If you’re interested in the field of public relations and the field of sports, you may have an exciting career waiting for you as a director of sports information. A director of sports information controls the information that is given out for a team or player.

What Is a Director of Sports Information?

A director of sports information is a highly qualified individual that acquires statistics based on the team and the player and then gives this information out. Sports information directors need to be extremely knowledgeable and very conscientious, as a single mistake within the numbers they give can have monumental consequences for their team and their players. Sports information directors don’t always exist and they may be called different things.

A director is usually essentially a public relations manager and may often have experience within either that field or within the field of sports. Directors need to be marketing savvy and may have several years of experience within the sports industry.

Sports information directors are usually only hired by the best teams and the area can be quite competitive. Those that want to give themselves an edge will need to prove their worth.

What Does a Director of Sports Information Do?

The director of sports information will find, categorize and distribute statistics and information regarding the team, the organization they play for and the team members. While this may initially seem very simple, it gets exceedingly complex the higher profile the team is. The director may need to organize press releases and may need to deal with bad press or losses.

The director will often need to coach players about what information they are allowed to distribute and which information to keep closer to home. Overall, the director of sports information will work with coaches, managers and agents to ensure that the public image of the team and its players remain positive and are not tarnished in any way.

How Do You Become a Director of Sports Information?

If you’re interested in the field, you may want to first acquire a degree in marketing, communications or sports. This degree is essential for most people that want to break into this industry, and most of those within the field will have at least a Bachelor’s Degree.

Afterwards, you may need to get a certification from the College Sports Information Directors of America. This certification will show that you have the knowledge and acumen to be a success.

How Do You Advance as a Director of Sports Information?

Directors are highly mobile within the field. A director of sports information may become a scout or may branch into other areas of press relations. Sports information directors may easily enter into political fields, many of which are very lucrative and are very similar.

They may also go into other sports related fields. Directors that wish to remain directors will be able to acquire higher rates of pay by either negotiating their contracts or by moving on to higher profile teams and players.

Overall, the director of sports information will need to advance based on their level of success within the industry. The director may also need to be highly networked among his or her peers to ensure that they are taken seriously within their role and that they are knowledgeable about any other possible positions that they could acquire. The field of sports and athletics is considered by the Bureau of Labor Statistics to be growing very quickly.