Volunteer — and boost your sports career opportunities
Interested in a job in the sports industry? One Forbes article says it well: “The sports industry is flourishing with opportunities in all areas including: sports marketing and sponsorship, sports media (traditional and social media), sports facilities,” the article continues, “However, although there are numerous opportunities to work in sports these days, the competition to land one of them is also higher than ever.”
It’s this competition that has sports management students who are passionate about getting into the business eager to gain as much experience and knowledge as they can before they graduate and begin the job search.
According to a recent article on the sports management blog Work in Sports, volunteering is a great way to gain this experience, build contacts, stay up-to-date on industry news and pursue a passion all at once.
“By volunteering you get to interact with people you may not have otherwise met, which creates opportunities to develop positive relationships outside of the typical work environment,” the blog notes. “To get the most out of your volunteering, do things that are out of your comfort zone.”
A few examples of ways to volunteer:
- Coach a youth team, or volunteer as an assistant coach at an area school
- Volunteer at a race or other local sporting event
- Help organize, promote, or get involved with a sports-oriented non-profit organization, such as Special Olympics or United Way
- Be a counselor at a summer sports camp
- Volunteer to do social media or photography for a William Woods sports team
- Contribute local sports stories to the local paper
Find local volunteer opportunities in Fulton and around Missouri at volunteermatch.org.