Summary of Sports Management

Summary of Sports Management

Jonathan Gonzales

SME 1003 Introduction to Sport Management

        Many people want to work in the field of Sports Management, due to the fact they can go to games in the suites, watch games, and be a fan of their industry. Or maybe you’re a former athlete or a super fan so the transition will be easy. As I found out that is not the certification or activities taken apart in the Sports Management field.  Work in the SM field requires often low paying jobs in the beginning, with long hours and hard work. Sport management is the process of satisfying sport consumers’ wants, needs, and desires. That is why you have to know the difference between a sports manager and a sports fan. A sports manager is involved in the sports-production process; while a sports fan consumes and the manger directs the process. After many people hear that they start to think maybe SM isn’t for them; they don’t want to manage. But that is where they are wrong. SM has a large field of job opportunities; either helping organize local events or managing facilities.SM has a variety of jobs that many don’t think when they have the mindset of a sports fan. There is a lot that goes behind the scene which causes many jobs. SM has been growing over the year forcing to add more programs, to now have over two-hundred-fifty.

        To be a great sports manager you need to understand a few things. One of them being socially and the culture of the location you’re representing. Functionalism (A sociological theory in which society is viewed as an organized system of interrelated parts held together by shared values and social processes that minimize differences and promote consensus among people) is key to be able to market and sell to the consumers and make them feel a part of the team they are celebrating. Not all sports are the same; they vary just as do the people who compete, view, and manage them. To truly understand sports, one must be able to understand the sociocultural theories and apply them to real-world sport situations. What might be acceptable in one sport may be shamed in a different sport; that is known as unsporting behaviors. Unlike functionalism, conflict theory emphasizes social and political inequalities and the resulting economic and power differentials that occur in the sport context. Which brings up a interesting point about sport socialization; which is the interaction between fans and sports using elements like TV, sport blogs, websites and Twitter post. Is there such a thing as bad spot light? Meaning if you got on ESPN for doing something negative is that bad or does it help expose you more to the world for sells? You must be able to relate to the culture of the area and have cultural hegemony. To be successful you must live by “Nothing happens until we sell something”.

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