I want to create awareness among students of a career in sports management, says Pratha Agrawal

I was a Science student in school with Physics, Chemistry and Biology as my main subjects. However, it was not a career path I had chosen and I wasn’t happy as well as satisfied with my scores. I had made my mind that this is not something I would like to continue with. Meanwhile, a lot of things started residing in my mind.

After my Board exams, I went to Mumbai and my sister introduced me to a counsellor. I always had a keen interest in sports and got excited when heard about a career path called Sports Management. I explored more and found the IISM - International Institute of Sports Management. Luckily, I cracked the entrance test and got admission to this one-of-its-kind institute.

I started my preparation prior to the Sports Management Admission Test (SMAT). I practised previous years’ SMAT question papers, referred to reasoning books, and read sports magazines, current affairs books, Google and newspapers.

I could not clear the exam in the first attempt, so I tried again. Based on the scores in the qualifying exam, I was called for Personal Interview round. There were other students also who were trying to figure out a career in Sports Management.

I had my interview session with Devendra Prabhudesai. It was good, I was confident about my answers.  Then the results were declared, and I was one of the selected students. I didn’t choose to undergo any preparatory classes before the exam or the interview round.  There were other colleges, too, but I didn’t apply for them because I was fully satisfied with my choice. There were no challenges exactly, it was a smooth and clear selection process.

My college timings are from 8:00 am to 12:30 pm. There are two lectures each of two hours and a half an hour break between them.

I like to attend classes. Some of my favourite subjects are Foundation Course In Physical Education, Foundation Course In Human Skills, Business Communication and Economics.

After lectures, there are different options available for students such as a canteen called Pavilion, foosball, carrom board and other game equipment. In IISM, there are many student clubs and societies. I am a member of Institute Social Responsibility Cell (ISRC) and Research cell.

To create social awareness, the institute also provides various platforms for students to indulge in activities. As a part of Research society, we collect primary and secondary data, work on it and come to a conclusion which we can present to faculty members in the form of a report.

I am sure there are many more people just like me, passionate about sports and looking to channelising their enthusiasm and interest in the right direction. If given a chance, I want to create awareness among all those students of a career in sports management.

After spending almost three months in this college, I now feel some changes in myself. I have learnt a lot about sports and the hard work that is required to organise an event, team management skills and decision-making capability. This course is helping me learn to take care of my responsibilities, also in enhancing my thinking capabilities, how to handle work and so on.

As I am in the first year so it's difficult to talk about opportunities coming my way. But yes, I am looking forward to as many opportunities and challenges as I can handle. I wish to work for BCCI in the future.

About Author

Pratha Agrawal is a first-year student at IISM. She belongs to Satna, Madhya Pradesh. She likes poetry, sketching, dancing, keeping up with sports and participating in cultural activities. She is also a volleyball and badminton player and an avid social worker.

Note: The views expressed in this article are solely author’s own and do not reflect/represent those of Shiksha