Five sports careers beyond fields of play - Marine Corps News, pay, benefits, careers, entertainment, photos - Marine Corps Times HOME

Five sports careers beyond fields of play

So you want to work in sports, but you lack that laser rocket arm. Fear not. The sports world offers a variety of careers and salaries for those who love sports but play at a level more recreational than occupational.

Here are five careers off the field:

High school coach/athletic director

“We don’t do it for the money,” said Lance Scheib, football coach at Franklin Central High School in Indianapolis, about coaching. “I think we do it for the pure enjoyment.”

Brad Holsinger, athletic director at Avon High School in Avon, Ind., agreed and pointed to the long hours as a test of dedication.

“There are a lot of weekends, a lot of Friday and Saturday nights.” Still, he said, “I’ve been doing this for 22 years, and I love it.”

• Training: Bachelor’s (sometimes master’s) degree, usually teacher certification.

• Pay: $30,000 to $65,000 (assumes income from full-time teaching).

Sports medicine

Career opportunities in this area are as varied as the patients and injuries treated at sports medicine centers.

Physical therapists, assistants, trainers and doctors are among the caretakers in sports medicine. They spend most of their time treating injuries that involve the shoulder, knee, foot and ankle, said Mark De Carlo, vice president of clinical services for Methodist Sports Medicine/The Orthopedic Specialists in Indianapolis.

De Carlo’s center does treat professional football players, but most of its patients are recreational athletes, he said.

• Training: Varies.

• Pay: Up to $43,000 for a physical therapy assistant; up to $400,000 for an orthopedic surgeon.

University sports information

Tom Schott, Purdue University’s assistant athletics director for communications, said he and his staff work 70 to 90 hours a week during the school year. “It’s a labor of love, no question about it,” he said.

The job involves providing information about the college’s athletics — player statistics, interviews, game results, rosters, etc. — to the outside world.

The pay doesn’t always match the frenetic pace, especially in the first few years.

• Training: Bachelor’s degree and internships.

• Pay: $12,000 to $60,000.

Personal trainer

Cherelle Lampkins would like to make it clear: Personal trainers help prevent pain, not cause it.

“We teach people the proper [exercise] techniques so that given the proper precautions, they don’t go out and hurt themselves,” said Lampkins, who works in corporate fitness management for the National Institute for Fitness and Sport.

Because she has bachelor’s and master’s degrees, Lampkins has moved into management, but she has worked extensively as a personal trainer and says the career is gratifying.

• Training: High school diploma and certification.

• Pay: $24,000 to $70,000.

Marketing

“I literally do everything from ... finding businesses here that want to tap into our fan base ... to getting the signage hung in the stadium and making contests come to life,” said Rob Lower, director of corporate sponsorships for the Indiana Ice hockey team.

He advises starting with a low- or no-pay internship.

• Training: Bachelor’s degree and experience in sports.

• Pay: $25,000 to $75,000.

(Sources: Ball State University class survey; CareerBuilder.com; CareerMag.com; Indiana Department of Education; National Education Association; SportsCareers.com; U.S. Labor Department; Salary.com.)