I worked in college athletics for nearly 20 years. In that time, I hired and did my best to mentor a number of young people who had dreams of a career in sports. The first thing that I told them, and it was the first thing I was told when I started at Eastern Washington University in 1989, is that they will get as much, or as little as they want to out of this position.
Dave Cook, who is still the Sports Information Director at EWU, gave me my first opportunity to be a paid employee in the SID office, while I was still a student. He was a one-man shop and was looking for any help that he could find. I don’t believe that he was sure what to expect from me. He started me out with the basic everyday tasks of the office, typing, filing, answering phones, etc. He told me that as I became more comfortable and confident in what I was doing, he would increase my responsibilities.
Three years later, when I graduated, I was the primary media contact for half of the sports sponsored by the university and had a full-time job offer from the school. I worked at a total of four different universities, in four different states, and have wonderful life-long friends and memories from each of them. The athletics departments that I worked in were approached by literally hundreds of kids with the dream of a career in sports. The glamour of being in the spotlight, being on national television and winning the national championship was the dream that they all had. That is a great dream, but unfortunately, it is not the reality for a vast majority of those in the business.
A career in sports is very rewarding. There are many benefits and “perks” to working in this industry. But it is very rare to break into the business and immediately be in one of the positions that you see on television. For every head coach that is interviewed at halftime of the Kentucky-Duke basketball game on ESPN, there is a marketing intern who is responsible for putting out the big shoes, jersey and shorts out on the court for the promotion with two little kids during a time out.
Not all departments will have a Phil Knight like the University of Oregon
For every athletic director who meets with the founder of Nike in a suite at an Oregon football game, there is an event management staff person who has been there since 8:00 a.m., stocking each of the suites with beverages and game programs and making sure that the caterer is on time with the correct menu. In my own experience I have had a number of workers who came in and loved the job and turned it into a thriving career. I have also had those who lasted one weekend and decided that watching sports on TV was a lot more fun.
One I remember came to us as a high school student. He was looking to do the required community service that his high school required for graduation. He began work taking tickets at soccer and volleyball games. Eventually he came to work at football games, helping set-up on Saturday mornings. After graduating from high school, he enrolled at our university and began working as a work-study student in the ticket office. He became very involved in event management and ticketing at the more than 250 events we hosted each school year. Upon graduating from college he became the assistant ticket manager for the department and has held that position for the past five years.
Another less successful story involves a student who came to the department to volunteer. He had always wanted to be in sports and just wanted the chance to get his foot in the door. The problems arose when he stated that he didn’t want to work nights or weekends, because that was “his time”. He did not understand that the events that he wanted to be a part of happened at nights and on weekends. He wanted to come in and be an administrator immediately, without going through the day-to-day grind that is the sports industry. He lasted about two months and decided to move on to other ventures.
I have never had the opportunity or the privilege to work at any of the large “BCS” type schools. My entire career has been spent at the “Mid-major” level of college athletics. Honestly, I am not sure that I would change places with any of those big schools even if I had been given the chance.
Being at this level has allowed me to learn skills and explore other areas of interest within college athletics. While I started in sports information early on, my career has also included positions in event management, marketing, promotions, facilities, operations, alumni relations, student relations, development, sales and ticket operations. It is these experiences that make all of the long hours and small paychecks worth it to me. I have friends all over the country that I would do anything for and who I know would do anything for me.
Don’t fret if you’re young and trying to break out into the business. You can still get a career in sports business.
So, from a guy who has led a “Mid-Major” life in college athletics here are some of my best tips and recommendations for the young person looking to get into this life. Try to figure out as quickly as possible if you really love sports, or just like it a lot – When you work in this profession, it can become all-encompassing. You will work seven days a week during parts of the year. You will work all day at the office and then have a game to work 3-4 nights a week. Weekends become the busy work time.
Football games, basketball games, volleyball games, soccer games – sometimes all on the same day. After your first month or two, you will know if this feels like work or if you are still enjoying yourself. If it feels like work, it might be time to look for something else. You will spend too much time and energy in this profession for it to be a drag on you. You will come to resent the one thing that you have enjoyed your entire life. Get out before it ruins your love of sport.
Find a position at a small school or conference office – These places are generally understaffed and will allow you to get “hands-on” experience in a variety of areas. If you go to a big school or a major conference, you might spend eight months filing papers in a back office. Be willing to branch out – The more experience you have in different aspects of the business, the more attractive you are to potential employers. Salary should not be the sole driving force in deciding on a position – When you are taking you first position in sports, you are not going to make a lot of money. You may have two offers in front of you. One that pays more, but limits your growth and experiences. The other may not pay as much, but you will be exposed to all facets of the operation. The second option is what is best for your career. It is tough to turn down money, but looking to the future, it is the best decision.
Make contacts and stay in touch – You never know if the person you meet at that conference is going to be the one who can help you find that dream job down the road. As you meet people, collect business cards, trade e-mail addresses, etc. And then stay in touch. In today’s job market, everybody has a degree, everybody has internships. It comes down to the relationships that you have created. Do you know somebody, who knows the decision maker for that position that you are looking for?
Are you willing to be a team player?
Be a team player – Be willing to help out whenever and where ever possible. If you see somebody with a bunch of boxes that need to be moved, just jump in and help move them. It may not be “your job”, but it will go a long way towards your next job. People see what is happening and who is willing to help and they remember. Just about every job description has a line near that bottom that reads “. . . and all other duties as assigned by the director.” These nine words make everything your job.
College athletics is a great industry. There are hundreds and thousands of wonderful caring people who work daily to make college athletics the best that it can be for the student-athletes and for the fans and supporters of all of the teams. There are nearly 90 different sports that are offered at the colleges and universities around the country.
This piece was not meant to serve as a deterrent to those looking to get into the industry, only one man’s view of a 20-year career working behind the scenes and having the time of his life.
Comment below on the business of college athletics! Make sure to like us on Facebook and follow us @SportsNetworker
Grand Theft Auto 5 is not just a video video game franchise.
It’s an embodiment for a complete genre of movie online games.It truly is an extensive
tale of felony minded maniacs on the self-destructing trajectory to hell.The game is
the very first in the number of video games that happen to be to abide by in any case; it belongs to your fourth generation of GTA which also is made up of San Andreas.
This game is ready within a metropolis built up with the developers named as Liberty City (the liberty alludes to Big apple a
lot). That is a vintage tale of the man or woman caught during
the environment of criminal offense. The
protagonist below is Niko Bellic who comes from Europe to tumble in enjoy using the American lifestyle.
But, as likelihood could have it, he’s pulled right into
a quagmire of everything the American Dream is just not about.
The story follows his induction in the seedy planet of gang wars and
his rise therein. In its first week, the game sold
over five hundred million dollars and that was about six million copies sold
worldwide.
The game had sold over ten million copies till sixteenth
of August according to a consensus. This can be proven only when look into the ranking
charts of the MobyGames, and the TopTenReviews resulting to the Grand Theft
Auto four as being the optimum rated recreation.As you hold out ahead for the following game to come back, deciding upon GTA IV is the greatest.Grand Theft Auto
V just isn’t just a preposterously enjoyable video match,
and also an intelligent and sharp-tongued satire of
latest The usa. It signifies a refinement of every
thing that GTA IV brought to the desk 5 decades back.
It is technically much more completed in each and every conceivable way, but it’s
also tremendously ambitious in its have ideal.
No other earth in video clip games will come close to this in size or
scope, and there exists sharp intelligence powering its sense of humour and
reward for mayhem. It tells a compelling, unpredictable,
and provocative story without the need of at any time permitting
it get within the technique for your own self-directed
adventures by means of San Andreas To xbox 360 system and PS3 Rockstar released a whole new online game called GTA 5 It is a open world action video
game
Some of the critical functions is a performing money hack to get
generally enough cash in the financial institution for bitches and real estate
in the GTA 5.
Online game strategies
I’m trսly enjoying thе design and layout of yoսr website.
Іt’s ɑ very easy on the eyes whiϲh makes it much more
enjoyable fօr mе to ϲome here and visit morе օften. Did you hire out a designer to create yoսr theme?
Greɑt ѡork!
There are many areas that this can be done, such as by reducing the number of options that they
can choose from (from 3 to 1 or 2) or by reducing the amount of
revisions a client is entitled to before they have to pay extra.
This involves using unlabeled images or other elements for the site’s navigation. As well as preparation your web site develop you have got to jump into the footwear
to your potential customers who see your Web Design in Mississauga ,
seo Mississauga , Web Design Markham , Web Design North York,
Web Design Woodbridge,Web Design Stoney Creek , to analyze their access-guidelines and factor.
directamente instalarla (Download & Install).
Como ya hemos dicho en varias ocasiones, la industria musical está sufriendo un cambio esencial no
sólo en nuestro país, si no en todo el mundo.
Vsftpd (Very Secure FTP Daemon) es utilizado en servidores
de archivos a través del protocolo FTP.
Hi there, You have done a fantastic job. I will definitely digg it and personally suggest to my friends.
I’m confident they’ll be benefited from this website.
These are genuinely impressive ideas in on the topic oof
blogging. You have touched some gokd things here.
Any way keep up wrinting.
Use my affiliate hyperlink to buy your items on Amazon and I get a
small share of the whole!
Everyone loves what you guys tend to be up too. This sort of clever work
and reporting! Keep up the amazing works guys I’ve added you guys to my personal blogroll.
The interest rate; furthermore, collaterfal is to make residene advancements, or can only bee done to help loans make tthe parent and the U.
But, it is nearly impossible loans to borrow can be availeed at further easier terms-conditions.
Several factors can cause excess fuel to end
up in the combustion chambers. Later they were asked the questions about their problems in sex life.
There are always options, and the path to finding the best
ones is through accurate content.
Humana People to People creates the mission to develop under-developed countries
around the world via presenting coaching to primary school teachers and artisans, making an effort to recommend health and give
understanding of Aids and to assistance in even more increasing the places agriculture.
Humana People to People handles a wide range of diverse activities and tasks within exhausted places in countries around the world.
Through working together with the local persons as well as their governing administration, they’re able to
aid individuals who’re in need of help thru their non-profit help corporations.
China is just one of many nations this non-profit
institution comes to deal with the important issues which
they struggle with at present.
The Humana People to People Action works with The Federation for Associations in the Yunnan province in China.
The work began during 2005 and proceeds over today. The
Humana People to People Collaboration Assignment Office
from the Yunnan Region operates to increase funds to comply diverse developments over the region around poverty-stricken places.
A number of projects which Humana People to People aims to take to the region of
China include vocational instruction centers in which they are able to advance their instruction, arranging them to get jobs,
supplying specifics of transmittable diseases and more.
Woah! I’m really digging the template/theme of this blog.
It’s simple, yet effective. A lot of times it’s hard to get that “perfect balance”
between usability and visual appearance. I must say you’ve done a amazing job
with this. In addition, the blog loads very fast for me on Opera.
Excellent Blog!
Appreciation tο mƴ father who tolԁ me on the topic օf thiѕ webpage,
this websitre іs aϲtually remarkable.
Humana People to People and their Developments Within China
Humana People to People makes their mission to advance under-developed nations
by providing training to primary school instructors and craftsmen, assisting to recommend health and distribute
understanding of HIV and to support in further increasing areas agriculture.
Humana People to People takes on a number of various plans and
tasks all through poor areas of countries internationally.
Via cooperating with the regional men and women as well
as their governing administration, they can help those who are in need of funds
via their non-profit assistance groups. China is among a number of nations
the non-profit organization goes to deal with the driving
concerns that they deal with at present.
The Humana People to People Movement works with The Federation for Organizations from the Yunnan province of China.
This work began in 2005 and moves on around currently.
The Humana People to People Collaboration Project Agency from the
Yunnan Region operates to boost finances to help carry
out diverse jobs through the entire area around poverty-stricken regions.
Several commissions that Humana People to People strives to bring to the section of China consist of trade teaching centers
where they can greater their training, preparing them for jobs,
providing specifics of infected sicknesses and many more.
Your article is really interesting and meaningful, I have read many articles but none of them convinced me, thank you for sharing.
Draw poker is the traditional kind of poker and was played prolifically in high stakes cash games within the nineteenth century and
early twentieth century. It will take a while just for this to be of the help;
at the very least a month. How You Can Transfer Funds for an Internet Poker Room – Most of
internet poker rooms offer their potential players an ideal
choice of deposit options which range from direct bank card charges to bank transfers and in many cases e-wallet services.