Define sport and what careers may be associated with it.

Identify the key requirements of the careers

you have stated.

This essay will explain the different ways sport is interpreted and defined. It shall also explore potential
reasons for the differences in opinion when it comes to the meaning of sport. It will then explain the
role and requirements of several careers within the sports industry, focusing on skills needed to be
successful within such role. As well as this, it will briefly discuss the other requirements needed for each
career, either educational or monetary, for example explaining what type of degree is best suited to
each role and mentioning prices of FA coaching courses.

What defines a sport has often been the center of debate. One definition is based around the
relationship between sport and the word ‘play’. A German theorist named Carl Deim defines the word
play as ‘purposeless activity, for its own sake, the opposite of work’. (blogs.Britannica) This is defining
sport as being autotelic, meaning it has its own goals and is done voluntarily. Others argue that not all
sports are games. They say although many known sports such as football and basketball resemble games
in that they take place out of ‘real life’, sports such as running and rock climbing do not have the same
resemblance of a game, other than that they are voluntary. It is often heard of someone to ‘play’ in a
match of rugby, however it is not the same with regards to sports such as running and diving. The
English dictionary defines sport as ‘a game, competition, or activity needing physical effort and skill that
is played or done according to rules, for enjoyment and/or as a job’ (dictionary.cambridge.org). This
differs to the understanding that sport is based around play and instead explains that a degree of skill, a
form of physical activity and a set of rules alongside the aspect of play is required to be a sport. It also
recognizes the link between a sport and a job and mentions how a sport is not always necessarily based
around enjoyment.

There are many careers associated with sport, one of which is that of a Sports Physiotherapist. They
have a very important role within sport as they are responsible for enabling the sportsman or woman to
get the most out of their body by aiding with injury recovery, pain reduction, increasing the persons
mobility and in the end preventing further injury. (https://choose.physio) The role of a sports
Physiotherapist will differ slightly to that of a normal Physiotherapist mainly because athletes place a lot
of demand upon their body and therefore tend to stress their muscles, joints and bones to the very
limit, on a much more regular basis. Furthermore, the role of Sports Physiotherapist also differs to the
role of an everyday Physiotherapist as they are more likely to be educated in a sport-specific aspect of
injuries, particularly acute, chronic and overuse injuries. Another role of a Sports Physiotherapist is to
promote an active lifestyle to help individuals improve and maintain all athlete's quality of life. Sports
Physiotherapists work in a variety of settings; those with more advanced knowledge tend to work with
the elite athletes, travelling with individuals and teams and working alongside fellow professionals such
as coaches and team doctors in order to bring the best out of the individual or groups.
(sportsphysiotherapy.org) With regards to the sport of football, a physiotherapist has several
requirements in order to be considered by teams and clubs, which shall consist of a mixture of both
Qualifications and skills. With regards to the skills needed to be an effective physiotherapist, the
individual must be able to take his or her own initiative as it is their job to assess and treat any injuries
that occur. Creative problem solving is another quality a Physiotherapist not just within sports but
generally should have. An example is thinking of new methods and techniques to maximize time-
efficiency so sportspersons especially can be fit and ready for competition as soon as possible. This
career shows a substantial amount of skill is needed in order to not just succeed but excel in his or her
role. In England, an aspiring Physiotherapist requires a minimum of 5 A*-C grade GCSE’s. They also
require a minimum of three A Levels grades C and above in order to be eligible to study a degree at
University in Physiotherapy. It is widely recommended that during the individuals time at University,
they seek valuable work experience which will only help when they eventually graduate and look for
work.

A second career within sport is a Sports Nutritionist. They differ to a general nutritionist in that rather
than just teaching someone how to eat healthy and either maintain or lose weight, the sports
nutritionist is required to devise nutrition plans that will improve stamina as well as help repair muscles
and tendons following strenuous exercise. (sports-management-degrees.com) A Sports Nutritionist must
analyze the lifestyle of their client, typically working with professional athletes, competition athletes and
fitness enthusiasts. Following this analysis, they will identify the individual's goals and from this
information create a nutrition plan with a purpose of helping them recover as soon as possible following
a match, competition or workout (sports-management-degress.com). It is important as a Sports
Nutritionist to be as creative as possible when coming up with innovative diet and exercise plans for
different sports men and women. They may also be a good analytical thinker, devising specific nutrition
plans based on logical and critical thinking. Once again, it is clear many skills are necessary for this role
within the sports industry. At the same time, an individual striving to be a Sports Nutritionist will most
likely have to study a degree in nutritional science, and then go on to complete a post-graduate degree
in a similar field. This degree will study nutrition at both world class level as well as amateur, assessing
the influence nutrition has on the sportsperson physical well-being. (premierglobal.co.uk)

The role of a coach within sports is particularly important. Focusing more on the sport of football, the
coach has many responsibilities within a team or a club, which differs between amateur level and the
elite. Regarding coaches at the amateur level, their role is to help develop players. One key quality they
must attain is the ability to remain positive, as patience and praise can be much more effective than
criticism (news.bbc.co.uk). In this role, good communication skills are vital. Having the ability to convey
his or her methods and ideas in a simple and effective way will enable their players to absorb the
information being delivered and try to input it into their game. Furthermore, a coach at amateur level
will have to consider the fact not all their players will be at the same level of performance, and they will
all develop at different speeds, especially younger players (news.bbc.co.uk). Problem solving is another
skill a coach should try to develop, being able to use their initiative and staying creative. The coach may
try to develop their logical and critical thinking, in order to asses where exactly different players require
feedback improvements. The first stepping stone towards becoming a coach is the FA Level 1 in
Coaching Football. This provides the aspiring coach with an insight to the English game and ways in
which they can better develop future players through coaching (thefa.com) Why this course appeals to
so many is because everyone is eligible for the course and there are no pre-requirements. There is a
total of 5 levels to becoming a coach through the FA, each becoming more in-depth and challenging. The
costs also change as individuals move further along the coaching pathway, with prices ranging from
£150 at Level 1, to £720 at Level 4, whereby coaches are awarded with a UEFA B License. The most
expensive course is the FA Level 5, which awards individuals with a UEFA A License, equivalent to that of
an elite coach, which costs around £3000. (discountfootballkits.com)

The role of a Sports Agent is career within the sports industry with a very high demand. Many sportsmen
and women have an agent who will be responsible for handling all contract negotiations, sponsorship
and legal deals. It is widely known that professional athletes face the risk of injury or a decline in their
performance, which may lead to a reduction in salary and popularity. ‘Accordingly, players might have a
strong incentive to mitigate their risks by signing acceptable long-term, guaranteed contracts to lock in
at least some fraction of their potential career earnings. The agents who represent these athlete's in
negotiations with teams, on the other hand, often have their eggs divided among many baskets.’
(Krautmann, A et al., 2018, pp.199) The author goes on to explain how the Sports Agent also mitigates
themselves against risks. If the performance of his or her client does begin to decline, they too may
begin to lose potential earnings. Therefore, the way they try to protect themselves from this is being a
multiclient agent, in the hope that one clients’ performance will improve, counteracting the losses from
the struggling athlete. A Sports Agent must be results-orientated. Every time they begin negotiations,
their focus should be getting the desired outcome for themselves and their client, whilst ensuring
professional relationships remain positive, which may benefit them in the future. Communication skills
are a fundamental part of a Sports Agent. Negotiating with larger teams and clubs striving for the best
possible deal both for their client, as well as themselves. Not only that, they must be a good problem
solver. Contracts of athletes, particularly the elite can be very intricate and complicated, therefore
requiring an alert Sports Agent to make sure nothing is missed. Furthermore, being a multiclient agent,
they must ensure they are good at handling more than one task at a time. Multi-tasking skills are
paramount to delivering what is expected of them by their clients, as well as meeting the requirements
of the teams and clubs. Failure to multi-task efficiently may result in chaos caused for themselves, their
client and the club. (work.chron.com) An aspiring Sports Agent may choose to study a degree in either
Sports Management, Business Management or in some cases Law. It is also important for them to
actively seek experience in the field of Marketing or if possible Agenting itself, as this will only benefit
them in the future.

In conclusion, sport can be interpreted in several different ways and the careers involved within sport
can significantly differ with regards to what the actual role involves. The English dictionary definition for
what a sport is gives off a broad view, explaining that sport does not have to be completely based
around play, but can simply be an activity done for either enjoyment or in many cases, as a job. With
regards to defining sport as a game or competition which exerts physical activity, athletes and
performers such as football, basketball and rugby players pay diligence to this theory. However, others
prefer to work in the business side of sport such as the sporting agents or working within the health side
of sport as sports nutritionists, physiotherapists and sports doctors. Furthermore, the concept of skill
within sport is evident. Across all careers within sport, key qualities are consistent such as
communication skills, time-management and team-work skills as well as creative problem solving. Lastly,
many careers within sport require an educational background of some kind, in most cases at degree
level.

Meaning of Sport in the English Dictionary. [Online]. Cambridge, United Kingdom:

dictionary.cambridge.org. Available from: <https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/sport>
[Accessed 28th December 2018]

Is Mountain Climbing A Sport? And What Is Sport Anyway? [Online]. Blogs.britannica.com. Available
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2018]

What Is Physio? [Online]. Australia: choose.physio. Available from: <https://choose.physio/what-is-

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2018]

How To Become A Sports Physiotherapist. [Online]. United Kingdom: jobsinfootball.com. Available

from: <https://www.jobsinfootball.com/career-tactic/how-to-become-a-sports-physiotherapist>
[Accessed 30th December 2018]

What is a Sports Nutritionist? [Online] sports-management-degrees.com. Available from:

<https://www.sports-management-degrees.com/faq/what-is-a-sports-nutritionist/> [Accessed 30th
December 2018]

How To Become Sports Nutritionist [Online] premierglobal.co.uk. Available from:

<https://www.premierglobal.co.uk/blog/how-to-become-a-sports-nutritionist/> [Accessed 30th
December 2018]

What Makes A Good Coach [Online] bbc.news.co.uk Available from:

<http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/academy/4354156.stm> [Accessed 30th December 2018]

Fa Level 1 In Coaching Football [Online] thefa.com. Available from:

<http://www.thefa.com/learning/courses/fa-level-1-in-coaching-football> [Accessed 30th December
2018]

How To Become A Football Coach [Online] discountfootballkits.com. Available from:

<https://www.discountfootballkits.com/blog/fa-coaching-badges-how-to-be-a-football-coach/>
[Accessed 30th December 2018]

Krautmann, A. Von Allmen, P. J.K. Walters, S. (2018) Should Players Trust Their Agents? Portfolio Size
and Agency Behavior in Major League Baseball. NY, Department of Economics, Skidmore College,
Saratoga Springs.

Skills Required For Sports Agents. [Online] work.chron.com Available from:

<https://work.chron.com/skills-required-sports-agents-5108.html> [Accessed 31st December 2018]