Joanne Mattern - So, You Want to Work in Sports?. The Ultimate Guide to Exploring the Sports Industry

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This Beyond Words/Aladdin edition April 2014

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Managing Editor: Lindsay S. Brown

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The text of this book was set in Bembo.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Mattern, Joanne.

So, you want to work in sports? : the ultimate guide to exploring the sports

industry / Joanne Mattern.

pagescm. (Be what you want)

Includes bibliographical references.

1. SportsVocational guidanceJuvenile literature. I. Title.

GV734.3.M37 2014

796.02'3dc23

2013025469

ISBN 978-1-58270-449-4 (hc)

ISBN 978-1-58270-448-7 (pbk)

ISBN 978-1-4424-9513-5 (eBook)

To uncover your true potential, you must first find your own limits, and then you have to have the courage to blow past them.

Picabo Street

SKIER

Close your eyes and imagine some fantastic moments in sports. For a sports fan, there are few things as exciting as hearing the powerful crack of a bat meeting a ball and watching the ball soar over the outfield wall for a home run. Or how about the sheer joy of a seeing a football player muscle his way through a line of defenders, shaking off tackles, the ball cradled in his hands as he runs toward the end zone and a touchdown? Perhaps you get your thrills watching sprinters fly down the track, their legs and arms pumping, or hearing the crash and clatter of skates and sticks as hockey players fight for the puck. Whatever your favorite sport, there are so many amazing emotions, feelings, sights, and sounds. Its no wonder millions of people are rabid sports fans and players.

Many people love sports and are content to sit on the sidelines, cheering on their favorite team, wearing their favorite athletes jersey, sharing the thrill of victoryand the agony of defeatwith their friends and family. Other people want to go even further. For you, just watching isnt enough. Participating is the key to your sports joy. For you sports lovers, actually participating in the sporting world is the key to your dreams.

If someone asks you to think of a career in sports, whats the first thing that comes to your mind? If youre like most people, you probably think of a professional athlete, like the Major League Baseball (MLB) or National Basketball Association (NBA) players you see on television. For a select few, becoming a superstar athlete on a nationally known professional team is a dream that comes true. However, that isnt the only way to carve out a career in sports. In fact, there are many, many more people who make a living at sports and dont appear on television. You can even have a career in sports without being particularly great at sports yourself!

Sports are played at every level in society. Stop and think about your own community. Your local high schools probably have athletic programs that feature everything from basketball to swimming to cross-country and track. Then there are college sports, local leagues, and sporting clubs. Youth leagues bring young athletes together. So do community organizations like the YMCA and the Boys & Girls Clubs. Whatever your sport, there is probably a local or regional club or team that represents it.

REASONS YOU MAY WANT TO WORK IN SPORTS

A Passion for Playing the Game

Do you love playing a sport? Do you enjoy the challenges of regular practice and improving yourself with each one? Does the roar of the crowd exhilarate you? Are you agile, fast, or strong? The arena, field, or court may be your workplace. Most of you who participate in sports are never going to be big league professionals making millions of dollars and flashing your smiles on television. But that doesnt mean you cant make a living playing sports. For every MLB team, there are multiple levels of minor league farm teams or independent teams. Players on these teams get to play ball every day, hone skills, and get a paycheck. Some of these players move up to the big leagues. Others stay in the minors. Either way, you still get to play ball for a living. Many people would consider that a pretty great lifestyle!

In riding a horse, we borrow freedom.

Helen Thomson

SHOW JUMPER

There are also professional sporting options away from home. Many NBA players get their start playing for teams in Europe. The same is true for athletes in other sports, such as soccer. These players get to live in a foreign country, travel a lot, and be part of a team with fans. Some of them make a pretty good living too. Best of all, those of you who do this are working at what you love and getting paid for it.

Names: Sisters Jodelle and Abigail Marx

Ages: 14 and 12

Job (when not studying!): Equestrians, Columbia Winds Pony Club, a part of the United States Pony Club, Portland, Oregon

Dream Job: (Jodelle) When I am sixteen, I hope to qualify to represent the United States in an international rally, or competition. By the time I turn twenty-five, I want to be a Graduate A Pony Clubber (the highest ranking in Pony Club). I would like to go into a career with horses, possibly a horse trainer/riding instructor. (Abigail) I dont know what my career goals are because I am only twelve, and I have a lot of options to choose from. My goals include, however, becoming an A Pony Clubber, which means that you have completed all the levels of Pony Clubin other words, you are a professional horse person.