What Can You Do with a Recreation and Sport Studies Major?

Coaching, training athletes, managing a team and more – they’re all vital activities involved in the maintenance of successful athletics programs across the country. However, these tasks require skilled professionals who are well-versed in the technical details of sport management and business. Fortunately for students interested in this line of work, the recreation and sport studies program at Concordia University, Nebraska offers the opportunities necessary to become an expert in this field.  

Recreation and sport studies is a major within the health and human performance department at Concordia Nebraska. Students in this program will take courses in coaching, the sociology of recreation, legal and ethical aspects of athletics and more. The professional athletics industry is worth billions, and knowing how sport and recreation contribute to general health and wellness is vital.  

With a bachelor’s degree in recreation and sport studies, you can find positions in a wide range of athletics-related careers, such as sports management, athletic directorship, coaching and physical education. With further education, you may find careers in physical or occupational therapy, athletic training and more. At Concordia, you will have the unique opportunity to substitute certain undergraduate courses for graduate-level Master of Business Administration courses as part of the Bachelor’s-to-Master's program, if you so desire.  

Sports Management 

Sports managers plan, direct and coordinate activities related to fitness and leisure. On average, they earn $73,000 annually and work a typical schedule. Depending on the size and scope of the team by which they’re employed, they may handle media relations, promotional events and even trade deals. More broadly, they handle the business side of a sports team’s operations. Therefore, it is necessary that sports managers have a wide understanding of sports finance, accounting, sales and more, all of which appear in the course requirements for recreation and sport studies majors at Concordia Nebraska!  

Athletic Director 

Athletic directors, like sports managers, can be employed by organizations from large universities to small parochial schools to organizations of many other types. Wherever they find themselves employed, they serve as vital overseers of athletic programs and as a resource for student-athletes, coaches and other staff. Their duties may range from addressing legal questions to creating sports schedules that ensure that two teams aren’t using the same facility at the same time. Typically, they earn around $68,000 annually, but salaries can cover a wide range due to variety in employment locations.  

Physical Education Teacher 

Physical education teachers most often earn a degree in education, but students can still pursue a major in recreation and sport studies as a way of broadening their career horizons or simply being a more learned educator. For example, physical educators can benefit from a secondary degree in these studies if they wish to serve as an athletic director or coach at their school! Physical education teachers can serve anywhere from elementary schools to universities and earn between $50-60,000 annually. Depending on the school’s size and requirements, they may also teach health classes or fulfill other duties. 

Coach 

Coaching is another career that contains a myriad of options for specialization by sport, age level and more. Coaches’ schedules are highly variable, but for those who are employed full-time, salaries are around $45,000 annually. Many coaches work part-time and hold another full-time position, such as teacher, professor or businessperson. On the job, coaches may conduct practices for entire teams or parts of a team, accompany teams to games and offer advice and encouragement throughout, and keep track of a team’s records. They are highly knowledgeable members of a team’s staff and are largely responsible for keeping sports teams running.  

Athletic Trainer 

Athletic training is a career that typically requires education past the bachelor’s level. Master’s degrees in athletic training are the most common level of education achieved, and typically improve career opportunities and outcomes. The primary job of an athletic trainer is to prevent and, if necessary, treat injuries to muscles and bones. They may evaluate athletes for injury risk and apply protective devices or develop rehabilitation programs for injured athletes. They also serve as educators in a sense, teaching athletes and others how to avoid and treat various injuries. Athletic trainers earn about $60,000 annually and work with teams of medical professionals and first responders.  

The recreation and sport studies program at Concordia Nebraska is a place to learn about the vital role that recreation, wellness and sport play throughout the lifespan. Students will examine the role that sports play in the economy, culture and everyday life. Graduates will be equipped to serve in administrative and operative positions in the sport, athletic and recreation industries. Learn more about Concordia’s recreation and sports studies program here.