So you played on your high school baseball or football team and aspired to be a professional athlete, but then a couple injuries hit or maybe you simply hit your ceiling (or stopped growing). That doesn’t necessarily mean your career in sports is over, it’ll just be much different. You’ll just have to find a way to continue it off the court.
The great news is the rise rise of technology has opened up many doors all over the world; the range of jobs and careers now available thanks to the internet.
You can now make a living by making YouTube videos or writing blogs, and in many cases – if you have what it takes – you can earn as much, if not more, money than the ‘traditional’ career paths that were deemed necessary in order to live out your American Dream in the 20th century.
This means that if all you care about is sports, this will not hold you back. You can apply your knowledge in various ways and not have to succumb to the 9-5 lifestyle that you simply aren’t cut out for.
Here are some of the ways in which you can make a living within industries that are related to sport.
Start a Blog If you build it, they will come. It’s true. What’s missing from that cliche passage is your passion. If the first you do is look up scores and game recaps, watch videos and read articles about your favorite player, team, or league, you can turn that fire into content. And then you can put that content online.
With website software like SquareSpace, Wix, WordPress, SubStack and a host of other free one click website makers — starting a website has never been easier or cheaper.
There might be a slight learning curve as you learn all the functionality of whatever platform you choose, but once you get the basics down, you’ll be turning your desire and passion for Zion Williamson, the New Orleans Saints or the MLB into content others will want to read. Once you have the readers, you can turn those eyeballs into clicks via ads from Google Adsense or other marketing platforms that will pay you for the views.
Starting a website and making money from it is a slow burn, but if you stick with it, you can easily make good money over time. Take a look at the ad below for inspiration…
Buy and Sell Collectibles Sports cards’ biggest boom in decades has occurred since the spring of 2020, and this has provided an opportunity for savvy investors to buy and flip cards and stickers of their favorite players.
Fans have always collected cards from baseball, basketball, American football, ice hockey, and other North American sports, but soccer is now a big player and its cards may only continue to increase in value due to its global appeal.
If you are smart about your investments, you can make a living by flipping cards, or you could even open your own online store.
Online Betting and Sports Books Making money through placing bets is very difficult. It usually requires setting up your own sophisticated system and essentially working full-time hours in an attempt to find value, and even then, it’s all very high-risk.
Trading on betting exchanges can be a lower-risk approach that is easier to master for some people, but you can make money through sports betting in ways that don’t require you to actually be gambling all of the time.
Affiliate sites are a good option, and by writing reviews on Bet365, or guides on how to bet on certain sports, or lists of betting offers, you can send new players to bookmakers.
If you like to bet for fun, you can create content around it such as podcasts, videos, and blogs.
Become a YouTuber I watched my friend take his passion for the Golden State Warriors into a successful website and even more successful YouTube channel.
Football (soccer) fan channels have become a huge hit in the UK over the last decade, and there are many excellent creators who simply talk about their teams in front of a camera and gain popularity and a large following.
By building an audience on YouTube, other opportunities within the media may present themselves, as traditional media outlets look to embrace influencers as this can be the best way to attract younger viewers or listeners.
After building your profile, you may be able to secure brand deals while also potentially earning a steady income through Google AdSense.
Collect Data at Live Events
Live scores services now provide updates for the most obscure leagues all over the world, and this means that no matter where you are based, there may be a need for people to go to events and cover games.
If you have a good enough understanding of a particular sport, you may qualify to be able to go and gather data from stadiums. All you need is a phone and an internet connection while you are there.
