sports consultants are marketing experts working for professional athletes, sports teams and corporations seeking involvement in sports. Consultants broker sports business deal, ranging from corporate sponsorship of major events such as the Master's golf tournament or the Super Bowl. Sports consultants also help players gain endorsement deals. Players such as Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts football team and NBA superstar LeBron James are earning millions of dollars from endorsements as of 2011, with most of the deals set up by sports agents or consultants. Competition for sports consultants jobs is fierce because of the glamour and potential for high earnings.

Get a four-year college degree, ideally in marketing. During college get practical experience in sales and marketing through internships and part-time work. A sports consultant must have superior sales and marketing skills. If possible, secure internships with sports marketing firms.

Volunteer to help with college sports teams while you are a student. Some colleges have unpaid positions for student assistants who help with administrative duties such as a preparing the gym or playing field for practice sessions. Serving as a volunteer assistant provides valuable experience working with a sports team and allows access to players, coaches, athletic directors and other sports administrators.

Network extensively. Get to know as many players coaches, sports marketers and sports administrators as possible. Network with them through internships and as an assistant helping sports teams. Also use social networking sites to network with others in sports marketing.

Leverage your education and contacts to land a job as a sports consultant with a sports marketing agency. The Dallas Morning News reports that's exactly how John Tatum started out. Tatum, 44 years old as of 2011, started as an intern with a sports marketing company and now has his own sports marketing company with 60 employees and more than $12 million in annual revenue as of 2010.

Develop an alternative path to becoming a sports consultant if going to college is not an option. Get involved on the sales side of sports consulting by becoming a sales executive for radio or television stations. Many sales jobs require only a high school education. Hone your sports sales skills by selling advertising for sports programming on the TV or radio station.

Parlay the media sales experience into a job selling sponsorships for a local college or professional sports team. Later, branch out on your own as an independent sports consultant selling advertising and sports marketing products.