15 Random Ways to Make Money in Sports Without Being an Athlete
We can't all make the squad. Luckily, there are tons of odd ways to work in sports, from scooping poop to baptizing players.
Members of the Pittsburgh Steelers Steeline drumline pose before a NFL football game against the Oakland Raiders at Heinz Field.
Here's the bad news: According to the NCAA, only 1.7 percent of college football players go on to the pros. For basketball, that figure falls to 1.2 percent for men and 0.9 percent for women. The good news: If you can't be an athlete, you can still be an athletic supporter. These wise words from Grease serve those well who have more hoop dreams than talent (which is literally 99 percent of us).
The players are obviously the most visible component, but it takes much more than them to pull off the spectacle of professional sporting events. From being a part of pregame entertainment on a drumline, to washing and repairing uniforms, you can be an MVP with no hops and no college degree. Here are a few odd jobs that won't make you a millionaire, but will still put you close to the action.
Everbank Field Swimming Pool Lifeguard
The Gist: Save drunk people from drowning
Salary: $15/hour (supervisor)
The Jacksonville Jaguars actually took out 9,500 seats in the north end zone and replaced them with a two-level party deck that has two pools and 16 cabanas. Much more fun than watching the team lose at home, but alcohol + water + rowdy fans = danger. That's where you would come in.
The Gist: Break in footballs for the QB. (Insert Deflategate joke here.)
Salary: Varies widely, though the range is $75,147-$96,892
The Los Angeles Rams bestow the title of master of game ball; other teams use the less pretentious title of equipment manager. Regardless of what you call them, someone goes through the process of taking footballs, which are all different due to being handmade with real leather, and preparing them for play. Can you scrub a football? Then you might be able to do this gig.
Horse Mascot Handler
The Gist: The Denver Broncos have a real-live horse for a mascot. Someone has to handle the horse.
Salary: Hard to find, but the horse's coat and saddle cost $20,000
Horses are massive. They also poop a lot and run when scared. Do you think you could a keep big ole horse calm while thousands of people are screaming and pyrotechnics are going off? Can you brush the horse and scoop its poop? Then maybe head to Denver and help take care of the mascot, Thunder.
Atlanta Hawks Organist
The gist: In-game rockstar
Salary: Hard to find
Most stadiums just play music from a computer set list. But not the Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks have Sir Foster, an organist who plays the hottest songs from the radio, as well as original compositions. You wanna hear Migos? How about "Let It Go" from Frozen? Tweet him and he'll play it by ear. The crazy part is, Sir Foster heard about the job via Craigslist and has been jamming ever since; he's even been invited to several All-Star Games.
Team Chaplain
The Gist: Hold chapel during camp and before games
Salary: Financial support comes from their outside work; players can contribute to their ministries.
There is an outside group called Athletes in Action that pays 11 of the 32 NFL team chaplains, but this is more a position for someone with a heart to serve. They fall under "player development," meaning they act as a spiritual confidant or counselor, no matter a player's individual beliefs. They are also available for pastoral care like baptism, wedding preparation, deaths, and Bible studies.
Professional Fan
The Gist: Go to games and get the crowd into it
Salary: Could be $2,000 per event
You know that one guy at the game who's way too amped? Maybe he starts the wave every break? Might be an actual, professional fan. One of the more famous cases is Cameron Hughes. As of 2012, he had attended 1,010 games in 36 states and 4 countries and was paid to go to each one of them.
The Gist: Dive for balls that lost to hazardous waters
Salary: $50,000-$100,000
Turns out golf-ball diving is a $200 million business. This explains why some courses hire divers to salvage and refurbish sunken balls for resale. Oh yeah, just watch out for water snakes, alligators, snapping turtles, and muskrats.
Hockey Ice Maintenance
The Gist: Keep the ice clean and in good shape
Salary: $13/hour; sometimes just free games
There are some places the Zamboni can't reach, particularly the creases of the arena. Maintenance personnel come out to keep the ice clean after warm-ups and during timeouts.
The Gist: Keep the grass pretty
Salary: Average of $65,000/year
A turf manager keeps the "sporting pitch" ready for use, be it artificial turf, grass fields, clay courts, etc. Many schools and universities offer four-year programs or certificates in turf management, but most positions are simply known as groundskeepers.
Fenway Park Scoreboard Operator
The Gist: Operate the iconic manual scoreboard in Boston's legendary Fenway Park
Salary: $35,000-$50,000/year
Most teams use digital scoreboards, but not in Boston. The Green Monster requires someone to slide the 2-pound plates of painted numbers and letters into panels on the scoreboard. It's not glamorous, but it's classic.
The Gist: In-game gopher
Salary: Minimum wage
Towel boys run a variety of errands, including picking up beverage cups and warm-ups suits, and washing towels. They probably got LeBron that cup of coffee he was sipping on the sideline the last time the Cavs played the Clippers.
UFC Cutman
The Gist: Patch the fighters up
Salary: Paid per event as independent contractor
The cutman is a central figure in UFC and boxing, who is responsible for preventing and treating injury. In MMA, they're independent contractors paid by promoters to work the event. One of the more famous cutmen, Jacob "Stitch" Duran, said he was paid by brand sponsors. In boxing, they're paid by the fighter, earning around 2% of the purse.
The Gist: Ride horses on non-game days and prepare for jockeys
Salary: Median is $50, 691
The animals are the real athletes in horse racing, and someone has to get them ready to run. This job requires being attuned to a horse's well-being, simulating the various parts of race day, and communicating with jockeys and trainers. It only calls for a high school diploma, but it takes years to master.
Purrrcussion drumline
The Gist: Provide entertainment before and during games
Salary: Varies
Your marching band glory days don't have to end in college. Many teams hire drumlines to entertain the crowd, such as Carolina's Purrcussion line. Some troupes also play outside events like parades and rallies. Pay can be up to $100/game, or just free food and swag.
The Gist: Help catchers warm up
Salary: Just under six figures
If you don't mind catching about 200 pitches per day, then you can do this job, where you show up to the ballpark hours before games begin for batting practice.