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Teacher
Mr. Keith McCaffrey
I
am going to be a Pro Basketball Player!
This was the answer
I gave in 8th grade to anyone asking what I was going to be when
I grew up. I was six foot tall and positive I was going to the
NBA. Wrong! Not only did I not get to the NBA, I never even made
it to the college level. I grew another inch and that was it.
My shooting ability never approached perfection and my dreams
of stardom quickly diminished as I pondered my future without
sports.
To this day,
it amazes me how many students still have the belief that I had,
that they will play a professional sport. During our Career Exploration
classes students often remark on the glory, the fame and of course
the staggering salaries of the few who make to the professional
level. Is it wrong to want what we see, hear or read about on
cable, espn.com, sports radio, satellite radio, sports pages in
newspapers, sports magazines and the rest of our countries abundant
sports media? Do sports media influence student’s career
choices? These questions are often debated but statistics do not
lie. The odds of making it to top in professional sports are slim
and in our class, we demand that our students have alternative
plans. However, what if you still like sports? How can you make
a career and still be involved with sports? In class, anyone who
is interested in working in the sports or entertainment industry
explores the thousands of careers whereby you are not actually
playing the sport but supporting it. Some of the most popular
careers are:
· Coaching
· Trainer
· Sports Writer
· Sportscaster (TV)
· Physical Education Teacher
However, using one of our career internet sites, www.cxonline.bridges.com,
our students have found some other interesting ones:
Athletic Director, Scuba Diving Instructor, Sports Statistician,
Sports Official, Personal Trainer, and Mountain Guide.
Let us take a closer
look at one of these careers, Athletic Director.
What They Do:
-
Athletic directors have administrative control over an athletic
program or department. They are responsible for providing the
direction; leadership and management that help the program or
department operate smoothly. Athletic directors are involved
in budgeting, training, marketing and public relations. They
often work nights and weekends. Their tasks include things like
budgeting, training, marketing and public relations. If they
work for a small school, they may actually be involved with
sporting events -- preparing fields,
doing the planning or helping at the event.
- Athletic directors
are often responsible for the way the general public perceives
a sports team. That means that they help create the professional
image the team portrays.
-
Athletic
directors usually work within the athletic department of universities,
colleges and high schools. However, nonprofit organizations
and some private companies hire athletic directors to manage
youth and adult sports teams.Most athletic directors work in
an office setting. But they often spend time interacting with
community business leaders, other members of the staff and athletes.
-
Because
sporting events don't happen during normal business hours, athletic
directors often work nights and weekends.
-
Not
all athletic directors are in top physical condition. But people
with disabilities would face special challenges.
What they earn?
Region |
Average
Annual Earnings |
Average
Hourly Earnings |
US
National |
$64,770 |
$31.14 |
Region |
|
Outlook |
2000
Work Force |
|
2000
to 2010 Growth Rate |
| US National |
|
Stable |
453,000 |
|
13.4% |
What advice can
you give someone interested in this career?
"Take business classes," says athletic director Nancy
Meyer. "Budgeting is
very complex. Learn marketing and fund-raising because that is half
the job.
Volunteering in an athletic department is a good way to start.
Interested in learning more?
National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics
P.O. Box 16428
Cleveland, OH 44116
Internet: http://nacda.fansonly.com/
Occupational Employment Statistics
The OES has labor market data on over 700 careers
http://www.bls.gov/oes/home.htm#tables
Ideas for Athletic Directors
Get a feel for some of the challenges that athletic directors face
http://www.cifstate.org/PVH/AD.htm
Sports News You Can Use
A description of what athletic directors do
http://www.onlinesports.com/sportstrust/sports22.html
So have no fear you sports fans. Now is the time to do your research
for the sports
career you will love. Remember to keep your options open so when
it is time to put
away the sneakers you can still earn a living doing what makes you
smile.
One final note: Although I do not play in the NBA, you can see me
on the court…
blowing a whistle as an OFFICIAL.
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