Are you a sports fan? How to turn your interests into a career

You don’t have to be an athlete to start a career in the sports industry. And there are many ways to gain experience and develop skills at CU Boulder to prepare for a career in sports. Here are some ways to get started.

Consider the Business of Sports Certificate

This two-month, intensive certificate program is for students who are seriously interested in pursuing careers in the sports and recreation industry.

Offered by the Leeds School of Business over the summer, you’ll learn about what it’s like to work in various divisions of the sports business world. Industry practitioners walk students through day-to-day operations of these departments and explain what it takes to get into these positions.

Learn more about the certificate, and talk with your advisor about how this may fit into your academic journey.

Learn and gain experience

There’s a wide range of jobs within the sports industry. You could:

• Work for a specific franchise in roles such as marketing, analytics and accounting
• Support a team through scouting, coaching and management
• Produce content as a sideline reporter and beat writer
• Provide mental and physical help as an athletic trainer

No matter what you’re interests are, assisting sports organizations through an internship or on-campus job can help you develop on-the-job skills. Many sports organizations seek volunteers to help with game-day operations.

Find these opportunities through:

• Student Employment: Log in and search using keywords such as “sports.”
• Handshake: Log in and search by industry, job function or keyword.
• Volunteer Resource Center: Search the calendar or organization database.

Get involved and develop skills

Teams need every athlete to be all-in, and that includes those who support them behind the scenes. Every department within the organization works in close communication and often collaborates with external stakeholders. Other top skills for working in the sports industry include flexibility and perseverance.

You can start to develop these skills through intramural sports at the Rec Center or by joining a student organization with a sports focus.

Connect with sports professionals

Start connecting with professionals at local sports organizations or shadow someone in the Athletics Department on campus. Find ways to make these connections at Career Services.

Explore majors

There are many majors and programs that can help you prepare for a future in sports. These include:

• Communication
• Information science
• Journalism
• Marketing
• Statistics and data science

Learn more about working in sports.