Sports Management: Gameday Operations

Summary

Sports are a major part of society and have been around for millennia, helping us to stay healthy while teaching us teamwork and sportsmanship. These days, sports and entertainment are closely linked, with major sporting events being watched by billions of fans all over the world. The sports industry today is one of the world’s fastest-growing industries and is worth an estimated $500 billion. Around half of this comes from spectator sports alone, making it an extremely valuable and potentially profitable area of study.

For those who love sports and being a part of the action, there are few areas of the sports industry more rewarding than gameday operations. Directly involved in coordinating and organising the efforts of sports teams and organisations, those working in gameday operations play a crucial role in ensuring sports can be seen by a wider audience. The role of gameday operations staff can change a lot, but if you want to work in the field, you’ll have to understand the kind of responsibilities involved and what sort of skills are required to be successful.

To have the best chance of succeeding in the field of gameday operations, you’ll also need to understand the industry and the different aspects that all add together to make up gameday operations. You’ll need to understand the pregame and post-game responsibilities of gameday operations staff and managers. The work of gameday operations focuses on ensuring that games go ahead according to plan and that the athletes and fans have everything they need.

You’ll need to know about the importance of communication and how gameday operations communicate effectively with the fans and each other. Modern sports are very different to how they looked just a few decades ago, and communication methods used today help to make things easier. If you want to work in gameday operations, you’ll need to know how to use modern methods to communicate and ensure that events go to plan.

Managing staff and helping them work effectively is a big part of gameday operations and with any event, those working as managers need to be able to hire and train staff as well as motivating them. If you want to work in any aspect of gameday operations, you’ll need to know how to work as a team, working effectively with others and helping your team mates to achieve their goals.

Risk management is critical for gameday operations, with managers needing to set up risk assessments and manage risk as best as possible. This work involves coordinating with other departments, including facility managers and security, to make sure that the event is safe, and risks are minimised. Gameday operations staff should also understand what master and contingency plans are and will need to know how to plan for contingencies in case of an emergency or a change in plan.

The media are a vital part of the sports industry and a big reason for why so many fans all over the world are obsessed with watching sports. Gameday operations are often involved in liaising with media members, helping to set up production and broadcasts plus arranging interviews and other media content for promotion. Every sporting event needs promoting to ensure that fans know when and where to attend and the media are often directly involved in this.

Gameday operations are often directly involved in both choosing a venue and ensuring that the venue is ready for the event. A lot of modern stadiums are multi-purpose and are used by multiple teams across several different sports. The gameday operations team ensure that the venues are fit for the event, supplying equipment, moving things into positions and ensuring that everything complies with regulations. Managing sponsors and hospitality are also critical responsibilities for gameday operations and help to prepare the venue for the event.

Making your first steps into the world of gameday operations and the sports industry can be difficult. It’s a highly competitive industry, and you’ll need to know what level of education and experience is required before you start. Experience is usually required, and many of those starting out look for volunteering positions or internships to gain that valuable experience. Knowing how to demonstrate your skills and experience in an interview is also useful, as this is an important way to stand out from the other applicants.

The sports industry has changed a lot of the past few decades as innovations in technology and techniques have introduced new ways to watch and play sports. These innovations have also had a big impact on how gameday operations staff work. We don’t know what the future holds, but it’s likely that technology will continue to adapt and affect the sports industry. It’s important that gameday operations staff understand how this process of change works and are mindful of future innovations.

What You’ll Learn

· Pregame and postgame responsibilities

· How to communicate effectively

· The importance of communicating with fans

· How to enhance the experience of fans

· Utilising social media to communicate

· How to hire volunteers

· Leadership methods and their uses

· How to work effectively as part of a team

· Managing security and security risks

· How to create master and contingency plans for an event

· Effective risk management

· All about press releases and how to write one

· Public relations and what it involves

· How gameday operations work with broadcasters

· Social media and its uses in gameday operations

· How to choose an ideal venue for a sporting event

· The work of the gameday operations staff in preparing a venue for an event

· Hospitality and its importance at modern sports events

· Managing sponsors and why sponsors are so important

· What level of education you need to work in gameday operations

· Whether experience is necessary when you first start out in your career

· How to find roles in gameday operations

· How to prepare for your interview

· Innovations and future technologies in gameday operations

Words from the Author, Saam Momen:

I have a true passion for teaching! I have proudly taught university courses in Switzerland, USA and Brazil. My career spans over 15 years in the sporting industry with jobs at the London Olympic Bid Committee, UEFA, CSM and TEAM Marketing. I possess a Master Degree in Sports Management and an Executive Education diploma at Harvard Business School on The Business of Entertainment, Media and Sports. I hope that throughout this course you are able to have a wonderful learning experience! Please do not hesitate to reach out should you have any queries.

Why Choose This Course?

Sports is a highly competitive industry, with millions of sports fans around the world hoping to land a dream career working directly with something they love. While the industry is growing, there will always be a surplus in demand for jobs within the sports industry due to how rewarding these jobs can be. Considering the level of competition, anything you can do to give yourself an advantage over other candidates can be a big help in finding employment.

One of the best ways to stand out from the competition is through education. With the right course, you can learn invaluable skills and demonstrate your passion and enthusiasm for the subject. In this course, you’ll be able to gain a better understanding of sports gameday operations and what it involves.

The course will explain what gameday operations is and what it involves. You’ll also be able to learn about the different areas of the field and the various responsibilities of gameday operations staff and what’s expected of them. The exact responsibilities of gameday operations staff can change a lot depending on what organisation they’re working for, but this course will cover general duties and areas where they might be expected to assist in.

As you progress through this course, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of everything gameday operations are involved in. You’ll learn about communication and building relationships with fans and also discover how gameday operations are involved in organising staffing and coordinating teams to get tasks completed. Working in gameday operations means being responsible for potential risks, and through this course, you’ll learn how risk is managed and all about contingency plans.

The course also focuses on the media and how gameday operations staff work with the media to promote the event and ensure that fans can get the content they want. You’ll learn more about promotional tools and how gameday operations is linked to broadcasting and social media. The course will also cover facility management and how sports gameday operations choose and prepare a venue for major sporting events.

You will learn more about how to begin your career in gameday operations, discovering the educational requirements and what level of experience is required to start out. The course will explain in-depth how best to begin your career and the steps you can take to ensure that you get off on the right path. Finally, you’ll also learn how to stay ahead of the game, being mindful of future innovations that may change the role and requirements of gameday operations.

Through studying this course, you’ll give yourself the best possible chance of success in the field of gameday operations. By the time you’ve completed the course, you will understand the field and what it takes to work in this area of the sports industry while also being able to demonstrate your knowledge to any potential employees. While education is not always a requirement of every gameday operations role, it will certainly help to improve your chances of landing your first job.