Networking In Sports

Want to break into sports? Start by networking the right way Most people network to get something The best network to learn something So many send generic messages asking for “any advice” Or want any role just to “get a foot in the door” Instead, start by narrowing your focus Sales, service, partnerships, marketing, event presentation… When you know what you want It becomes easier to identify the right people to connect with Then target the teams and companies you’re interested in The bigger the brand, the harder it is to break in When you reach out, make the conversation meaningful Genuine curiosity stands out Share your interests and experiences Then ask specific questions about their path, expectations, culture And the skills that matter Show you’re trying to understand how the business actually works You only get one first impression. Make it count Then apply the learnings and FOLLOW UP Share progress, demonstrate you listened Networking is a long game You build your reputation months before a role opens By how you show up and how you stay engaged Then, when the opportunity comes You’re already on the shortlist For those on the hiring side What makes someone stand out during the networking process? #Careers #SportsBusiness #SportsSales #Leadership #FromRepToLeader 

When I co-founded Future in Sports (FIS), I knew it would be helpful but I didn’t expect it to create this much impact...👇🏼 🕰️ Back in 2023, while supporting friends and peers with their job hunts in a super competitive market, I realised that the sports industry was missing a supportive space. A network that genuinely guides young talent and helps them reach their full potential. 🍺 Then I met Malph Minns to chat about this idea at a Sports Pundit event and within 15 mins, we were already sketching out what would become FIS. Since then, it’s grown into an amazing community that is providing some great talent to the industry. Some wins so far: ✅ 90+ interviews landed ✅ 40+ jobs secured ✅ 20+ volunteering gigs ✅ 55% members from ethnically diverse backgrounds ✅ 26% increase in women in sport members (We like numbers. But we love the relentless effort behind them even more.) 🎙️ This journey recently gave me the chance to sit down with the Imperial Sports Business Careers Club, alongside Alina and Justin Kim, to talk all things sports business. We covered everything from busting common myths of job hunting to practical tips on networking and creating your own opportunities. 🌟 At FIS we're always open to welcoming new mentors and supporters who want to help our members thrive. We also love partnering with sports organisations to create workshops or programs that give a real look at what the industry is like. Feel free to drop a text! 🎧 Check out the podcast episode – https://rb.gy/153hq1 📝 Learn more about the community – https://lnkd.in/gtK2Cr52 #SportsIndustry #Sportsbiz

if you know a young player grinding to make it, they need to understand this: talent gets you in the door, but politics determines how long you stay. there's an unspoken network among coaches and executives that can make or break a player's career—and most athletes don't even know it exists until it's too late. 🏀 the invisible network that controls careers behind every roster decision, there's a web of relationships, favors, and backroom conversations that have nothing to do with stats. coaches talk to other coaches. executives text other executives. agents whisper to front offices. one bad reputation in this network? it follows players from team to team, league to league, for years. how this plays out: - player calls out a coach publicly -> suddenly they're "uncoachable" across the league - player switches agents -> old agent bad-mouths them to connected gms - player doesn't fit a coach's "system" -> that coach tells his coaching tree the player is "difficult" the whisper network moves faster than trade rumors, and it's far more damaging. 🏀 how parents and coaches can help look for advisors with real connections: - former players in front offices or retired coaches still connected to active gms - agents with proven track records—ask: "who do you still talk to regularly in the league?" tap into strategic networks: - aau/high school coaches who've sent multiple players pro - attend summer leagues and coaching clinics where decision-makers actually network watch for red flags: - advisors who promise connections but can't prove them - people who constantly bad-mouth others (they'll do it to you too) 🏀 the uncomfortable truth being great isn't enough. being liked, trusted, and politically savvy extends careers. players who understand this: get second chances, land coaching roles, build front office networks. players who don't: get labeled "trouble," watch less talented teammates outlast them, retire wondering why their career ended early. teach young players that all levels of basketball isn't just about what happens between the lines. it's about relationships, reputation, and understanding the unspoken rules. the politics might be invisible, but the impact on their career is very real. if you need help navigating this landscape, i'm here. lifeandbasketballbrand.com #linkedinsports #basketball #sportsindustry #sportsnews #community

In my career I’ve had the privilege of working abroad, moving from my native England to spending nearly 6 years in the NHL and NFL across America. One of the most frequent questions I get asked is how to land jobs abroad, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this: build your network in a genuine, authentic way. I remember when I got my job in the US—it wasn’t because of a CV submission, but because someone in my network was asked for recommendations for sports scientists. My name was put forward because I’d connected with that person, built trust, and maintained that relationship. Had I not made the effort to meet them and stay in touch, that opportunity might not have come my way. So, what’s the secret to building a network that works for you? Don’t just cold-call people to make sure they know your name. Instead, engage in conversation. Ask specific questions, share your research, and offer value to the conversation. Relationships are two-way streets. Social media and video conferencing are powerful tools. Use them to connect with professionals around the world—there are no limits to the size of your network these days! Be genuine and patient. These relationships often take time to grow, but when they do, they can open doors to amazing opportunities. Building a network in sports science isn’t just about getting your name out there—it’s about creating lasting, valuable relationships. These are the ones that can lead to unexpected opportunities. Check out the full video where I dive into top tips for working abroad and share more stories about how networking shaped my career: https://buff.ly/408cM3z

🏟 The next billion-dollar sports story is already in motion and it’s probably led by women. Marketing Brew reports that in its first 12 seasons, the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) has brought in $75M in sponsorship revenue, with 200+ new brands joining in 2024 alone. That’s not just growth, it’s momentum. Proof that women’s sports are both: 📈 A scalable asset class delivering compounding commercial returns 🤝 A powerful community builder uniting fans, brands, and investors And the blueprint is already here. SponsorUnited found Angel City Football Club generates $29 per social follower, outperforming 15 MLS and 25 MLB teams — and even beating the Dodgers ($13/follower) and Yankees ($8/follower). Right now, most of the NWSL’s sponsorship dollars are concentrated in a few teams like Angel City, KC Current, and San Diego Wave Fútbol Club. Imagine the impact if more clubs could replicate that success. Some thoughts on how we get there: 1️⃣ Build Content & Storytelling Capacity • Fund dedicated social/digital staff for smaller teams so they’re not relying on game-day volunteers or shared resources • Develop creative templates and brand guidelines for fast, high-quality, on-brand content • Train staff in short-form, player-led storytelling that resonates with fans and drives engagement 2️⃣ Use League-Wide Data to Identify Growth Gaps • Run engagement audits to spot underperformance vs. benchmarks (e.g., Angel City’s $29 per follower yield) • Share monthly league reports linking content frequency, engagement rate, and sponsorship conversion 3️⃣ Activate Athletes as Digital Ambassadors • Offer workshops to help players grow and monetize their personal brands in alignment with the team • Provide media training, photo/video assets, and cross-promotion opportunities with sponsors 4️⃣ Incentivize Innovation • Create a “digital performance fund” to reward teams for meeting growth milestones • Allow sponsors to co-invest in content series or fan activations with measurable ROI 5️⃣ Share the Playbook from High Performers • Reverse-engineer successful campaigns from Angel City, KC Current, etc., and adapt them to smaller markets • Facilitate cross-team creative collaborations — content swaps, joint campaigns, or league-wide themed activations We’re watching in real time as leagues, athletes, and investors turn cultural capital into economic capital. The window of opportunity is open and it won’t stay open forever. If you’re a brand, investor, or operator ready to help close the gap between potential and performance in women’s sports, let’s connect. https://lnkd.in/gMsWRvfU

💡 GREAT collection of emerging, thought-provoking ideas in sports business from leaders of some of the biggest agencies: 🟢 There's a great opportunity for athletes to create franchises on their owned channels, consistent content series. Bryson DeChambeau's success is an example (insight offered by Luke Whitehouse) 🟢 Scout and spot the up-and-coming athletes, who could end up delivering outsized value, an example being Pro Darts star Luke Littler (Lee Climpson) 🟢 There's gotta be something more exciting than jersey patches and badging. We're all perhaps a bit too excited about one more place to put a logo. We can do better, more interactive and compelling activations, such as what LEGO did with F1 recently! (Joe Smith) 🟢 There's a compelling opportunity for brands to underwrite virtually an entire sport. What could it look like to sponsor the sport's content ecosystem, especially emerging sports built on streaming? (Dan Conti) 🟢 We're in the early innings of digital-out-of-home, and the compelling opportunities there are just getting started. My note -- some of the tech we've seen in airports, for example, could be pretty interesting for sports venues and broadcasts. (Jeff Hastedt) 🟢 "Don’t just focus on visibility; show audiences why you do what you do. Prioritize engagement, authenticity, and meaningful interactions at every touchpoint." Hell yes (Scott Mager) 🟢 “The unsung opportunity in sports streaming isn’t in the live broadcast, it’s in everything that happens around it...These formats carry lower CPMs, deliver more impressions and create space for richer storytelling than a fleeting in-game spot..." Love this insight. (Taylor Miles) 🟢 The youth sports opportunity keeps growing, and it's not just the basic economics and endemic brands. There's all the expenditures around it — travel, apparel, CPG, and more. (Elizabeth Hall) 🟢 An intriguing area for exploration is content related to the business of sports, including building the brand and producing content, alongside business leaders of sports organizations. (Adam Biddle) There is a TON more in the full article, these were just a few that caught my eye and had my wheels turning! Full link to the article in The Drum in the comments, I recommend checking it out

Youth and amateur sports have always grown through word of mouth and personal relationships. That trust is powerful, but it’s hard to extend beyond existing circles and scale, especially when families or athletes are new to a community or interested in trying a new sport. This creates a visibility challenge for clubs and leagues. Most organizations are doing great work inside their programs, but that work is often invisible beyond the people who already know them. Discovery depends heavily on existing relationships, rather than making it easy for new families and athletes to see what’s actually happening inside a club. One of my founding insights for SPiN was to solve this problem by making it easy for parents, athletes, teams, clubs, leagues, and organizations to discover each other. That’s what led us to build SPiN on top of a sports-only social network framework. SPiN helps clubs and leagues gain visibility by reaching people who already care about youth and amateur sports, including families who are new to an area and actively looking for programs. Because it’s sports-only, discovery is intentional and posts land in context, so visibility reaches people who are receptive instead of getting lost in broad feeds. SPiN’s athlete lifetime profiles capture an athlete’s history over time and link it back to the teams and clubs they’ve played for. This keeps team activity, season accomplishments, and milestones visible, helping new families and athletes understand a program before they ever step on the sideline. As parents, athletes, coaches, and organizations engage, a digital community begins to form around the league, club, and team. That community extends visibility beyond one-on-one introductions and personal networks, helping programs build awareness, trust, and momentum within the broader sports ecosystem they serve. That’s a key role SPiN is being built to play. In youth sports, trust starts locally. The right digital network helps it travel.

She’s 14 years old. She loves football. But NO connections.And NO spotlight. Just pure talent. Somewhere in a small town, the story of Marcela Geremias Lima begins. Through an app that analyzes, compares, and ranks players based purely on objective data, she got noticed. No bias. No backdoors. No "right place at the right time". That’s how Marcela ended up at the top of the CUJU leaderboard and soon after, she signed with the youth academy of Corinthians São Paulo. A kid with talent. A system that sees her. A chance that changes everything. Honestly, I find this incredibly powerful. Because it tackles a real problem in football: There is so much talent out there – but a scouting landscape that needs improvement. And let’s be real: most kids who get discovered still come from privileged regions. There are exceptions, yes. But they are exceptions. Now imagine a platform where every player can be seen, based only on performance. No matter where they live. No matter who they know. That’s what this App is doing. It gives visibility, fairness, and opportunity. Technology makes scouting easier – and opens doors where no one was even looking before. That’s more than innovation. That’s a real shift.

The Real Way to Build Relationships in Football (and Business) REMEMBER. Contacts are currency. Not just in football. Not just in business. Everywhere. But here’s the problem: most people don’t actually network. They just ask. Every day, I get messages that start with: “Take a look at this player.” “I’d love to connect, I have a proposal.” “I think we can do business together.” That’s not networking. That’s asking for something before you’ve earned trust. Here’s the truth: real networking is about building a relationship. And building a relationship means: - Trust → showing consistency, reliability, and honesty over time. - Bond → finding genuine common ground. - Value → giving before asking, whether that’s insight, respect, or support. Agents want clubs to trust them. Coaches want opportunities. Players want trials and contracts. But none of that happens without a foundation. You can’t fast-track trust. You have to invest in people before they’ll invest in you. From when I built SoccerViza and to now taking over a professional club in Romania, none of it happened through cold pitches or one-off messages. It happened because of relationships built slowly — conversations, trust, and consistency that turned into opportunities. Successful people move with successful people. Not because they’re gatekeepers, but because they’ve built circles of trust where value flows both ways. Networking isn’t optional — it’s survival. Do it often. Do it intentionally. Do it the right way. Because in football — just like in business — tactics will only get you so far. It’s relationships that move projects forward. ---- If this hit you, share it with your network. ⚽️ If you’re as crazy about this game as I am, I’d love to connect. And if you’re a player trying to break into the professional game, check out www.soccerviza.com — where we help undiscovered players map out a career and even sign with our own club, FC Olimpia Satu Mare in Romania.