Blog Archives

UW Sports Operations Panel

4/26/2022

0 Comments

Speakers:

Jessica Williams: Director of Operations, Women's Volleyball
Mitch Simmons: Director of Operations, Women's Basketball
Marc VandeWettering: Director of Operations, Men's Basketball

Key Takeaways:

Class rooms and what you're learning is great, but go out and meet people
Through experiences you learn what you do and don't like which is so important
The impression and connections you make are worth more than the amount of money you're making
Take advantage of the opportunities that are presented to you
As minor as something may seem at the time, it could be what gets you an interview or your foot in the door
Take your responsibilities seriously regardless of what the tasks are
Women - don't be afraid to work in men's sports
Always be translational, not transactional
You have to take an interest in who you are speaking with
Let your work speak for itself - it never goes unnoticed and it will make its way back around to you
Your impact will get recognized whether you like it or not
You won't find days or weeks to have a work-life balance in sports, you'll find hours
It's important to set boundaries and take time for yourself so you don't burn out
Find a mentor who doesn't look like you
Love what you are doing because you're going to be spending a lot of time doing it
Don't get caught up in the logo on your chest, people matter
You're always working for something greater than yourself
The "we" is always greater than the "me"
Have the ability to figure it out
You can't lower your expectations because once you start accepting that, your standards for yourself will keep dropping

0 Comments

Senior Member Panel

4/12/2022

0 Comments

Speakers:

Alex Shaw: Wasserman & UW Community Relations Intern
Danny Tabaska: Wisconsin Men's Basketball Manager
Ali Ketterhagen: UW Athletics Marketing Intern
Trevin Kroichick: Incoming Finance Development Program at Dell
Drew Kocken: Social Content Specialist at Learfield x Wisconsin Athletics

Key Takeaways:

"The world runs around people who show up"
It's important to network with your peers because you never know where they'll end up
Get involved early, you never know where it will take you
Use the people around you to get a foot in the door
Control what you can control - stay positive, control your mindset, and just be a good person
Over time things will even out if you keep pursuing what you want
The more doors you can open for yourself, the more doors will naturally open for you in the future
Take advantage of being a student while you can, there are many opportunities that are only available for students
It sucks having to take unpaid internships and jobs, but take those opportunities while you're still a student
There are so many ways to get involved especially at such a big school, take advantage of it
Being assertive and focusing on the details makes you more aware of the impact you're making on others
Informational interviews are also a great way to learn what you do an don't want to do
The earlier you can start networking the better, it allows for more time to build that relationship, but remember it is never too late to start
Use a team's success as a reason to reach out and maintain your relationship
Badgers want to help Badgers!
If someone can trust you that is the #1 thing, inside and outside of the sports industry
Take rejection well and never be afraid to keep applying
Take the extra initiative, show them that you want them just as much or more than they want you
Say YES to opportunities and doing more, it puts you in certain rooms and situations
Also learn to balance saying NO, a level of maturity comes with saying now or asking for help
Take something on if you know you're going to do it to the best of your ability
Be a good communicator, put yourself in uncomfortable situations, the more you do it the more comfortable you'll be
Cast your net as wide as you can
Be as good as you can at some things so you can stand out, but also be flexible and willing to learn new things
Don't get discouraged if others are getting opportunities, sports are on a completely different timeline
Make yourself irreplaceable at every internship or job you do
Get creative with your opportunities and volunteering experiences
Be proactive and reach out offering free labor and volunteer your time
Interview advice:
- Go in confident and be prepared
- Always be ready to slide in information, do your research beforehand, and come prepared with your own questions to ask
- Don't ever be afraid to show your personality
- Refrain from showing that you are a fan

0 Comments

Alumni in Sports Marketing Panel

4/6/2022

0 Comments

Alumni in Sports MArketing Panel: Watch it Here

Speakers:

Leah Lustig: Events & Marketing Intern at Indianapolis Colts (UW'20)
Amanda Groen: Senior Partnerships Service Manager at Socios.com (UW'13)
Katie Yadro: Account Supervisor at GMR Marketing (UW'15)

Key Takeaways:

In an sports or entertainment industry, you are expected to wear a lot of hats
It's extremely rewarding to see your project come to life, always be proud of your work
The outcome makes the challenge and juggling worth it
Once you achieve one goal, you have to move on to the next
Be able to switch your mindset based on what you're working on
During internships, if someone needs something done, help them out, even if they aren't your boss - always go the extra mile
Make sacrifices, the hard work will pay off when you land your dream job
It's a lot of hard work, but don't forget to have fun at the end of the day
Weed out what you don't want to do, try new things but also know when it's not right for you
Every opportunity is a learning opportunity
Not everyone has the same path, so don't compare yourself to others
When you are communicating with others, think through how they are going to interpret it, put yourself in their shoes
Speak up and ask questions, questions are the only way you are going to learn and people want to help you find answers
Always overcommunicate, send recap and follow-up emails
Don't be afraid to take notes, you can't always rely on your mind to remember everything
Any opportunity you have to develop your professional communication skills is MASSIVELY valuable
Phone calls, phone calls, phone calls - reach out to people in the industry and build connections
Make sure that you maintain/keep those connections, it's how people will remember you and think of you when opportunities come about
Know that you can always reach out to SBC alumni, you have something in common
Do your research before interviews, always come prepared
Prioritize your mental health, never be ashamed to admit when you need a break
Leadership Advice:
- Have strong communication and work ethic, come prepared
- Have a passion for what you're doing and work your butt off, everyone has to put in work in order to get into the industry, you'll find out quickly if it's your passion or not
- Be open to new ideas and others' point of view
- Always be accountable, own up to it, everyone makes mistakes
- Be approachable/kind, you want people who want to work with you
- Be proactive, come with ideas and don't wait for someone to come to you first
- Be humble
Resources:
- Sports Business Journal = Bible of the industry
- Go to games and take in the fan experience
- Stay up-to-date through reading articles, checking social media, researching competitors and other teams/leagues

0 Comments

Event Spotlight Blog
Missed an event? Here are some of the highlights.

UW Sports Operations Panel

Senior Member Panel

Alumni in Sports Marketing Panel

Website Editor

Archives

Categories

Event Spotlight BlogMissed an event? Here are some of the highlights.

UW Sports Operations Panel

Senior Member Panel

Alumni in Sports Marketing Panel

Website Editor

Archives

Categories

Event Spotlight Blog
Missed an event? Here are some of the highlights.