Sports Club Manager
HOW TO BECOME A SPORTS CLUB MANAGER
Sports club managers are responsible for the operational and strategic development of a club.
What is the sports market?
In France, the sports market is worth 38.1 billion euros. A figure which amounts to almost 2% of the country’s gross domestic product. With 9 consecutive years of growth, the sports market and the development of clubs are not likely to stop there. In fact, the sector’s success is largely due to the French people’s taste for fitness and sports activities: more than 32% of the population engage in some form of sporting activity at least once a week.
And some people choose to join dedicated organizations to practice their favorite sport, such as sports clubs. There are an estimated 160,000 clubs affiliated to approved French federations. These include, of course, soccer clubs, but also basketball, tennis, pétanque, karate, judo, cycling and athletics clubs.
The private sports sector, which includes sports clubs, employs over a hundred thousand people, more than half of whom work for sports clubs. These employees are rather young, with nearly 70% under 45 years of age. While sport is still a highly male-dominated field overall, the gender balance among sports club employees is rather good, with 46% of women.
What are the duties of a sports club manager?
A sports club manager’s duties can vary greatly with the size of the organization for which they work. They are involved at all levels in the management of their sports club, and they organize club events. Their primary goal is to steer the economic development and promote the reputation of their sports organization, subject to sporting results and a given budget. Consequently, they are also in charge of their organization’s day-to-day administration. In addition, they must manage the club’s logistics, maintenance, and upkeep, and constantly monitor the overall condition of the premises and equipment.
Sports club managers deal with the various professionals involved in the club. Be it partners, sponsors, officials, sports teams: they coordinate relations with the club’s various stakeholders. As management specialists, they are team managers, as well as recruiters.
Indeed, they define the recruitment strategy for the sports, technical, administrative and medical staffs, then supervises them to ensure proper coordination, by helping to draw up their schedules.
Key qualities and skills required of a sports club manager
Sports club managers must have more than one string to their bow. First and foremost, though, there must know the ins and outs of the field. In fact, excellent theoretical, practical and cultural knowledge of sports is a must, specifically in the sports practiced at their club. Typically, sports club managers will have acquired this type of knowledge during a previous career in sports.
Since the club’s financial health depends on them, they must demonstrate impeccable expertise in administration, legal, financial, and sales management. They are also knowledgeable about different human resources management techniques, and more broadly, team management. All in all, they are good managers and administrators who demonstrate excellent interpersonal skills in their day-to-day dealings with their staff and external stakeholders.
While native speakers will maintain a good relationship with their professional environment, fluency in foreign languages is a real advantage, with English and Spanish being the most commonly spoken languages. With so many responsibilities to bear, they must be able to deal with the stress they regularly face throughout their career.
Salary range and career prospects
A sports manager’s salary depends on several factors. The club’s size, ambition, the sport in question (soccer, rugby, etc.), qualifications, amateur or professional club: a sports manager’s daily routine and salary may vary drastically with each of the above-mentioned criteria.
Generally speaking, a sports club manager is likely to earn €20,000 gross per annum as a minimum, or around €1,600 net per month, but the salary can be much higher for those who work for a major club or professional sports organization.
After a few years of experience, sports club managers can hope to rise to the position of general manager of the organization they work for.
How to become a sports club manager
The job of sports club manager is not open to just anyone. It requires a high degree of professionalism. In fact, it is open above all to people with experience, having already worked in the sporting world as a trainer or player (top-level sportsmen and women). To be eligible, you need to have at least five years’ professional experience, a sports educator’s diploma and a DU in general club management. Players and coaches working in pro sports (professional leagues, national sports federations) can also take courses such as MBAs (Master of Business Administration) in sports management. Alternatively, you could work your way up to assistant manager of a sports club.
If you’re a young student who still dreams of becoming a club sports manager straight from school, this is possible, but only in an amateur sports club. To do this, you’ll need to complete a level II bac +3 course (STAPS bachelor’s degree or sports management bachelor’s degree), supplemented by a level I bac +5 or even bac +6 course in sport business (master’s degree specialized in sport business, etc.).
In France, the sports market is worth 38.1 billion euros. A figure which amounts to almost 2% of the country’s gross domestic product. With 9 consecutive years of growth, the sports market and the development of clubs are not likely to stop there. In fact, the sector’s success is largely due to the French people’s taste for fitness and sports activities: more than 32% of the population engage in some form of sporting activity at least once a week.
And some people choose to join dedicated organizations to practice their favorite sport, such as sports clubs. There are an estimated 160,000 clubs affiliated to approved French federations. These include, of course, soccer clubs, but also basketball, tennis, pétanque, karate, judo, cycling and athletics clubs.
The private sports sector, which includes sports clubs, employs over a hundred thousand people, more than half of whom work for sports clubs. These employees are rather young, with nearly 70% under 45 years of age. While sport is still a highly male-dominated field overall, the gender balance among sports club employees is rather good, with 46% of women.
A sports club manager’s duties can vary greatly with the size of the organization for which they work. They are involved at all levels in the management of their sports club, and they organize club events. Their primary goal is to steer the economic development and promote the reputation of their sports organization, subject to sporting results and a given budget. Consequently, they are also in charge of their organization’s day-to-day administration. In addition, they must manage the club’s logistics, maintenance, and upkeep, and constantly monitor the overall condition of the premises and equipment.
Sports club managers deal with the various professionals involved in the club. Be it partners, sponsors, officials, sports teams: they coordinate relations with the club’s various stakeholders. As management specialists, they are team managers, as well as recruiters.
Indeed, they define the recruitment strategy for the sports, technical, administrative and medical staffs, then supervises them to ensure proper coordination, by helping to draw up their schedules.
Sports club managers must have more than one string to their bow. First and foremost, though, there must know the ins and outs of the field. In fact, excellent theoretical, practical and cultural knowledge of sports is a must, specifically in the sports practiced at their club. Typically, sports club managers will have acquired this type of knowledge during a previous career in sports.
Since the club’s financial health depends on them, they must demonstrate impeccable expertise in administration, legal, financial, and sales management. They are also knowledgeable about different human resources management techniques, and more broadly, team management. All in all, they are good managers and administrators who demonstrate excellent interpersonal skills in their day-to-day dealings with their staff and external stakeholders.
While native speakers will maintain a good relationship with their professional environment, fluency in foreign languages is a real advantage, with English and Spanish being the most commonly spoken languages. With so many responsibilities to bear, they must be able to deal with the stress they regularly face throughout their career.
A sports manager’s salary depends on several factors. The club’s size, ambition, the sport in question (soccer, rugby, etc.), qualifications, amateur or professional club: a sports manager’s daily routine and salary may vary drastically with each of the above-mentioned criteria.
Generally speaking, a sports club manager is likely to earn €20,000 gross per annum as a minimum, or around €1,600 net per month, but the salary can be much higher for those who work for a major club or professional sports organization.
After a few years of experience, sports club managers can hope to rise to the position of general manager of the organization they work for.
The job of sports club manager is not open to just anyone. It requires a high degree of professionalism. In fact, it is open above all to people with experience, having already worked in the sporting world as a trainer or player (top-level sportsmen and women). To be eligible, you need to have at least five years’ professional experience, a sports educator’s diploma and a DU in general club management. Players and coaches working in pro sports (professional leagues, national sports federations) can also take courses such as MBAs (Master of Business Administration) in sports management. Alternatively, you could work your way up to assistant manager of a sports club.
If you’re a young student who still dreams of becoming a club sports manager straight from school, this is possible, but only in an amateur sports club. To do this, you’ll need to complete a level II bac +3 course (STAPS bachelor’s degree or sports management bachelor’s degree), supplemented by a level I bac +5 or even bac +6 course in sport business (master’s degree specialized in sport business, etc.).
