Career in sports: Play it safe

Conservative parents get disturbed if their sports-loving child wants to focus all their mind and attention on sports. Many parents, and sometimes teachers, get deeply concerned when they observe their children’s grades going down because they spend time playing and practising. On the other hand, some ambitious parents put their child into expensive coaching, hoping that he will reach the top and become a sports celebrity – which rarely happens. 

There is a difference between playing games for leisure and fitness and taking up sports as a career. If you love a sport and have been playing it for years, you would learn about team spirit, facing challenges or defeat, physical and mental fitness, etc. But eventually, after a few years, you may not be able to play competitive sport, and hence will not be able to get a regular earning out of it. 

If you are in a competitive sport, you must secure your future by studying and acquiring qualifications and professional skills. Otherwise, you may have to retire within a few years due to risks such as injury, politics in team sports, and only a few slots being available. Then, it may be too late to build an alternative career.

However, if your interest in sports is deep enough to want to make it a career, then you should seriously consider getting into areas such as coaching, mentoring, management, event marketing, psychology, medicine, physiotherapy or administration of sports.

As more interest is being generated in sports lately, you can certainly make good money, acquire status and have a very satisfying career, provided you work systematically on becoming a sports professional. Here are a few options or paths:

Take up Physical Education as one of your pre-university/ Plus Two subjects.

Join a school or college with excellent sports infrastructure and coaches encouraging sports. Or register with alternative boards such as NIOS for 10th and 12th Board exams, which give flexibility between classes and practice.

Spend free time playing various games and finding out how these games are administered and managed. Join a reputed sports club if possible.

Ensure you are physically fit, and at the same time, do not neglect your basic academics. Either take up Arts after 10th so that you have sufficient time to devote to sports, or take up science and become a doctor or physiotherapist with a post-graduate specialisation in sports medicine.

Take up a basic degree course in sports (see list below), which trains you in all aspects of the sports world, gives you knowledge of all options in sports, and provides you opportunities to be close to top sportsmen and managers. Then, you can follow it up with an MBA in sports management or any other specialisation in sports.

Join organisations encouraging sports. Defence forces and paramilitary recruit sportspersons in commissioned and junior commissioned ranks from different games if they have played up to senior levels. State Bank, Railways, Reserve Police and other reputed organisations encourage their employees to pursue sports.

Most corporate organisations promote state-of-the-art sports centres and require professionals in each department ranging from coaching to sports psychology, sports medicine, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, accounts, administration, event marketing, corporate and media communication, etc. 

Coaching in sports is a well-paying career. There is a huge shortage of good coaches in every sport. Basic life skills and sports psychology would make a good resume for a coach. 

With such wide opportunities growing steadily, you need to have a long-term vision and balance your passion and realistic goals to fulfil your desire to be deeply involved with sports and, simultaneously, plan a long-term remunerative career working in the sports environment.

A few institutions offering courses in sports

Indira Gandhi Institute of Physical Education & Sports Sciences, New Delhi

Lakshmibai National Institute of Physical Education, Gwalior

National Academy of Sports Management, Mumbai

National University of Physical Education, Gwalior

Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports, Patiala

Swarnim Gujarat Sports University, Gandhinagar

Symbiosis School of Sports Management, Pune

International Institute of Sports Management, Mumbai

Photo for representation purpose only.

Cut-off box - A few institutions offering courses in sports
Indira Gandhi Institute of Physical Education & Sports Sciences New Delhi
Lakshmibai National Institute of Physical Education Gwalior
National Academy of Sports Management Mumbai
National University of Physical Education Gwalior
Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports Patiala
Swarnim Gujarat Sports University Gandhinagar
Symbiosis School of Sports Management Pune
International Institute of Sports Management Mumbai