think about it, sports analysts on TV are rarely accurate. Some of them talk about how a certain soccer team will scoop all the major trophies in a season only for the franchise to tank.
Others are too opinionated and polarizing—we are talking about your Stephen A. Smith. Yet, Smith takes home $12M per year from his job. In other words, there’s plenty of money to be made if you can grab the attention of sports fans.
While TV networks pay the biggest bucks, you can kick off your career with a YouTube channel. And if you’re shy of cameras, you can share your insights through a blog or social media account.
Once you attract a sizeable audience, next you can monetize your platform through ads, endorsements or selling merchandise.
Sports Betting
Every true sports fan predicts matches. You don’t really have to be doing it for money. But you probably predict a winner for every major game per week. If you’re a sophisticated fan, you don’t stop at predicting match winners.
In a game between Arsenal and Manchester United, you probably predict the scorers, whether both teams score and if they’ll score during the first or second half. The bottom line: you can turn your experience in sports prediction to a part-time job.
Budget your monthly income and set aside a small amount for sports betting. To make things easier, start by wagering on your favorite sport. You don’t really have to bet on your favorite team—it’s not even advisable.
If you love baseball and the Yankees, in particular, focus on MLB betting but avoid wagering on your favorite team. The reason is to avoid making emotion-based decisions, say trusting your team so much or under estimating it.
Sports Scout
Most sports teams nowadays have multiple scouts around the world. Among the Major Leagues in the US, the job of a scout is to travel from one state to another checking out amateur athletes in college and high school.
When it comes to soccer, your job could mean traveling an entire continent or all over the world. It all depends on the size of the club and its location. European soccer clubs invest heavily in scouts.
Of course, they all want to spot the next Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Although not compulsory, many sports franchise look for scouts with sales, marketing or sports business-related skills.
The salary isn’t top-tier. But you get to attend major sports games while sitting at the front rows. There’s the traveling, interviewing prospects and the joy of discovering next-generation legends.
Create a Sports Blog
Sports reporters earn in excess of $50,000 on major sports networks. Consider applying for these jobs if you have a bachelor’s degree in journalism or media. If you don’t, leverage the Internet to start a blog or YouTube channel.
Blogging is a highly rewarding business, especially in competitive niches like sports. Sure, you’ll be competing with the BBC, Sky Sports, ESPN and the Athletic. But there’s always room for one more sports blog.
All you need is to carve a niche within the industry. If everyone else is reporting the major leagues, start a blog centered on high school sports. Or run a website that analyzes draft picks. Pick a niche and own by delivering quality content.
Nowadays, it’s not enough to run a sports company through one platform. If you own a sports website, create a podcast, a YouTube channel and social media channels. In doing so, you can increase your reach and your eventual profits.
Sports Photographer
Many people think anyone can become a photographer. That’s not true. Anyone can capture a picture using their phone or DSLR camera. However, it takes a passionate, skilled cameraman to capture historic sports moments.
For a start, you can take sports photos for fun. You can record fans while they cheer and tailgate outside of the stadiums. You can record amateur sports or volunteer record matches at small team.
With time, you can gain the experience and skills needed to be a sports photographer for major sports clubs and media networks. That being said, the job of a sports photographer involves a lot of traveling and working for long hours at times.
Physical Therapist
Getting injured is part of being an athlete. If you love sports, take a course on physical therapy and look for a job within the sports circles. Nearly every sports league hires physical therapists regularly.
It’s an important job that ensures athletes are in the best shapes of their lives all-year round. If you take up a degree on physical therapy, then you can expect to make in excess of $76,000 per year according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
If getting a degree isn’t part of your plans, consider pursuing a career as a personal trainer. The job revolves around training athletes and regular civilians to stay physically fit. Physical trainers don’t make as much as physical therapists, but they don’t have to spend time inside a college to make the money.
Summary
There are plenty of jobs for sports fans. Being a pro-athlete is the ultimate way to make money in the business. But if you love sports but has no chance at the major leagues, consider pursuing one of the careers we mentioned above. Some of them—sports commentators—do nothing more than share their opinions. And they get paid a lot of money for it.
