Your Summer Job Doesn’t Have To End In August
You just got the summer job… and suddenly fall hiring is around the corner. Here’s how to think one season ahead.
If you’ve ever stayed after the final whistle, watched your favorite team warm up, or thought, “It would be so cool to work here,” you’re not alone.
The good news? You don’t have to be an athlete to build a career in sports.
Every game, tournament, race, and community event depends on hundreds of people working behind the scenes to create an incredible experience for fans, athletes, and visitors. From ticket sales and guest experience to marketing, event operations, food and beverage, and social media, there are countless ways to turn your love of sports into meaningful work.
The first step is understanding where those opportunities exist.
Professional teams are often the first place people think of when it comes to sports careers—and they’re a great place to start. Organizations like the Broncos, Rockies, Nuggets, Avalanche, and Rapids hire people in everything from guest services and partnerships to marketing, operations, ticket sales, and food and beverage.
But professional teams are only one piece of the sports industry.
Some of the biggest opportunities can be found at the venues themselves. Stadiums and arenas like Ball Arena, Empower Field at Mile High, Coors Field, and Dick’s Sporting Goods Park need teams of people to welcome guests, manage events, operate concessions, coordinate premium experiences, and keep every event running smoothly.
College athletics offer another pathway. Universities such as CU Boulder, Colorado State, the University of Denver, and MSU Denver regularly hire students and professionals for game day operations, communications, ticketing, facilities, and event management. These roles can be a great way to gain experience while you’re still in school.
You can also build a career through youth sports and community organizations. Parks and recreation departments, YMCA programs, club sports, and tournament organizations all rely on people who are passionate about creating positive experiences for athletes and families.
And don’t overlook sporting events themselves. Marathons, cycling races, triathlons, charity runs, and other community events often hire seasonal staff and volunteers who gain valuable experience planning and executing large-scale events.
There’s no single path into the sports industry, and that’s part of what makes it exciting.
Lean into what you know and your past experiences.
Consider careers in marketing, graphic design, photography, videography, social media, or content creation. These teams tell the stories that keep fans connected long after the game ends.
Guest experience, premium services, ticket sales, fan engagement, and hospitality are all centered around creating memorable experiences for visitors. If you’re energized by meeting new people and helping others have a great time, these roles are worth exploring.
Event operations, game day operations, scheduling, logistics, and team operations keep everything running behind the scenes. These are perfect roles for people who enjoy solving problems and making sure every detail comes together.
Professional sports organizations also need people in corporate partnerships, sponsorship activation, sales, finance, and human resources. Every team is a business, and these departments help keep it moving forward.
Food and beverage, concessions, retail, and premium hospitality are some of the most dynamic roles in sports. Every game day brings something different, and there’s always an opportunity to learn new skills and grow.
Communications, public relations, broadcasting, media relations, and digital content teams help shape how fans experience their favorite teams before, during, and after every event.
Facilities, grounds crews, conversion crews, maintenance, and equipment operations are essential to every sporting event. Fans may never notice these teams—but they’d definitely notice if they weren’t there.
Whether you’re welcoming fans at the front gate, capturing content for social media, coordinating sponsors, serving guests, or helping convert an arena overnight for the next event, you’re part of something bigger than the game itself.
Curious where to start?
You just got the summer job… and suddenly fall hiring is around the corner. Here’s how to think one season ahead.
How to grow, earn more, and take the next step in hospitality.
Spring is for fresh starts. Your resume needs a refresh too!
Even if you’re not applying yet!