We recently spoke to three Master’s in Sport Administration students about their experiences at the UM Sport Conference in April—and each reported it opened their eyes to the career possibilities in the sport industry. Here, they share their biggest takeaways:
It helped them redefine their career goals.
The speakers frequently spotlighted careers that are often viewed as “behind the scenes,” but are crucial to the sport industry, including public relations, financial advisors, agents, and directors of sales and marketing. “The conference broadened my view of the careers available in the sport industry,” shared Ganesha Johnson. As a result of what she learned, she now plans to pursue options within operations. “I like being behind the scenes while being a strong team player,” she says.
Matt Birk, a former player and now the NFL’s director of football development were one of Leroy Hollins’ favorite speakers because he could feel the passion he had for the industry. “We were given a tour of each speaker’s day to day life. It was like touring their offices to decide which life we want to lead.”
Everything they’re learning came to life.
“It was a really outstanding experience,” explains Leslie Fitzpatrick. “The speakers presented a good mix of the information we’ve been learning and their expert views on different trends in sport administration.”
Johnson, who is a relatively new student, was surprised by how well the curriculum dovetailed with the conference. “They touched on a lot of subjects we’ve discussed in our classes. What we learned came full circle.”
It helped build their networks at UM.
“To sit down with faculty was invaluable. Meeting Professors Alicia Jessop and Paul Resnick, and sitting down to talk was so gratifying,” Hollins says. “I could see their passion and they could see mine.”
He was also able to cement his relationships by meeting classmates in person. Once they returned home, Hollins realized their conversations in the classroom became more lighthearted. At the conference, “we joked. We laughed. That made a big difference in the strength of our relationships.”
Although Johnson and her fellow students had already built a strong rapport—they talk every day—being able to meet helped them solidify their relationships. “To finally meet them in person brought us closer together. We talked about the program, our coursework, the conference,” she explains. “I was told we would spend a lot of time together in class. It made me realize we really are our own little community.”
“You get to talk, relate, and share experiences,” adds Fitzpatrick. “Meeting my classmates was almost like seeing old friends. I enjoyed having the opportunity to interact with faculty and get a better feel for the university itself.”
This is a can’t-miss event.
If you didn’t know what you wanted to be in the sports industry when you walked into the conference or came in with a preconceived notion, I promise you will have a totally different take on it after the conference. It opened my eyes to a lot of aspects of the sports industry I hadn’t noticed.
- Leroy Hollins
