Alison Downs - Dream Jobs in Sports Retail

Published in 2018 by The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc. 29 East 21st Street, New York, NY 10010

Copyright 2018 by The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc.

First Edition

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Downs, Alison, author.

Title: Dream jobs in sports retail / Alison Downs.

Description: New York : Rosen Publishing, 2018. | Series: Great careers in the sports industry | Includes bibliographical references and index. | Audience: Grades 7-12.

Identifiers: LCCN 2017020610 | ISBN 9781538381465 (library bound) | ISBN 9781508178651 (paperback)

Subjects: LCSH: SportsVocational guidanceJuvenile literature. | Sporting goods industryVocational guidanceJuvenile literature. Classification: LCC GV734.3 .D68 2018 | DDC 796.023dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017020610

Manufactured in the United States of America

CONTENTS

W hether youre playing on the field or watching from the bleachers (or even from the comfort of your own couch), theres no doubt about ityour life revolves around sports. Nearly every item in your closet has your favorite teams logo on it, youve turned down more invitations than you can count with the excuse, Sorry, I have practice, and as far as youre concerned, Super Bowl Sunday should be a national holiday. So, naturally, when you consider all these points, it makes perfect sense that you are considering a job within the sports industry.

A job in the sports retail industry can be a dream come true for someone who wants to turn his or her passion into a career. The great thing about sports retail jobs is that many of them require minimal training, and that training is often available on the job, making this a great career for someone still in school or just dipping their toes into the job market. So dont sweat it if youve never had a job beforelanding your first job in sports retail will allow you to get your foot in the door in a great industry.

Sports is a billion-dollar industry, and its no wondereverywhere you turn, you can see evidence of its far-reaching appeal; it seems nearly everyone owns something emblazoned with the logo or mascot of his or her favorite team. For a lot of people, watching sports is not just about entertainmentgames are an important social event, bringing friends and family closer together ... unless, of course, you happen to be rooting for the other team. Sometimes sports interest runs in the family, and children are encouraged to take part in the same sports their parents played.

Or maybe your experience with sports has been a little different. Maybe youve always been stuck watching from the sidelines and felt a little bit left out; maybe your grades in school werent high enough to take part in team sports, or a medical condition kept you benched. Whatever the case, jobs in the sports retail industry can be a good fit for you, too, and give you an opportunity to rub elbows with others who love the world of sports as much as you doyou dont need to be a football hero to succeed at any of these jobs. And although there are many different jobs within the sporting industry, retail jobs are considered some of the most accessible. Retail jobs allow you to get your foot in the door and work your way up according to your own strengths. And like on sports teams, when youre part of a retail crew, youre part of a teamand as they say, a team is only as good as its weakest member. Retail, like sports, is all about teamwork.

Whatever your story, you have options. In the following sections, you will learn about several different career paths in the sports retail industry, as well as some easy ways to challenge yourself and gain valuable experience.

Y ou eat, sleep, and breathe sports. You plan your days around sporting events (whether youre playing, cheering from the sidelines, or even watching from your couch), and the only thing that can spoil your weekend is a rain delay. If this sounds like you, youre already a perfect candidate for a career in sports retail. But what does sports retail really mean?

You may think that the sports retail industry is limited to a bunch of shoe and clothing stores at the mall, but it actually goes beyond that. Sports retail can be divided into a few different categories.

First, you have your standard retail job, which is exactly what you might find at your local mall or department store. These jobs include working for larger sporting goods chain stores like Champs Sports, Dicks Sporting Goods, Bass Pro Shops, Cabelas, Eastern Mountain Sports, Modells, REI, and many others.

As a retail worker, you could deal with memorabilia, sporting goods, and more! Here, a sales associate adjusts a display of hats on the sales floor.

Then there are stores that are a little more specialized. You might work in a memorabilia storethese tend to be independently owned, not chain storesor you might work in a store that primarily sells athletic shoes, like Foot Locker (and its smaller stores, Kids Foot Locker and Lady Foot Locker). There are even stores like New Balance that sell sneakers in a wide range of sizes and widths, as well as those to counteract foot pain, issues with posture, and morethese arent your grandmas orthopedic shoes. Some towns might have smaller, independently owned sporting goods stores, which cater primarily to school sportsfielding large orders for uniforms, shoes, and so on.