1-week intensive, Lisbon, in English

How to Step into the Sports Industry

Meet the people running sports organisations, and shape your own path into the industry.

Overview

Build your future in sport

Golpath Institute's How to Step into the Sports Industry programme gives you a real look at the sports industry beyond agents and lawyers.

Sports management spans far more ground than most people realise, from entrepreneurship and sports tech to club management and organisational leadership. You spend the week meeting people building careers across these different paths, to figure out where you actually fit. This is where you start shaping your own path into the industry.

Participants talking in the stands during a stadium visit in Lisbon

Format: 1 week
Location: Lisbon, Portugal
Language: English
Next intake: 21 to 25 June 2027

What you'll explore

Built around real people, not one path

You'll spend time inside the working world of people building real careers across the industry, covering what a career in each part of it actually looks like.

A day in the life of

A sports entrepreneur or investor

Building or backing new ventures in sport, from pitching an idea to putting money behind one.

A day in the life of

An athlete manager

Managing an athlete's career day to day, from contracts and schedules to protecting their time and image.

A day in the life of

A media expert

Building a media career around sport, from storytelling and content to covering the business behind it.

A day in the life of

A sports tech and data specialist

Building the tools and data that shape how teams and organisations compete and improve.

A day in the life of

A sports organisation leader

Running a sports organisation, a major event or a mission-driven initiative, and what it takes to make it work.

By the end, you'll have a clear perspective on where you could work in sports, real contacts to help you get there, and a clear plan for your first steps.

Book your place See dates

On the final day

Leave with your own pathway

On the last day, you step back from everything you've heard and map out where you want to be in three to five years, and the steps to get there. Our team mentors you through it and gives you feedback on your plan, so you leave knowing exactly what to do next.

Reflect
Look back at everything you've seen and heard during the programme.
Plan
Map where you want to be in 3 to 5 years, and the first steps to get there.
Get feedback
Our team mentors you through your plan and gives you honest feedback.

Who it's for

This programme is for you if

You're a student or early in your career and curious about the business side of sport.
You don't see yourself as an agent or a lawyer but you want to work in sport.
You're thinking about moving into sport from another industry and want to see where your skills fit.

Book your place

One intake in 2027

The programme runs once a year, in June.

June 2027 Limited places

21 to 25 June 2027

1 week in Lisbon
Taught in English
€1,490 ~~€1,990~~ incl. VAT Early-bird until 31 December

Book your place

Or reserve your place with €500 and lock in the early-bird price.

Three ways to pay

One payment

€1,490

Pay the early-bird price in one go when you book, and you're all set.

Two instalments

2 × €745

Half when you book, the other half 90 days before the programme starts. The early-bird discount applies.

Reserve your place

€500 now

Hold your place and lock in the early-bird price (€1,490 in total). Pay the rest within 30 days, or once your visa is approved if you need one. The €500 is non-refundable.

All prices include VAT. The early-bird price is the same whichever way you pay.

Have questions first? Talk to us.

Faculty

Meet your speakers

Speakers from our previous editions. The 2027 line-up will be announced soon.

See all speakers

Guilherme Müller
General Manager, Benfica Campus
Lourenço Cardoso Menezes
International Business Manager, SL Benfica
Cindy Santos
TV Host and Sports Journalist, Sporting CP

Included

What's included

Industry professionals
Learn from agents, lawyers and people running sports organisations today.
Practical workshops
Case studies, role-plays and real-world exercises, not lectures.
Club visits
Go behind the scenes at clubs and sports organisations in Lisbon.
A small, international intake
Real attention, and peers from across the world.
Certificate
Awarded at the closing session of your programme.
Your personal pathway
On the last day, map where you want to be in 3 to 5 years, with mentoring and feedback.

Testimonials

What past participants say

Book your place

FAQs

Questions before you book

Do I need prior experience in sport?

No. The programme is built for people who want to find their place in the sports industry, wherever they're starting from. You need to be 18 or over, with English at B2 level or above, since all sessions are in English.

How is this different from the Football Agent and Sports Lawyer programmes?

Those two focus on one specific profession. This programme looks at the wider sports business, from entrepreneurship and media to sports tech and running organisations, so you can see the different roles and figure out which one fits you.

What's included, and is accommodation part of it?

The fee covers all sessions and workshops, visits to clubs and sports organisations, networking and social activities, your pathway session and your certificate. Travel, meals and accommodation aren't included in the price, but we can help you arrange accommodation. Just let us know when you book.

How do I pay, and can I pay in instalments?

You book and pay securely online, in one of three ways: pay in one payment, pay in two instalments (50% when you book, 50% 90 days before the programme starts), or reserve your place with €500 and pay the rest within 30 days (the €500 is non-refundable). Book by 31 December 2026 and you get our early-bird price, 25% off, whichever way you pay, and reserving locks it in. From 1 January 2027, paying in one payment saves 10%. All prices include VAT.

Can my employer or university pay?

Yes. Contact us before you book and we'll send an invoice made out to your employer or university.

Do I need a visa, and can I get an invitation letter?

EU and Schengen citizens don't need a visa. If you're from outside the EU, you may need a Schengen visa to enter Portugal, so check the requirements for your country. We can send you an official invitation letter for your visa application once you've reserved your place with €500 (non-refundable), and you pay the rest once your visa is approved. If you'd rather apply before paying anything, we can also issue the letter after a call with our team, but that doesn't hold a place for you, and places are limited. Apply early, as visa appointments can take several weeks.

Do you have a referral programme?

Yes. Once you've booked, recommend us to someone who hasn't booked with us before. When they book a programme and give us your name, you get a €100 Amazon voucher and €200 off your next Golpath Institute programme.

Do I get a certificate?

Yes. Everyone who completes the programme receives a certificate of participation at the closing session.

What's your refund and cancellation policy?

All payments are non-refundable, except within your 14-day right of withdrawal where it applies. If you can't attend, you can pass your place to someone else at no extra cost, or ask to move to a later intake of the same programme, subject to availability. Full details are in our Terms and Conditions.

Still have questions? We're happy to talk it through.

Request a call

Not quite the right fit?