Role a kompetence sportovního manažera v českém profesionálním klubu ledního hokeje

This bachelor's thesis examines the specific role and competencies of a sports manager in a professional ice hockey club in the Czech Maxa Liga. The aim of the thesis is to identify the real managerial skills necessary for the effective management of a low-budget sports organization and to design its ideal competency model. The research is methodologically anchored as a qualitative intrinsic case study, utilizing an in-depth semi-structured interview with a manager of a second highest league club. The results show that reality demands extreme multifunctionality, where the manager accumulates sports, administrative, business and diplomatic agendas. The research refutes the theoretical assumption of the so-called soft budget constraint. Instead, the manager applies strict financial discipline and relies on non-financial player retention. The core technical competency proved to be not advanced data analytics, but knowledge of the Czech Ice Hockey Association (ČSLH) legislation, while in the area of interpersonal skills, the necessity of political diplomacy emerged, an aspect that is absent in standard theoretical models. In crisis management, the satisficing method and hockey intuition dominate. Finally, an adapted Katz's competency model is presented, expanded by a "Level 0" of personality traits, where extreme psychological resilience and patriotism are absolutely necessary to handle the pressure of the sports environment.