Managing the outfield

Mineral Area College will add Sports Management as a field of study starting in August. Major courses within the degree program will include Introduction to Sports Management, Psychology of Coaching, Sports and Society, Care and Prevention of Athletic Injuries, and Turf Management.

Job prospects for those obtaining an Associate of Arts include coaching athletic teams, scouting athletic talent, becoming an athletic administrator, producing sports marketing, managing fitness centers, providing personal training, and operating golf courses.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a 29 percent increase for jobs in coaching and scouting through 2020, and a 10 percent increase for agents and managers of athletes through 2023.

Chair of the Physical Education Department and Wellness Center Director Jeremy Partney said that the sports industry is one of the fastest-growing and lucrative career paths that a student can choose. 

“If you are interested in a career in sports that is both exciting and rewarding, consider majoring in Sports Management at MAC,” said Partney.

This field of study focuses on the business attributes of sports. Individuals working in this industry are concerned with the planning, organizing, managing, and budgeting aspects of a department or organization whose main purpose is related to sports or physical activities.

Sports management is applied in nearly all types of levels of sports, including municipal recreation, private organizations, social organizations, government athletic activities, amateur sports, college-level athletics, and professional sports.

MAC Assistant Athletic Director and Head Athletic Trainer Nathan Werremeyer said the new Sports Management degree program at MAC will give students a head start in one of the fastest growing professions in the world. With this degree you can work in anything from Athletics or Activities Director at a high school or college to Turf or Landscape Management.

“I love anything and everything related to sports, and I’m extremely excited to get this program up and running this fall,” said Werremeyer.  

For more information about this new degree opportunity at Mineral Area College, contact Jeremy Partney at 573-518-2101.

Mineral Area College will be offering a new associate degree in the field of sports management. Classes will begin in August. 

Matt McFarland is a reporter for the Daily Journal. He can be reached at 573-518-3616, or at mmcfarland@dailyjournalonline.com.