What is the best first step in planning a career in sports entertainment and why?

I'm a big believer that the best FIRST STEP is a college education. The focus of your school studies does not necessarily need to be sports administration oriented as a well-rounded education is such a plus. I have worked with colleagues in the sport management field who have been journalism majors, business majors, economic majors, etc. The plus that a Sports Management degree would afford you is that through that curriculum, you often have an opportunity to work at a sports related business as part of a required internship for that degree. That internship is a definite plus on a resume as someone who is seeking a sports related job.

Closely following a college education is experience whether it be a paid internship or a volunteer opportunity. It could be anything for working int he ticket office of a sporting venue to volunteering for a sport event in your area (if there is a college football bowl game in your area, call the bowl office and volunteer to help out during bowl week). Again, any type of sporting event experience you can build on is a plus on a resume, allows you to meet others in the business, provides you with a behind-the-scenes look and opportunity, not to mention that it's fun.

All the best.

I agree with Monty's comment above about getting experience in any venue related to sports, even if it's just at the high school or collegiate level to start. Additionally, I would recommend gaining general journalism and media experience through a school paper or broadcasting network, working for a local paper (even just as a volunteer), or taking some acting or theatre classes. Sports entertainment can be quite competitive, even for the most knowledgable athletes and sports afficianados, so having some comfort on camera or over the radio will really help to set you apart as you go for that dream job someday.

Studying past and present sports casters and industry employees from various networks and types of sports/athletics will give you a good idea of the avenue you'd like to focus in. Attending a college with a proven track record for sports journalism, sports management, sports entertainment, or broadcast journalism can give you a leg up as well, as major networks and sports teams are much more likely to recruit from those schools as they have a proven track record of success. Good luck!

Get an internship (or two in different areas), network, setup informational interviews, and stay on top of key industry news/trends.