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Why More College Students Are Choosing a Career in Sports Science

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Written by CB Community

The college experience is paramount to an individual’s personality and self-exploration. In college, you get to choose which paths to take and learn more about what you like and don’t like.

The average student is concerned about what the future holds and college is the best place to form a connection with others and find your place in society. It’s also the place where you get to choose a career path you’ll follow.

There are a myriad of course options for college students to choose from. These range from humanities all the way to religious studies and everything in between. This can get somewhat confusing for most students.

Young students don’t know enough about themselves to make lifelong decisions. It makes for a hard decision for most fresh-out-of-high school students who are just getting used to the college culture.

On the other hand, we have students that have forever loved sports and fitness. These are students that are the best candidates for sports science jobs.

Now, you might be wondering… what is sports science?

Well, sports science is the study of how the human body behaves during exercise and also how sports and physical fitness aid physical, mental and social health.

Jobs in sports science are increasing gradually and this makes it even more enticing for college students. For example, jobs for exercise physiologists is set to increase by 10 percent from 2018 to 2028, this is faster than the average for all other occupations.

It is therefore evident that a career in sports science has more advantages for students who are looking to get into the fitness industry. There is a growing trend in terms of the number of college students looking to get sports science jobs.

Let’s take a look at some of the reasons why more college students are choosing sports science jobs.

Good Salaries and Incentives

In 2018, the median salary for an exercise physiologist stood at $49,270 per year. This is very lucrative for an individual with an entry-level Bachelor’s degree.

It’s no secret that the salary scale of a job plays a major role when choosing a career. For college students, a lucrative career means they can get started on paying off tuition loans and become a more independent member of society. A good salary serves as security and for most college students looking at sport science jobs. It gives them a sense of pride to have chosen a career they love and that also pays well.

As this is an industry that is set to grow 13% through 2026, it means salaries and incentives are also set to grow. With the cost of living forever rising, a rising salary is also welcome in any profession.

Sports Science Degrees Teaches Transferable Skills

A degree in sports science is great at improving the skills of students. Transferable skills are a great way to gauge a student’s understanding of both their career and overall environment.

These allow the student to be diverse when approached with a challenge and the student can draw from their studies and experience in order to solve problems.

These transferable skills include:

1. Presentation skills

In almost every career out there, at some point, one might need to make a presentation. This is no different in a sports science job. Presentations allow the student to make stats about their findings and present these to the necessary parties.

2. Research skills

In order to get a sense of how athletes reach peak performance, a student needs to research thoroughly and present their results logically and clearly. This is a transferable skill that is sought after in the job market.

Skills are an important part of any job. With a job in sports science, most students will have the skills necessary to take on the job. This will also allow them to be involved in other related research projects and in a variety of industries.

Sports Scientists Are Sought After And Are In High Demand

As an emerging industry, a lot of companies professional sports teams are counting on sports scientists. A sports scientist can offer their expertise to sports teams that want to increase peak performance for their athletes.

This means sports scientists are being grabbed from all over to perform work in a variety of fitness disciplines. The sports and fitness industry is slowly realizing how important sports scientists are in achieving their goals.

For the students out there looking into sports science jobs, this means they will be in high demand right out of college.

A Dream Job For Sports Fans

Sports fans are always screaming at the television when their teams are playing. A clear indication that they want the best for their teams.

The problem is, sports fans feel useless in the outcome of their teams’ matches and performance. This can be solved by going into the sports science industry. Joining your favorite team as a sports scientist means that you have a direct impact on their performance on the sports field.

Tracking the players’ and athletes’ performance and fitness is some of the tasks a sports scientist will be doing. Finding ways to improve the team’s peak performance and fitness is great for sports fans.

Not only can your team win more matches, but you also feel included in their success.

A Wide Range Of Paths And Options

A degree in sports science opens a myriad of choices for the graduate. The options available for a sports science graduate are one of the best in terms of variety.

Spanning from coaching and all the way to being a therapist, sports science graduates are usually spoilt for choice. The majority of newly-grads in this field aren’t typically worried about the future. Unlike in other fields, sports scientists typically don’t regret their majors as there are so many paths to take after graduation.

Here are a few other jobs in sports science:

  • Exercise PhysiologistActivities
  • Manager
  • Fitness Center Manager
  • Event Management
  • Personal Trainer
  • Sports Therapy
  • Secondary School Teacher
  • Strength and Conditioning Specialist
  • Coaching
  • Sports Administrator
  • Sports Development Officer
  • Sports Therapist
  • Teaching And Lecturing

This list goes on with other smaller roles a sports scientist can get into. It is recommended to always use your personality to check whether a certain job will be suitable for you.

Famous People Who Studied Sports Science

This profession is relatively new and an increasing amount of universities are offering it. It’s not surprising that a few popular names will pop up in this field.

Here are some famous people who studied sports science.

  • Peter Phillips
  • Tim Noakes
  • Austin Flint, Jr
  • John McFall

In Conclusion…

There are a lot of students out there that don’t have a solid plan for college and the future. If you know anyone like that, or you are also confused, you can just look at your personality and match it with the sports science jobs above.

This will gauge whether you’d be a great fit in the sports science field and give you a sense of which job you’d aim for upon graduation.

For more great education and career tips, check out the other blogs on College Basics.

About the author

CB Community

Passionate members of the College Basics community that include students, essay writers, consultants and beyond. Please note, while community content has passed our editorial guidelines, we do not endorse any product or service contained in these articles which may also include links for which College Basics is compensated.