If you’ve ever dreamed of working in professional sport, but have been put off by a lack of physical prowess, it’s not necessarily the end of the dream – there are more jobs available in the sports industry than you might imagine, so here are some of the options available to you if you can’t quite cut it on the field.

Leisure centre manager

This may not sound like the most prestigious of roles, but there is a lot more to it than running the local sports centre – though that in itself is an undertaking that can’t be sniffed at and is the way in to taking on a multi-million pound stadium.

Leisure centre managers take care of the day-to-day running of any venue that puts on sporting events or activities – from paintball to swimming pools, indoor sports courts to dry ski slopes.

And once you have this entry-level experience, you can work your way up to managing a football stadium, rugby club or any other sporting venue.

This role could also see you branch out into events management, which will see you leading a team to plan, organise and oversee sporting events at your club.

These events could be anything from match days, where you could look after corporate hospitality, or social fundraising events at the club or somewhere in the local community.

PR and digital media

All major sports clubs now have an online presence (or need one!) and field all sorts of media requests, from personal appearances to high-profile interviews – and so they all need innovative public relations (PR) and digital media teams working hard behind the scenes.

As a PR officer, it’ll be your job to maintain the right public perception of the club and its stars under all circumstances – which can range from organising events and fund-raisers with the local community to putting a positive spin on an athlete’s transgression or the sale of a star player.

Or, as part of the digital media team, you’ll have to keep fans up to date with the latest clubs news – including PR-led stories – via its website and social media channels.

Sports journalist

Alternatively, you could work on the other side of the fence and venture into sports journalism – so instead of putting a spin on any sports stories, you’ll be looking to report the facts or even give your own opinion on events.

The role of a sports journalist will see you researching, writing and presenting sports stories for TV or online video, press, radio and the internet and will need you to not only seek out stories, but build a good working relationship with your local sports teams.

Finance manager

Sport is big business, and big business means big money – so all sporting clubs need a savvy finance manager to look after the day-to-day running of the club’s finances and maintain the accuracy and integrity of the club’s dough.

As a finance manager you’ll involved in producing the monthly accounts for what could be a multi-million pound business, as well as undertaking variance analysis and implementing financial controls.

What do you think? Do any of the jobs above appeal to you as a sports lover? Let us know in a comment!