November Facts & Figures32 Students signed up for our newly formed Upperclassmen Mentorship Program Winter Trip Destinations Announced We'll be heading to Chicago and Detroit! Here are some of the organizations we'll be meeting with...
Excellence in Mentoring Congrats to our Faculty Advisor, Adam Ahearn, on this great honor!
Alumni Feature Spotlight
Q & A
Please describe your journey to Griffith University and the position you currently reside in?
I graduated from UW in 1998, and moved to Austin, Texas shortly thereafter. After a few years working for a local entertainment magazine (INsite Magazine), I enrolled in a Master’s program in Sport Management at the University of Texas (UT). Over the course of that two-year program, I was encouraged by a professor I had been working with to pursue my PhD. This professor (Dan Funk) was set to leave UT and was taking a job at Griffith University in Gold Coast, Australia and he asked if I would be interested in doing my PhD at Griffith under his supervision. The idea of an overseas experience (particularly in Australia) sounded excellent to me. At the time, I had just returned from my first trip abroad, studying at Edinburgh University, and I had loved the experience. Plus I had always been drawn to the idea of completing a PhD and working at a University. I was completely keen to take Dan up on the offer, but there were a number of logistics to work out and the time lapse between first discussing this possibility, and actually making the move, was nearly two full years. I completed my Master’s and got a job in industry, and after about a year, I was notified that scholarship funding had been approved and the offer to enroll in the PhD program at Griffith was in place. I absolutely loved my job at the time (detailed further below) and I loved my life in Austin, TX, but I could not pass up the chance to live in Australia (and continue my education). It took me a little while to adjust after I arrived, but around 18 months in, a light switch went off and I started to feel very much at home on the Gold Coast and in Australia. I completed my PhD, and accepted an academic job back in the U.S. as an Assistant Professor in Sport Management at the University of Massachusetts (UMass). UMass was an outstanding place to work, and I was surrounded by fantastic colleagues, but the New England climate was not for me – it had been far too long since I was trudging through the snow on Bascom Hill in the late 90s and in all the time that had passed, I had become quite accustomed to a warmer climate. Truthfully, I also had an eye towards getting back to Australia from pretty much the day I left for UMass. After 18 months at UMass, I applied for a job at Griffith, and I was fortunate enough to get it. I have been back working here since late 2010. I am currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Tourism, Sport and Hotel Management within the Griffith Business School at Griffith University. My research examines the synergy that exists between sport and philanthropy, as well as the antecedents and outcomes of sport event participation. I teach courses such as: Sport & Social Media, Event Marketing and Sponsorship, Contemporary Issues in Sport Business, and Sport Marketing. My research and teaching are informed by my time working in industry, and my work is guided by trying to address the problems of declining levels of physical activity and declining levels of generosity in society. Past the typical suggestions of “networking and making connections” what is the best advice you can give to aspiring sports business professionals trying to break into the industry? To remember that there is not a finite amount of success in the world. The sport industry is obviously ridiculously competitive, and sport is inherently competitive, and this sense of competition trickles down to sport business. As a result, it can be far too easy to take on that competitive mindset towards your peers and colleagues. The reality is that another person’s success does not in any way preclude you from succeeding. And doing your best to be kind, generous, and humble every step of the way is what will pay off in the long-term. If I could give a very specific piece of advice related to this, it would be for any aspiring sport business professional to read the book ‘Give and Take’ by Adam Grant. The book outlines an empirical case for how people who are generous, who give more than they get, and who genuinely try to help others are more likely to succeed in work and life. And the book features a collection of anecdotes to illustrate this. I can’t recommend this book enough. Why did you choose to go down the path of teaching and lecturing young professionals and what has been the most fulfilling part of this journey? The appeal of teaching at a University is what initially drove me to pursue an academic career. Attending UW, you are just so spoiled to be in such an inspiring environment at such an impressionable time of your life. I wanted to continue to be a part of an environment like that through my career and viewed completing my PhD, becoming an academic, and working at a university as the best means to do so. Initially, I was almost solely drawn to the teaching side, and viewed research as just a necessary pathway towards the broader goal of an academic career. However, I ended up taking to research early on and have continued to love teaching and research in equal measure since. The most fulfilling part of the journey has been all of the collaboration along the way. I have been able to work with some incredibly intelligent, curious, inspiring and fun people across my career and I have learned so much from it. When I entered academia, I figured I would be able to teach classes that interested me, deliver research projects that appealed to me, and travel quite a bit throughout. But I did not totally anticipate the friendships forged and the memories created with so many cool and interesting people built into my career. That has been a real plus. Could you tell us a little bit about the Department of Tourism, Sport & Hotel Management at Griffith University and what program(s) the department has to offer? The Department of Tourism, Sport and Hotel Management at Griffith University is a wonderful place to work. To shamelessly plug my own department, we are currently rated #2 in the world and #1 in Australia within our discipline. We are placed within the Griffith Business School and provide our students with an applied, values-driven educational experience. We offer a collection of internship opportunities through our work-integrated learning program, and we work closely with a variety of industry partners in community and professional sport to guide our research and teaching. In addition, we offer a variety of experiential learning programs, including overseas excursions, for our students. Griffith University is located in Southeast Queensland, and I am based at the Gold Coast campus. Southeast Queensland has what I consider to be an ideal climate – think of a slightly warmer San Diego – and the Gold Coast is home to the best beaches in the world (in my opinion), stretched across 35 miles of coastline. Australians are extremely hospitable and the laid-back lifestyle and sense of adventure built into the culture is easy to get used to. I strongly encourage current UW students to look into study abroad programs to come out here, and I wholeheartedly recommend alumni to come to the Gold Coast for a visit. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years? Additionally, what is an area in the sports industry you are particularly interested in and/or still want to explore? I want to continue to advance my academic career, and I would like to continue to do so within the Griffith Business School. To this end, I want to continue to do work that is impactful in communities, and addresses the issues of declining generosity and physical activity in society. I would also like to spend six months (or longer if possible) on study leave to work within a sport organisation (either professional sport or a non-profit sport organisation). As stated before, my experience in industry has been enormously valuable to my career and development. But, I must note, the world was a completely different place when I last worked full-time in industry – Twitter was not yet invented, social media was not really a part of our daily lives yet, just to name one point of difference. And, in the coming years, I will soon be teaching students who were not even born at the time that I last worked full-time in industry. So, I am long overdue to embed myself in industry, and gain some more contemporary firsthand experiences to guide my work. I am also interested in the way that technology is impacting the live sport event experience. Obviously, there is a lot of attention on the ways that technology is augmenting the event experience, but there are also some downsides in terms of distraction. Working with sport organizations towards achieving balance in optimizing the enhancement and minimizing the distraction is something I am very much interested in. What are some things you did while at UW to get involved and gain experience; whether it be volunteering, internships or even course content? During summers, I worked as a caddy and golf shop staff employee at a private country club. This experience was of great value in terms of learning how to work with and for individuals with diverse array of personalities and backgrounds, and this remains one of my favorite jobs I have ever held. As for additional internships and volunteer opportunities, I will readily admit, I was a bit more focused on the social aspects of campus life, than the professional development aspects during my time at UW. So I cannot exactly re-write history to highlight industry experience gained during my time in Madison. But I can safely say that the connections and friendships made during my time at UW continue to be massively important in my life. I can also say volunteering and internships eventually became a critical component of my career. The most notable example would be my time spent with the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF), a non-profit organization with the mission to inspire and empower individuals living with cancer (now called the LIVESTRONG Foundation). I volunteered for the LAF for a year. After that twelve-month stint, I then took on a six-month internship and was fortunate enough to have a boss who challenged me and delegated a variety of exciting projects and tasks to me. From there, I transitioned to full-time employment within the LAF serving as the Merchandising Coordinator, and managing eCommerce logistics for the Development team. My tenure as a full-time employee coincided with the launch and explosion of the LIVESTRONG wristband campaign. For those unaware or who do not remember, the campaign was a partnership between Nike and the LAF in which yellow wristbands embossed with LIVESTRONG were sold for $1 each, with all proceeds benefiting the LAF’s mission. The objective of the campaign was to sell five million wristbands, no matter how long it took. We sold five million wristbands in less than six weeks. We quickly went on a back order in which orders were not shipping until 6-8 weeks after they were placed. The campaign became an international phenomenon spurred on by the 2004 Tour de France coverage, and the 2004 Athens Olympics (during which it seemed that every gold medal winning athlete was wearing a yellow wristband on the podium), along with a variety of other factors. The back order seemed to only stimulate more demand as the scarcity of wristbands only made people want them more. We sold nearly one million wristbands in a single day in February 2005, seven months after the campaign had launched. By the time I left the LAF, we had sold 57 million wristbands, and to date, 80 million wristbands have been sold. We joke that the wristband fad did not die, rather, we just ran out of wrists. The LIVESTRONG wristband campaign is widely regarded as the most successful cause-related marketing campaign of all time. And while I was very much a passenger along for the ride, it was an unbelievable experience and I learned so much through witnessing the brilliance of Nike’s marketing and positioning of the campaign, as well as the amazing things that can happen when you leverage people’s passion for sport alongside their passion for a cause. So, the potential created through taking up volunteer roles and internships cannot be overstated in my opinion. While you are not a direct alumnus of SBC, why do you feel it is important to give back to a club such as SBC and why were you so interested to get involved? First, I have only recently become aware of SBC, and I am really impressed by what you guys are doing and your outreach. Seems like an excellent resource for students and alumni, so great work. Second, I am just so grateful to UW and the time I spent as a student in Madison. The experiences I had at UW have shaped me and helped me in ways that I could not possibly overstate. So giving back through supporting SBC seems the least I can do. Lastly, I have heard that Andre Agassi tells every young professional tennis player that he comes across that his only regret in his career is that he didn’t start giving back sooner. I feel really lucky to be able to assist in any way I can. Members of the Month for November
With the semester coming to a close, we'd like to recognize two new, yet heavily involved fall members that we're proud to have as part of the club. Hear about our Members of the Month for November, Nia Fredrich and Nathan Bay, and how their experiences with SBC have helped grow their interest in a sports career.
What made you interested in SBC initially? “I was interested because I didn’t see anything else around campus that was super involved in the sports world and that’s what I’m really interested in.” What is your favorite part of SBC and what keeps you coming back to events? “My favorite part is the people. They are just easy to talk to. What keeps bringing me back is the environment, it’s really friendly and welcoming.” What is your favorite event that you’ve been to so far? "The Women in Sports Panel. It really emphasized the fact that there is a place for women in the sports world." What is your dream sports job? “Someday I want to work for a college or professional sports team as a director of branch strategy or marketing operations.”
What made you interested in SBC initially, and what made you decide to join the club? “Well I remember coming into Madison searching for different clubs because I wanted to do something sports related, and I saw SBC. I thought this was a perfect opportunity because I’m really into sports management, it’s what I want to do, so I figured I’d come by and see what it’s like. Then I ended up going to the Trivia Night and I saw that there were tons of people there that were enthusiastic about the club, and I knew this is where I wanted to be.” Now that you’re in it, what keeps you coming back to SBC? “I just love how many people there are that are willing to help. It’s awesome the way the club is reaching out through the peer mentor program and focusing on connecting the future generation of sports management to try to give us all the best opportunities that we can have." What is your favorite event that you’ve been to so far? “I really liked Eric Haslam a lot because I’m a big analytical guy so it was cool to see how he differentiates from the bunch.” What is your dream sports job? “I’ve always wanted to be the general manager of the Bulls. Ever since Derrick Rose left I’ve wanted to go in there and fix the culture to help make them the title contender they were when they had Jordan. I want to be the guy that drafts that one player that changes a team’s culture.” SBC Online Store
Looking to rep the club? Look no further than our new SBC Online Store! Note that it closes on December 11th. Link to Store November Club Events RecapNovember 6th - Big Top Sports & Entertainment Panel
November 12th - Chellee Siewert (Capture Sports Marketing) 
November 14th - Milwaukee Bucks Game Social
November 18th - Sports Media Panel
November 22nd - Volleyball Game Social
No pictures from this event, but we'll just leave this here....
Shoutout current SBC Members and UW Volleyball Players, Sarah Dodd and Nicole Shanahan!!
Internship Opportunities
- Milwaukee Brewers, Partnership Activation Internship - Northwoods League, Summer Internships - Manhattan Sports Business Academy, Summer Internship / Program Participant - Wisconsin PGA Junior Foundation, Summer Internship - Under Armour, Summer Internships And much more! Check out the opportunities page for all the listings.
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October Facts & Figures311 Fall Club Members - An increase from 157 last year -
SBC Flag Football Team in Action Alumni Feature Spotlight
Q & A
Please describe your journey to August United and the position you currently reside in?
After graduating in 2013, I had interviews at ESPN in Connecticut through connections made in SBC. I ended up declining an offer from them. This my first dang scary moment because I had aspired all through college to work for them. Something in my gut was like, 'Girl this is not your path'. A month after graduation I took a vacation to Arizona and fell in love with the desert and then intentionally missed my flight home. Here was my second scary moment because I had no job, no home, and one suitcase but something told me to stay. As Tim Gunn would say, it was a make-it-work-moment. I ended up at a marketing agency in downtown Phoenix working on social media accounts for 10-15 small businesses. Nothing glamorous but rigorous work managing a host of brands at once. I created content, scheduled content, managed communities, developed reports, and tried not to panic that I had no idea what to do next. After a year, I looked for other opportunities in the area and applied at what is now my current agency: August United (formerly Sitewire). With over a year of social media management behind me, I applied to August United/Sitewire - and they were looking for someone to help them run social media for their client who had an upcoming Super Bowl campaign. Suddenly my experience with SBC and my social media management experience came together beautifully! How crazy is that? This was 3 years ago. Today I am a Digital Strategist for August United. Past the typical suggestions of "networking and making connections" what is the best advice you can give to aspiring sports business professionals trying to break into the industry? Get uncomfortable. You are young and when you graduate it is the best point in your life to try out a new state. Do it. Find your favorite teams, brands, or companies outside of the Midwest. Save their 'job pages' and always be stalking that page. You have the rest of your career to move back to Wisconsin and start a family but there will only be several moments in your career you can jump into the open water that is the rest of the US and be as daring as you are right now. You will learn you set more limits on yourself than anyone else will and it's important to recognize your self-doubt and goal-limiting you do to yourself and conquer it swiftly! You seemed very interested in telling your story about the agency side of the business as opposed to brand/teams; in what ways do you think working for an agency can potentially be more beneficial or rewarding to a sports business professional as opposed to a team or brand? Marketing agency life is crazy. It's demanding as heck like sports, and you are always at the whim of the client wants and needs. What I've loved about agency life is seeing Super Bowl from the eyes of an advertiser, "How does one make splash on Super Bowl Sunday?" is a question I've wrestled with through three SB campaigns and its rewarding when that day comes. I think its very similar to how you feel when its game day except for us it's Campaign Day! At agency I've been able to play/learn various roles at any given time: like developing life-size bears, creative brainstorming sessions, writing storyboards or scripts, directing video shoots, staging lights, developing Super Bowl GIFs, or working with awesome talent like Jillian Harris and Jessica Mulroney. An agency allows you to explore ideas with clients in mind. Another thing about agency is the vibe. The vibe of an agency is hard to come by in other environments. If you thrive in chaotic/creative environments, don't like a ton of rigidity but enjoy thoughtful strategy and a roller coaster ride, then look at top marketing agencies and find one who works on a brand you love. Lastly, agency benefits are typically very competitive. I enjoy unlimited PTO at August United which is killer. What is your favorite memory from SBC (could be a professional event or social event)? So shoutout to Max Novak who one year scored us a tour and suite at the United Center. At the end of the tour, they lead us down to the court and you could hear everyone going NO WAY NO WAY. We were surprised with a private warm-ups viewing from the floor. No one could believe what was happening. Even us officers were like, whelp this was highly unexpected. Derrick Rose was there. Absolutely flooring experience. Do you work on non-sports projects as well? If so, will you explain how they differ and what things you have to keep in mind when working on each? Yes! Outside of Super Bowl campaigns I develop digital campaigns for various consumer-packaged goods brands. One hard pill to swallow in my work is to not get attached to an idea. Clients kill ideas. We kill ideas. Someone somewhere will kill what you think is a great idea and you've gotta have another idea ready to go or roll with the punches. I'm still trying to be better at moving on more quickly from a killed idea haha! Another part of my job role is translating digital-cultural trends for our brands. Trends like how/why the KFC Chicken Wars happened the way it did; or explaining how the NFL made tactical choices to reach Gen Z through Reddit content partnerships and TikTok this year. Researching the digital-cultural side of things is my jam and August United has been awesome in allowing me to do what I'm passionate about because it ultimately helps our clients understand what's happening in culture and why it's happening (which helps them think more creatively too). We appreciate all your help and advice as one of our proud alum... Why do you feel giving back to a club like ours is so important when you aren't necessarily required to do so? Simply put I wouldn't be where I am today without SBC. I developed confidence, public speaking skills, and business skills through the club that I wouldn't have been able to develop in a classroom. It has been crucial to my success today. It's precious knowing others are going through the same transformation and then will come out of college and go off and do wonderful things. If you resonate with anything I'm saying, want to learn more about agency life, or need to vent about uncertainty you can feel free to reach out :) Member Spotlight - UW Athletics Interns
Give us a snapshot of your responsibilities with UW Athletics? My role with Brand Communications allows me to do many different things. During day-to-day office hours, I'm working on things like website updates, creating graphics for social, and preparing items for events such as programs, flip cards, etc. As expected, it's all in preparation for game days. With volleyball, my game day role is live tweeting the match, updating Instagram story, and often taking photos. Favorite thing about working with/for UW Athletics? My favorite thing about working for UW Athletics is getting to be a part of creating memories that I have always been on the other side of. Sports have the power to bring people together, and a large amount of my favorite memories to this point in my life are around attending sporting events with my family. I love seeing the impact that our teams can have on fans, and I take a great amount of pride in being able to say I"m a part of it. Here is a few examples of Drew's work :
Give us a snapshot of your responsibilities with AreaRED? As the Football director, I serve as a liaison between UW-Athletics and the student body to increase school spirit. I also brainstorm ideas to help students stay involved athletics aside from a gameday events. Since we just became a student organization we are really working on spreading the word about who we are and what we do, in order to get our name out there. Membership and becoming bigger than an executive board is something that our organization is looking forward to. Favorite thing about working with/for UW Athletics? My favorite thing about working with AreaRED is having the ability to collaborate with other organizations on campus, especially organizations that are predominately students of color. This will 1) increase the amount of students of color who come out to games to support the team and integrate all students on campus and ​2) foster relationships between all students on campus to help them feel more welcomed on campus. AreaRED Block Party :
Give us a snapshot of your responsibilities with UW Athletics? In my role as a marketing intern for UW Athletics, I primarily assist in the preparation, set-up and execution of game and special event promotions. This can vary from helping with the brand new T-shirt cannon at the football games, organizing youth teams that play during halftime at various sporting events or the coordination of sport clinics/kid's events. In addition, I work more closely with UW Women's Basketball where I help with our Stars of Tomorrow program, organizing the Loyalty Program and much more! Favorite thing about working with/for UW Athletics? In the short amount of time that I have spent working for UW Athletics, I have found a lot of enjoyment in being able to plan, develop and fully implement various promotions and giveaways. Being able to work with great people while seeing your work come full circle into a finished product that you're able to share with others is something special. Here is a few things that the Marketing Team has been up to this year :
October Club Events Recap
October 1st - Legends Panel
October 7th - Northwestern Mutual Speaker Event
October 9th - Erik Haslam Speaker Event
October 16th - Women in Sports Panel October 21st - BSN Sports Panel
October 28th - Professional Development Workshop
September Facts & Figures
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Saint Peter, MN
Luke Regner UW Class: 2017 UW Major: Marketing & Risk Management Insurance SBC Position: President (16-17') & Treasurer (15-16') Current Job: Director of Hockey Operations, Minnesota State University |
Q & A
Please describe your journey to Minnesota State and the position you currently reside in?
I was able to spend my time as an Undergrad at UW helping out with the Badger Hockey Team as a Student Assistant as well as working in the Video Department for the Athletic Department. Through that exposure to a college hockey program I knew that the area I wanted to work in full time and was able to make awesome connections that helped teach me what it would take to be successful and help me find a job after school. I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to move out to Pittsburgh that following year and work as the Director of Hockey Operations at Robert Morris University while also getting an MBA. I spent two years at RMU learning the ropes before getting the chance to come back closer to home this offseason in the same role at a really good program at Minnesota State.
The Director of Hockey Operations Position basically takes care of everything behind the scenes for a college hockey team. The biggest aspect is probably being the video coordinator, and that involves tagging games, pre scouting opponents, and taking care of any stats/analytics needs. The position also takes care of team travel and scheduling so setting up flights, busses, hotels, and meals, as well as producing weekly team schedules. Outside of those main duties there are always new challenges and tasks that come up on a day to day basis that keep you on your toes. I love the position because it gives me the opportunities to work very closely with and develop great relationships with all of the players and other staff members.
Past the typical of suggestions of "networking and making connections", what is the best advice you can give to aspiring sports business professionals trying to break into the industry?
The biggest thing I would recommend to students is you find your individual niche in the industry. There are so many different unique jobs and opportunities within sports so seek out the one that best fits your skills and interests instead of just following the easiest path to get your foot in the door or the route other people you know have gone. Being in an area that best fits you sets you up so much better for success and make the grind and long hours so much more enjoyable and worth it. Within that it has been eye opening to me that the best jobs are often times never posted. Many people doing the hiring are often so impressed when someone goes out of their way and takes the initiative to contact them to see if they can help out in any way or even gives them an idea of an area you think you could add to the organization. The first job I had at UW was got that way, just sending an email to Coach Eaves asking if there was any way I could help the program out, and ending up getting a position that was never posted on any job board.
Once you are able to get your first job or internship the biggest thing to being successful is bringing something of value to your organization that makes them better. Within that almost all ideas in sports are for the most part copied or brought over from another organization, and there are so many resources out there to learn about what other teams or organizations are doing. Whether its an article about a new analytics method another team is doing, or taking something from watching a all access show on a pro team, there are so many ways to learn what other teams are doing and take a version of that to strengthen your organization.
What is the most fulfilling part of sports in general as well as your role specifically?
As I'm sure everyone working in Sports will tell you, it never really feels like a job, and finding something in life where that is the case for you no matter the industry is something not everyone gets so take every advantage of it when you find it. In my role specifically, being on the team side, the competitiveness of it is so great, as you get almost immediate feedback on your work in the form of a win or a loss. Being able to be part of a year long journey and ride those ups and downs with a group you get really tight with is such a fun experience that really can't be replicated outside of the sports industry. On top of that just seeing how sports has the ability to bring communities together and mean so much to people is pretty rewarding in its own right to be on the inside of that.
If you could go back and attend any sporting event in history what would it be? Why?
I think the easy and obvious answer is the Miracle on Ice Game in 1980. I don’t think you could ever recreate the setting and backdrop of that game, and I highly doubt another sporting event will ever have as much social impact and create the National Pride that that game did. Outside of that game it would be Game 7 of the 1991 World Series where the Twins beat the Braves 1-0 in 10 innings, as a Minnesota sports fan born in '95, I haven't even seen one of our teams in a Championship Series or game so that would be such a fun game to be at with the old Metrodome rocking.
We appreciate all our help and advice as one of our proud alumni....Why do you feel giving back to a club like ours is so important when you aren't necessarily required to do so?
I know for a fact I wouldn’t have been able to have a career in the Sports Industry I have had without the opportunities, experience, and connections this club gave to me, and there’s no one I would rather see have success in the industry than fellow Badgers who started in the same spot that I did, so whatever I can do to help in any little way I am more than happy to do. The opportunity the Club provides to students to give students leadership positions at a school with the resources Wisconsin has is so much more valuable than just a traditional sports management program at a school in my opinion. I also know my experience in the club would not have been near as beneficial without the support and guidance of alumni, so it is pretty cool to be on the other side of those relationships now.
I was able to spend my time as an Undergrad at UW helping out with the Badger Hockey Team as a Student Assistant as well as working in the Video Department for the Athletic Department. Through that exposure to a college hockey program I knew that the area I wanted to work in full time and was able to make awesome connections that helped teach me what it would take to be successful and help me find a job after school. I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to move out to Pittsburgh that following year and work as the Director of Hockey Operations at Robert Morris University while also getting an MBA. I spent two years at RMU learning the ropes before getting the chance to come back closer to home this offseason in the same role at a really good program at Minnesota State.
The Director of Hockey Operations Position basically takes care of everything behind the scenes for a college hockey team. The biggest aspect is probably being the video coordinator, and that involves tagging games, pre scouting opponents, and taking care of any stats/analytics needs. The position also takes care of team travel and scheduling so setting up flights, busses, hotels, and meals, as well as producing weekly team schedules. Outside of those main duties there are always new challenges and tasks that come up on a day to day basis that keep you on your toes. I love the position because it gives me the opportunities to work very closely with and develop great relationships with all of the players and other staff members.
Past the typical of suggestions of "networking and making connections", what is the best advice you can give to aspiring sports business professionals trying to break into the industry?
The biggest thing I would recommend to students is you find your individual niche in the industry. There are so many different unique jobs and opportunities within sports so seek out the one that best fits your skills and interests instead of just following the easiest path to get your foot in the door or the route other people you know have gone. Being in an area that best fits you sets you up so much better for success and make the grind and long hours so much more enjoyable and worth it. Within that it has been eye opening to me that the best jobs are often times never posted. Many people doing the hiring are often so impressed when someone goes out of their way and takes the initiative to contact them to see if they can help out in any way or even gives them an idea of an area you think you could add to the organization. The first job I had at UW was got that way, just sending an email to Coach Eaves asking if there was any way I could help the program out, and ending up getting a position that was never posted on any job board.
Once you are able to get your first job or internship the biggest thing to being successful is bringing something of value to your organization that makes them better. Within that almost all ideas in sports are for the most part copied or brought over from another organization, and there are so many resources out there to learn about what other teams or organizations are doing. Whether its an article about a new analytics method another team is doing, or taking something from watching a all access show on a pro team, there are so many ways to learn what other teams are doing and take a version of that to strengthen your organization.
What is the most fulfilling part of sports in general as well as your role specifically?
As I'm sure everyone working in Sports will tell you, it never really feels like a job, and finding something in life where that is the case for you no matter the industry is something not everyone gets so take every advantage of it when you find it. In my role specifically, being on the team side, the competitiveness of it is so great, as you get almost immediate feedback on your work in the form of a win or a loss. Being able to be part of a year long journey and ride those ups and downs with a group you get really tight with is such a fun experience that really can't be replicated outside of the sports industry. On top of that just seeing how sports has the ability to bring communities together and mean so much to people is pretty rewarding in its own right to be on the inside of that.
If you could go back and attend any sporting event in history what would it be? Why?
I think the easy and obvious answer is the Miracle on Ice Game in 1980. I don’t think you could ever recreate the setting and backdrop of that game, and I highly doubt another sporting event will ever have as much social impact and create the National Pride that that game did. Outside of that game it would be Game 7 of the 1991 World Series where the Twins beat the Braves 1-0 in 10 innings, as a Minnesota sports fan born in '95, I haven't even seen one of our teams in a Championship Series or game so that would be such a fun game to be at with the old Metrodome rocking.
We appreciate all our help and advice as one of our proud alumni....Why do you feel giving back to a club like ours is so important when you aren't necessarily required to do so?
I know for a fact I wouldn’t have been able to have a career in the Sports Industry I have had without the opportunities, experience, and connections this club gave to me, and there’s no one I would rather see have success in the industry than fellow Badgers who started in the same spot that I did, so whatever I can do to help in any little way I am more than happy to do. The opportunity the Club provides to students to give students leadership positions at a school with the resources Wisconsin has is so much more valuable than just a traditional sports management program at a school in my opinion. I also know my experience in the club would not have been near as beneficial without the support and guidance of alumni, so it is pretty cool to be on the other side of those relationships now.
SBC Summer Member Spotlight
This summer we featured a handful of members interning in the industry on our social media platforms to provide a view of what our members are doing within sports. Here is a closer look at four members that shared their experiences with us....
Justin Kakuska
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This internship is best for students who are interested in learning about how ticket sales and operations work in a front office, including how to manage tickets during events and games. Greatest Takeaway? My greatest takeaway from working with Forward Madison is learning how a team can function successfully in their inaugural season. Since it is a smaller team, I also had the chance to see how different areas of the team functioned and I have a better understanding in what I would want to do in sports in the future. |
Trevin Kroichick
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This internship is best for students who want to work in the golf industry, especially those who have an interest in finance, accounting or general golf operations. Greatest Takeaway? My biggest takeaway was learning how different golf destinations operate with different business strategies. For example, the main course I worked at could charge more for tee times, apparel, food and services because of its prestige, while another course I worked at focused only on number of customers because it was not as well-known. |
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Madeline Friedman
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This internship is best for students who are interested in social media and graphic design. If you want to gain experience at a smaller company, this is a great opportunity. Since there is only a handle of staff, I was able to take on a lot of responsibility, including being able to run the social media accounts for an entire team, which is unheard of at the intern level. I recommend working for the NWHL if you are interested in working for a league and learning about what goes on during the off season. Greatest Takeaway? My greatest takeaway from this internship was being able to build my portfolio. My goal is to work for a NFL team in social media, so this experience enabled me to learn how to run social media accounts for a sports team. This was a huge stepping stone for me, not only on my resume but for my mentality of working in sports. I was able to learn how to post on social during the off-season, and I am not excited to transfer those skills to working in social media in season. |
Henry Primack
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This internship is best for students who are looking for hands on experience and are interested in seeing how a sports agency runs. Greatest Takeaway? My biggest takeaway was that working for a sports agency is very unique in that there are different tasks to accomplish every day. Since we’re representing athletes instead of a team there are different needs to be met for individual athletes (finding endorsements, making sure they’re satisfied with marketing efforts, spotlighting achievements on social). |
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2019-20 Club Leadership
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In addition to the Executive Board this school year, we have extended our leadership to include committees as well. There are three committees: Marketing, Events, and Fundraising & Development. These committees will allow us to offer more leadership positions within the club and to develop potential projects and events that will make the club better.
September Club Events Recap
September 6th - UISRM Symposium & Case Competition
September 6th - UISRM Symposium & Case Competition
Congrats to Sports Business Club @SBCUW for taking first place in the case competition at the University of Iowa Sport & Recreation Management Symposium earlier this month! □ pic.twitter.com/bV03Xm2RKJ
— Wisconsin School of Business (@UWBusiness) September 17, 2019
September 16th - Fall Kickoff
Good to be back in Grainger Hall for tonight’s @SBCUW Kick-Off Meeting. Looking forward to a great year with the Sports Business Club at @UWMadison! pic.twitter.com/uT37kmYfrx
— Adam Ahearn (@AdamTAhearn) September 16, 2019
September 22nd - Forward Madison FC Club Leadership Trip
A beautiful afternoon for the executive board and committee chairs to go #FullMingo!
— SBC at UW-Madison (@SBCUW) September 23, 2019
Thank you @ForwardMSNFC for having us out tonight and good luck with the rest of the season pic.twitter.com/42S7wVMj8H
September 23rd - Trivia Night
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Winning team on the left and best jersey winners on the right!
Website Editor
My name is Paul Leeder and on behalf of the entire board, we hope you find this information valuable
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