Become a High Performance Sport Manager with ACPE

What does a High Performance Manager do?

A High Performance Manager oversees and optimises all aspects of an athlete or team’s performance. Let’s break down the key responsibilities of a High Performance Manager so you can decide if this role suits you well:

• Maximising athlete performance

As a High Performance Manager in Sports, you’ll be responsible for developing long-term strategies to help athletes and teams achieve their goals. You’ll be there every step of the way, from setting performance targets to creating high-performance training programs and analysing performance data. You’ll also develop industry partnerships with key stakeholders, such as National and State sports organisations, to maximise sport program outcomes and athlete performance.

• Team leadership

Team leadership is at the core of what a High Performance Manager does in sports. You will ensure the team is athlete performance-focused while aligning with national and local quality and safety standards. You’ll work alongside the development manager and coaches to ensure the consistent development of players.

• Resource management

As a High Performance Manager for sports, you’ll work with coaches and program partners to manage the budget, equipment and facilities, ensuring athletes have access to all the tools they need to perform at their best.

• Analysing players’ performance

To drive athlete performance, you’ll work alongside coaches to analyse performance metrics and video footage of game plays, keep up with sports trends and innovations and other data to identify players’ strengths and weaknesses and make the required adjustments to improve the team’s success.

• Travel arrangements

Ensure the team’s travel, accommodation and competition schedules are suitable so they’re in peak condition at game time.

• Ensuring the holistic development of athletes

High Performance Managers in sports collaborate with coaches and other support staff to ensure athletes are developing their sporting and off-field skills. That includes nutrition, mental health and career planning. You will meet with staff throughout the year to review professional development plans for the team and make any necessary adjustments.

How do I know if a career as a High Performance Manager in sports is right for me?

At ACPE, we understand it can be daunting trying to narrow down which career pathway you want to pursue and which is best suited to your unique skillset. If a career as a High Performance Manager has perked your interest, here are some of the qualities of a successful High Performance Manager you should possess:

• Passionate about sports — When working closely with other sporting staff, stakeholders and athletes, you should have a genuine interest in sports that resonates with athletes.

• Be a leader — Being a leader means making decisions in the team’s interest and inspiring leadership qualities in others.
• Stay organised — To manage competing tasks and priorities in this role, you must hold yourself accountable to complete tasks promptly.

Becoming a High Performance Manager

To kickstart your career as a High Performance Manager in sports, you must have a relevant degree or qualification in exercise, sports or movement science. At ACPE, you can study the following degrees or courses to help prepare you for a future career as a High Performance Manager:

• Bachelor of Sports Coaching (Management)

This well-rounded, specialised degree focuses on building coaching experience and management expertise. Classes are taught by highly trained experts in their respective fields to provide much-needed context to theoretical and practical units. With an increased demand in Australia for specialist managers, this course will help you pursue your career sooner rather than later.

• Postgraduate: Graduate Certificate in Athlete Wellbeing and Management

Are you already employed in the sports industry and looking to upskill to increase your career prospects? Are you working in another industry and ready to switch careers? Or are you an experienced athlete or coach needing a formal qualification for a management position? You’ve come to the right place. This course is conveniently designed to accommodate part-time study with the flexibility to move between full-time and part-time, depending on your other commitments.

Get ready to make a difference in the world of sports and enrol with ACPE today

High Performance Managers in sports have the leadership, analytical and organisational skills required to support the success of athletes and their teams. By learning sports management principles and gaining practical experience from our highly experienced staff, you will be prepared for a future High Performance Sports Management career and play an essential part in the sports industry.

When you choose ACPE, you can rest assured that we’ve scored 89.6% in the Overall Graduate Employment Rate and 92.7% in teaching quality. Explore our careers guide for other potential sports careers, including a Sports Development Officer and our range of scholarship programs. If you have any questions, contact our team, who would be delighted to assist you further.