How to become a sports club manager?

Do you want to start a career as a sports manager and want to know everything about the details and the path to get there?
This page answers your questions: focus on the job, qualities, salary and studies to get there.

What does the job of sports manager involve?

The job of a sports manager consists of taking care of the management of a club or a federation, in all its aspects. The sports manager is as much involved in the administrative follow-up of the company as in the promotion of the club. The relationship with business partners is also very present in his functions. It is a job that requires a lot of adaptability as the missions are numerous and varied in sports management.

Depending on the size of the organization, the duties of the position may vary. Not all clubs have the same size and, therefore, the same level of responsibility for the club manager. However, the common element for all clubs is the obligation to ensure satisfactory sporting results.

Among his many obligations, the sports manager must ensure the coordination between the technical team and all the other trades that evolve within the structure. Whether they are in the administration, the medical staff, the maintenance or directly from the sports staff, he supervises and coordinates every action in order to meet the objectives set up in advance. He defines operational and economic strategies while ensuring the sustainability of the structure.

What qualities are expected of a sports manager?

Faced with a position with so many responsibilities, the qualities expected are numerous and go beyond the simple function of supervisor.

First of all, the sports manager must be diplomatic and know how to federate around him. As a team leader, he/she must be able to transmit with calmness and pedagogy. To know how to be heard, to be respected, without dividing. The sports manager is a true leader of men who must impose a certain natural authority.

The multiplicity of tasks implies great rigor and a keen sense of organization. In order not to leave anything to chance, the manager must prioritize the missions and know how to delegate when necessary, so as to never be overwhelmed. Planning and strategizing is the key to coordinating all actions and creating a global emulation. The sports manager must have a clear idea of the direction everyone should take in order to steer the ship to success.

To prevent conflicts and other complications, the sports manager must have relatively advanced legal skills. Whether it’s signing contracts or simply managing human resources, his or her knowledge of the field must be able to promote the proper development of the structure as well as the overall unity of the club. Negotiations with sportsmen and women or other tradesmen only go through him. The legal requirements for any administrative procedure should no longer hold any secrets for him.

What studies and career path to become a sports club manager?

In a project with a high level of responsibility within the sports world, it is interesting to aim for higher education in specialized schools.

Business schools offer generalist or specialized training so that students can acquire a solid foundation in areas that are complementary to sports: communication, marketing, law, finance or accounting. This course of study favors a varied assimilation of sectors, indispensable in the management of organizations.

When a student enrolls in a Bachelor’s or a Licence, he or she is assured of direct immersion through internships or work-study contracts, in France or abroad. This generalist base is not only oriented towards management. It allows you to choose between several career directions. It is a solid and diversified background, essential to enter an ambitious field.

If they wish to continue their specialization, they can then do a Master’s degree in a business school. Several schools offer to study the sports industry in all its aspects and to review the different professions related to it. This gives him the opportunity to meet with professionals in the sector and to understand all the mechanisms. The master’s degree seems to be the essential element to finalize a career path towards a position of high responsibility.

In this orientation, INSEEC offers several specializations in the field of sports. They are carried out via several campuses located in several French cities and abroad. Thus, training courses are offered in cities such as Lyon, Paris, Chambéry, Rennes or Bordeaux.

Among the specialized courses offered by INSEEC, we can mention these three courses available for study:

• The Master of Science in Sports Marketing & Management in Paris, Bordeaux, Rennes, Chambéry and Lyon (Bac+5)
• The Bachelor Sport Business (Bac+3) ;
• The Master of Science in Marketing & Management of Outdoor Sports in Chambéry (Bac+5) ;

What salary for a sports manager?

If there is one job whose remuneration is relative to the size of the structure, it is the sports manager. At the beginning of the career, and in a medium to small club, the salary varies between 25,000 euros and 35,000 euros gross per year. Of course, as the club grows or if it works within a much larger structure, this amount can more than double or even triple. The range of salaries in the sports professions is particularly wide compared to other professions.

Learn more about compensation in sports.

How do I become a player agent?

What are the qualities required to work as a player agent?

The job of a player’s agent (whether he manages soccer players, rugby players or any other sport) is to act as a link between the club and the sports professional. Drastically framed by the sports code, this position has been propelled by the democratization of sports competitions. We can also mention the rise of mainstream sports among the general public, especially on television and pay-TV. The numerous functions of the sports agent make him particularly involved in his duties, in missions that are as complementary as they are distant from each other. It’s a multi-hat role that requires a lot of resilience and sacrifice. Today, there are approximately 350 professional agents in France. Proportionally, this represents little. Although ambitious and attractive if successful, this job includes many difficulties before reaching the desired goal.

The job of a sports agent requires mastery of many areas in order to be effective in all aspects of the job. His leadership position requires him to be a good negotiator. But he must master many related fields:

• Public Relations
• Sports facilities
• Marketing
• taxation
• right
• foreign languages

Rigor is the key to success in such a position. His teaching skills and communication know-how give him great power in the exchange and transmission with the teams. His address book is an asset for the success of his project and his knowledge of the rules of sports is essential to master all the nuances of the discipline.

What studies should I follow to become a player agent?

In order to do this job, the minimum level is a Bachelor’s degree, completed over 3 years. As far as institutions specializing in sports are concerned, we can mention the numerous courses in sports management offered by INSEEC.

In addition to this, you must obtain a clearance by completing a general test based on :

• sports law
• technical knowledge in the discipline in which you want to evolve
• comprehensive legal knowledge

This license is offered by a few schools in France, such as the EAJF (school for soccer players’ agents), or the WST (Worldwide sport training). Out of 500 students who apply each year, only 10% pass. We find an exception to achieve this. Since 2011, a change in the law allows lawyers to practice as sports agents without having to hold a license. However, he has a smaller scope of action than a professional player’s agent.

What are the other professions in sports management?

Sports trainer

The sports trainer’s objective is to optimize the performance of players in a specific discipline. He works for a sports federation or a club, and uses his experience to establish an adapted teaching method. He is responsible for the targeted training for each player, according to the observation he will have made during the training sessions. He determines the strengths and weaknesses of each individual to offer technical, mental and physical support in order to maximize their chances of success.

In order to reach this position, he will have to complete 3 years of a Staps License with a specialization in sports training, followed by two years of a Master’s degree with a specialization in training.

Personal trainer

Personal trainers have been on the rise in recent years. Their missions are very diversified in order to lead people towards fulfillment and well-being. Whether it is for muscle strengthening, psychological support or weight loss, the sports coach is there to establish a personalized program.

Its role is to coach and accompany individuals towards the success of their objectives that they have set together. He can teach in a center or at home, in group or individual sessions. Its mission is carried out in partnership with the students, whose motivation and involvement are the basis for the success of the program.

A Youth, Popular Education and Sport certificate is required for this position, along with a Staps license.

Technical sports director

Under the authority of the general management, the sports technical director generally works in a team. He or she carries the responsibility for the policy of the club or federation on his or her shoulders. Observed and judged on each of his decisions, he is also under the control of the results generated by his team. He is therefore under great pressure in all the areas for which he is responsible.

The program and budget it establishes is decided jointly with the federation. He is responsible for negotiating player contracts, keeping an eye out for potential new recruits, deciding on the constitution of a team, and carrying out logistical and administrative tasks. His omnipresence gives him a key role in the club.

Does INSEEC offer training in sports management?

With the popularization of sports via the mainstream media, the sports environment has become a particularly buoyant market. Today, it is the representative of a certain economic dynamism, highlighted by the starification of sportsmen, the explosion of television rights and the continuous growth of sports structures. This is why for the past few years the sports world has generated many vocations in various fields.

INSEEC has understood this and offers several training courses related to the sports sector, accompanied by professionals from the sector. The programs cover all areas of activity and offer constant contact with the main players in order to provide total immersion and training.

INSEEC Sport programs range from Bachelor’s toMaster’s degrees. We can mention three main categories of teaching:

• Governance of sport and sport organizations
• Trade, distribution and retail of sports equipment
• marketing and sports events

Thus, students receive diversified and complementary instruction in these three major areas. The plurality of courses facilitates the choice of orientations centered around the sports professions.

If you wish to get more information or to register, please click here: Application to asport specialization at INSEEC.

And if you have more questions in mind, check out our Frequently Asked Questions.

Updated 17 May 2023