Sport Management

Why Elms for my Sport Management degree?

• Exceptional academics — our sport management program is IACBE accredited.
• Find the perfect internship — Western Massachusetts is home to the Basketball and Volleyball Halls of Fame, as well as numerous professional and amateur sports teams.
• Gain experience in sports journalism through a 70-hour/semester internship on campus.
• Study sports from the perspective of business management, and prepare for careers in journalism, advertising or marketing, coaching, youth programming, event planning and promotion, and more.

Shaquille Robinson ’19

Turn Your Love of Sports Into a Career

Sport management majors at Elms College learn how to be multitalented leaders. In our program you will gain a broad understanding of business principles before focusing on your passion, whether that includes coaching and sport science, event promotion, marketing, or facilities and operations.

The sport management degree at Elms emphasizes interdisciplinary study to prepare you for the dynamic world of organized sports. By discussing the ethical, legal, and cultural aspects of athletics, you will gain a well-rounded understanding of the history of professional sports and the issues they face today.

Our graduates enter the workforce prepared to creatively respond to the demands of sports organizations at all levels. Sport management majors often choose to double major in business to further develop their skills in a specific discipline.

Gain Professional Experience

Whether you see yourself managing a front office one day or coaching a team to victory, internships give you the chance to fine-tune your skills and decide where you want your career to go. Western Massachusetts and the Connecticut Valley are home to many outstanding sports organizations that offer internship possibilities, including:

• The Western Mass Pioneers, a professional soccer club.
• The Springfield Thunderbirds, a professional ice hockey team.
• The American Hockey League headquarters.
• The Volleyball Hall of Fame.
• The Basketball Hall of Fame.

Sport management majors interested in athletics communications also have the option to complete a 70 hour/semester internship with the assistant athletic director for communications at Elms. Interns work closely with different sports teams on campus, assisting with media coverage, event promotion, and administration. Students can expect to learn the essentials of:

• Live web streaming
• Keeping official NCAA statistics
• Graphic design and layout
• News and feature story writing
• Sports photography

Mastering these skills will prepare you for graduate assistant or entry-level positions in athletics communications, athletics marketing, digital content creation, and event management.

Experiential learning opportunities help you network with local professionals and lay the groundwork for a career in account management, customer relations, coaching, athletics, public relations, or marketing.

Ryan Burgos ’17

“These two years of experience with this professional hockey team is a great thing to add to my resume. I was so very fortunate that Elms offered that.”

The Plaistow, N.H., native was a game and operations intern with the Springfield Thunderbirds.