9781422270691

1 Chapter

Is a Sports Career for You?

What’s So Great about Sports Careers?

Many of us dream about playing professional sports. Who wouldn’t like to throw the game-winning pass to win a football game, make a physics-defying catch in the outfield, or break the world record in a track-and-field tournament? Hand-in-hand with success comes the roar of the crowd and the big bucks that are paid to professional athletes these days. While it’s great to dream and work hard to achieve your life goals, it’s also important to remember that only a tiny percentage of amateur athletes make it to the professional leagues , or even the minor leagues . But you don’t have to be an athlete to pursue a career in sports. There are opportunities for people who love to teach and lead others (coaches); who ensure that competitors follow the rules of their sports (umpires and referees); who maintain, analyze, and work with data (e.g., statisticians, data analysts); and who describe the events of a game or other competition live, or the next day in a news story (e.g., announcers, broadcasters, sportswriters). These are just a few

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