When people think about athletes, they usually think about games, highlights, championships and stats. However, there is an entire side of business behind every successful athlete.
Athletes today aren’t just players. They have become brands, public figures, business partners, community leaders and role models to the public. This is why sports managers are so important. They help athletes manage the opportunities and responsibilities that come with being in the sports industry.
So what does a sports manager do?
Sports managers help athletes succeed beyond the game by handling business opportunities, daily responsibilities, personal branding and long-term career growth. Depending on the type of sports manager, they may work with athletes, teams, leagues, brands, schools or sports organizations.
Quick Highlights
- In 2023, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated there were 12,870 agents and business managers of artists, performers, and athletes in the U.S., with a median salary of $84,900.
- FIFA reported 10,525 licensed football (soccer) agents worldwide in 2025, showing that soccer has the largest athlete-representation markets in the world.
- In men’s professional soccer, clubs paid a record $1.37 billion in agent fees in 2025, which was over a 90% increase from the previous year.
- The NFLPA lists 1,070 certified contract advisors, and the NBA lists 827 certified agents.
Connecting Athletes with Business Opportunities
One of the most significant jobs a sport manager does is help athletes find ways to earn money outside of playing their sport.
Athletes can work with brands through sponsorships, endorsements, partnerships, paid appearances, social media campaigns, and promotional events. This has become even more prominent with the acceptance and normalization of NIL.
The NCAA now allows their student-athletes to receive compensation for their name, image, and likeness through utilizing their various social media platforms and participating in promotional media.
A sports manager helps make sure that these opportunities are aligned with what the athlete currently represents, aims to represent and their existing brand. It is the sports managers job to ensure that the brands they are promoting ultimately matches the athlete’s personal brand image. This helps the athlete build partnerships that feel authentic, rather than random money grabs.
This is exactly the kind of work we do at Athelo Group, helping athletes identify brand opportunities that feel authentic to their story. After IndyCar driver Conor Daly went viral for joking about an unexpected moment during the Indianapolis 500, we helped secure a partnership with Depend that turned the viral moment into a creative sponsorship opportunity that benefited both the athlete and the brand.
Keeping Everything On Track
It’s also a sports manager’s job to help keep athletes organized. Oftentimes an athlete has to balance all of their training, practices, team meetings and more, leaving them with very limited bandwidth for much else.
Sports managers assist with scheduling, travel, appearances, meetings, communication and other logistics so the athlete can stay focused on their performance. A lot of the time the team behind the athlete ensures they are at every signing event, community appearance and media interview.
Behind-the-scenes work may not go noticed by fans, but it is extremely important for the athlete.
If an athlete is late, misses an appearance or has too many things scheduled, they could potentially get overwhelmed. This could lead to reputation and mental health concerns. A sports manager helps prevent that by keeping everything organized and professional on the athletes behalf.
The Reality of Life After Sports
Unfortunately, athletes can’t play forever (sorry to all the Lebron James fans). Eventually, their career will come to an end.
Because of that, athletes need to think about what comes next and what they want their future to look like. This is where sports managers can be extremely helpful; they can help athletes start their own businesses, personal brands, expand their networks and find career opportunities beyond their athletic career.
This could include helping an athlete start a foundation, launch a clothing brand, begin broadcasting, become a podcaster, invest in a company or create a community program. Sports managers can help with these things while an athlete is still playing, so that once they are ready for retirement, they already have other avenues of income.
At Athelo Group, we represent Mark Henry, a former WWE athlete. Although he is now retired from professional wrestling, post-career opportunities including comedy shows, community events and DJ gigs help ensure his brand continues to grow beyond the ring.
This is especially important as the sports industry is becoming more connected to media, entertainment, business and technology. Deloitte’s 2026 sports industry outlook notes that sports are increasingly converging with media and entertainment. Venues are also becoming year-round platforms, showing that athletes are continuously seeing more opportunities outside of their sport.
Why Sports Managers Matter
Sports managers matter because they help athletes succeed in life, not just as competitors. They help athletes manage their time, grow their brand, make business decisions and prepare for their future.
Fans typically just appreciate the final product, the game, interview, social media post, or brand partnership. What they don’t see is the planning behind it that the player relies on.
Sports managers are often the people making those moments happen smoothly. Without sport managers, athletes would have a much harder time balancing sports, business, media, travel and long-term career goals.
At Athelo Group, this same mindset shapes how we work with athletes every day, helping them identify opportunities that make sense both now and in the future.
FAQ:
- What is the main job of a sports manager? The main job of a sports manager is to help handle the business and organizational side of sports. For athletes, this can include sponsorships, scheduling, travel, appearances, communications, and career planning.
- Do sport managers only work with professional athletes? No. Sports managers can work with professional athletes, college athletes, teams, leagues, schools, brands, agencies, and sports organizations.
- How do sport managers help athletes make money? They help connect athletes with sponsorships, endorsements, NIL deals, appearances, partnerships, and other business opportunities. All in which can contribute to an athlete’s income.
- Why is personal branding important for athletes? Personal branding helps athletes show who they are beyond the sport. A strong brand can lead to more sponsorships, media opportunities, community impact, and career options after sports.
- Why is this career important in today’s sports industry? Sports are no longer only about the game. Athletes are connected to business, media, entertainment, social media, and community impact. Sport managers help athletes navigate all of those areas specifically.