In the past few years, new job roles have been created and redefined by organisations within the sports industry which has adapted to the changes in the market or the world in general. The career options available today may evolve into different roles, creating more opportunities in the future. In this regard, 2022 will be a pivotal year as by now organisations are learning how to overcome covid challenges, leverage digital tools to drive new sports revenue streams, be active in addressing race, gender, and LGBT+ inequality and injustice and explore new ways to fuel year-round fan engagement.
Here is a quick guide on 5 new roles which have been created by many organisations:
1. Life skills coach
Sport has long been associated with developing skills and behaviours that allow young people to become competent athletes and people. Researchers have acknowledged that participation in sports may have the potential to enhance personal development and improve skills such as communication and leadership.
For eg. Mets recently advertised for a Life Skills Coach position ( application for the position is closed now but you can check the description for understanding the role) - https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/life-skills-coach-at-new-york-mets-2837914215/
2. Sustainability specialist
Sports organisations are now being assessed through a sustainability index. Recently, all the Premier League clubs were asked to provide evidence of schemes in eight categories:
- Clean energy
- energy efficiency
- sustainable transport
- single-use plastic reduction or removal
- waste management
- water efficiency
- plant-based or low-carbon food options
- communications or engagement
To implement sustainability practices, many clubs are hiring a sustainability specialist. From CO2 savings to circularity topics, the Sustainability function supports businesses to set the sustainability strategy and the guidelines for implementation.
See some examples:
3. Inclusion and diversity
Inclusion and diversity have become a hot topic across organisations. As conversations about systemic racism and misogyny are amplified around the world, updating practices to support a more diverse and inclusive workplace is more important than ever and the sporting organisations have realised this.
4. Human rights advisor
Many sporting organisations in the past few years have been criticised for helping countries ‘sportswashing’ and exploiting human rights.
Organisation like FIFA established The FIFA Human Rights Advisory Board in 2017, following a 2016 report and recommendations by Professor John Ruggie, with the objective of helping FIFA to “strengthen its efforts to ensure respect for human rights.”
FIFA was recently looking for a Human Rights Advisor who would help the organisation to further embed respect for human rights in FIFA’s competitions.
5. Metaverse expert
The metaverse is expanding in 2022. A metaverse expert should have an understanding of the metaverse and NFTs. The person is expected to conduct research tasks such as competitor benchmarking or analysis of new sectors / categories, identifying key trends and providing recommendations to his/her team. Recent hiring was done by City Football Group.