Mental Health

First of all, if you want to watch sports with the DirecTV sports package, you would have to start with their 150+ channels package. This has the basic cable channels that will show some sports, like TNT, TBS, and USA. Sports channels like NFL Network, ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN News are also included (ESPN Classic comes with the 200+ channels package as does your regional Fox Sports Net channel). Then, if you want even more sports you should get the Sports Pack. Extra premiums like a pay movie channel or the Sports Pack start at $12 but it could be a bit less if you order more premium packages.

This package has everything the sports lover craves. You will get more NBA games with NBA TV, horse racing action, ESPNU, CBS College Sports and all the regions of FSN (although some MLB and possibly other games will be blacked due to broadcasting rights agreements). For soccer lovers (I know, if you want to watch soccer you have to spend more since it’s not too popular in the U.S.) there is the Fox Soccer Channel, GolTV and, importantly for some, Fox Sports En Espanol. You can also order Setanta Sports for a lot more soccer, rugby and a few others sports for $15 a month though I will not use that in my calculation as I will assume most readers will not buy it. So, using the DirecTV 220+ channels package and the Direct TV sports package, if you got all of this it would cost about $51 every month to get all the sports you want. It would cost five dollars less if you do not care to watch ESPN Classic.

As for the Dish Network Sports Package, it is more or less the same but with a few different variables. With Dish Network, you just get more sports channels the more channels you get. With the Top 100 package you will get ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN News and the other basic channels that show some sports like TNT, etc. Next, the Top 200 package gives you a lot more like ESPN Classic, NFL Network, all the Comcast Sports and FSN channels, the Big Ten Network and basically everything you would get in the Sports Pack minus the soccer channels.

If you want the Fox Soccer Channel and GolTV, you will have have to get the Top 250 and if you absolutely wanted Fox Sports en Espanol you could only get it by adding a Spanish channels package for $13 a month (you can also add Setanta Sports for the same price as DirecTV). So, basically if you want all the sports you can get with the Top 250, it is going to cost you about $55 for that package. Alternatively, you could just get the Top 100 and get the Dish Network Multi-sport Pack (lots of sports for $6 a month, which is the only way to get NBA TV outside of getting a special NBA package). So you see there are ways the Dish Network Sports Package can be more or less than DirecTV depending on what you want.

So, should you get the DirecTV sports package or the Dish Networks sports package? It’s really up to you. If you want all of everything, DirecTV is $4 cheaper. There are many sports channels these days, and each provider has just a couple channels that the other will not have, and they each put some channels at different levels of their packages. You have to decide what sports you want to watch the most and if you decide on price you have to do the comparisons yourself. There are a lot of variables involved with everyone’s different tastes but I hope I have you a good overview to help you in making your decision.

Sports Authority, for me, is the best place to get sports equipment and they are known for offering 25% off coupons all the time. They cater to those in need of equipment for a variety of sports including basketball, soccer, and even paintball. Since I am an avid golfer, this is where I always get my golfing equipment.?I still remember the time when I bought my first golf clubs set.

I went into the store without a clue on how to go about making my purchase. I must have looked as clueless as I felt because one of the salespersons immediately approached me and offered her assistance.?She then led me to the golf section of the store where they had a varied selection of goods. I mentioned that I had a coupon and that I needed golf shoes with a complete set of golf clubs. She proceeded to show me a variety of choices for each thing that I wanted, and was patient enough to answer my probably ridiculous questions about the sport. ?

After around 30 minutes of glove wearing, shoe fitting, and club swinging, I finally ended up deciding on my purchases. For my shoes, I bought a pair of Nikes to match my dri-fit polo, and for my golf clubs set, a brand new shiny Callaway X-20 set.?I was very pleased that I was able to find everything I needed in such a short time and all in one place. Also, the price was very reasonable as compared to other sporting goods stores.?

Though jobs in the sports industry might seem to be plentiful, it is a very competitive field. Divided into ten sections, this industry contains thousands of jobs in, sporting events, trade shows and meetings, sport sponsors, sport related media, sport facilities, sport retailers and manufactures, and professional sport services.

This industry in particular has a large turnover, a complex infrastructure, and an influence on many people’s lives via the media and participation. To completely understand the nature of the sports industry, one must know that it is composed of different components:

Different Components in the Sports Industry

o Sporting goods – equipment manufacturers, high street sports retailers

o Facility management, provision and maintenance – motor sport facilities, stadiums, sports and leisure centers

o Sports coaching

o Sports tourism – packages for fans attending the world cup matches, or Olympics

o Sports development – sports development initiatives, governing bodies for various sports, local authority sports development officers

o Sports-related gambling/betting

o Professional sport

o Health and fitness – health clubs, GP referral schemes, personal fitness

o Trainers

o Sports medicine -sports injury clinics, physiotherapists

o Outdoors and adventure activities – mountain biking, climbing, canoeing

To know every section of the sports industry, you must understand the type of activities that take place and the respective organizations that provide them. For instance, if you are planning to get involved with sporting goods, you should know the different types of goods that are available through specialist equipment manufacturers and high end retailers, plus names of the various companies involved.

Likewise, to seek a job in sports development, you should be aware of what ‘sports development’ is and the various jobs available for sports development officers, as well as the organizations that employ them, like the local authorities and charities governing bodies of different sports.

In general, people take it for granted that jobs are restricted within the sports industry. However, there are many other opportunities available. A job in the sports industry could range from that as a professional athlete, to a ball girl/ boy, to a general manager of a professional sports team. You don’t have to work for a professional sports team to get into the industry. You could start working as a trainer or coach for a high school team, a journalist, or a sports agent, or even work as a television broadcaster.

Salary Range in the Sports Industry

The sport, the team and the type of job, are some of the aspects that influence salaries in the sports industry. Following are examples of salary ranges of some jobs in the sports industry:

Coach: $20,000-$400,000+ (College) and $20,000-$70,000 (high school)

Sportscaster: $18,000-$1 million

Sportswriter: $15,000-$1 million

Sports Event Coordinator: $24,000-$90,000+

Education largely depends on the type of job one is planning to pursue. A college degree may not assure a job in the industry but may provide numerous opportunities for employment. Besides, it is almost impossible to get into the sports industry without experience. The best way to prepare for a job in the sports industry is to get maximum exposure.