When Opportunity Comes Calling

Interning or working a job is a grind. It’s as simple as that. Yet even when the work hours are piling up and the commutes are getting longer and longer, there are always new lessons and experiences that keep me focused. I’m sure those throughout the program would agree with this. Over the past month there are two observations that have kept me motivated as internships and classes have picked up:

1.     A job opportunity can develop at a moment’s notice simply because you make yourself available.

2.      USF graduates are in every nook and cranny of the sport world.

After nearly two classes into the program, members of Cohort 35 have earned many exciting opportunities in the sport industry. No one has stood out as much as Cohort 35 member Kristen Chambers. From day-one Kristen has brought an unbelievable amount of energy and enthusiasm to whatever task she faces. She truly fits the mold of a motivated member of the USF program. What has been unique about Kristen’s first three and a half months in the program, is the fact that she has held two jobs within the Bay Area sports market. Following a job with a local lacrosse company in San Francisco, Kristen was hired as a service rep for the Oakland Raiders ticketing department.

What makes Kristen’s story so compelling is she initially started her work with the Raiders as a Game Day Intern. This is the same internship myself and other Cohort 35 members are involved with on Sundays. So what got Kristin the gig?

“Landing my current position with the Raiders was a mixture of opportunity and eagerness,” notes Kristen. “As a Game Day Intern, I tried to make it clear that I wanted to be a part of the Raiders organization long after the internship ended. I did my best to approach every situation with energy and enthusiasm, regardless of the task at hand. I am just fortunate that while I was interning there, a full-time position became available in their Client Services Department and that my name got thrown into the mix.”

To go along with her previous experience working at Nike and the work ethic and personality she brings to the table, Kristen also did the most important job of all: make herself available. Even while working another job, Kristen found time to commute to Alameda in August in order to gain more experience with Fan Services. By showing up in the office, Kristen became more visible and showed the Raiders the many ways she could help their organization.

“There are going to be plenty of moments as an intern where you struggle to find significance in your work,” says Kristen. “My best advice is to take every opportunity made available to you and to treat it as ‘the’ moment that might take you from intern to a part of the payroll.”

Knowing Kristen’s personality and the way she conducts herself, there wasn’t a member of the cohort who was one bit surprised she nabbed a gig in the NFL.

It terms of item #2: USF connections are out in the workplace on a daily basis.  Forming connections and then building those relationships over the rest of your career in sports is the key to establishing a network of supporters and friends. It was clear to me early on that the USF program had the resources to connect me with nearly anyone associated with the sport industry. What I didn’t know is how often I would randomly meet an alum of the program.

While interning in the Olympic Sports Operations Department at the University of California, I’ve had the chance to meet a variety of USF alums while working a variety of events. This past week I helped run a fundraiser for the women’s crew program at Cal. While cleaning up the event after dinner concluded, I had the good fortune of meeting and visiting with one of Cal’s women’s crew coaches. She was a graduate of the program and we instantly began talking about specific classes and what she thought of the program. The following day I sent out an email to pursue a volunteer opportunity with the USGA. The woman I emailed was recommended to me by a fellow intern over at Cal. Though there were no opportunities available, she did note that she was a former student of the program. Both women raved of their time in the program and were excited to connect and help me in any manner they could.

Having nearly finished the month of October it is remarkable to see the growth of students that arrived to the program in July.

“For me, what this program has done is provide real life tools to make me better professionally,” reflects Kristen. “It is crazy how much you learn in such a short period of time. I am only two classes in and I feel like a totally different person.”

While change is challenging, the process of changing is at the heartbeat of the USF Sport Management Program.

AND OFF WE GO!

One thing is clear to me, after two exciting, challenging, enjoying and memorable months in the University of San Francisco's Sport Management Program, there is no cookie-cutter path to success!

Having just finished Dr. Rich Cellini’s Leadership and Critical Thinking class, Cohort 35 has hit the ground running in pursuit of success within the sport industry. From Alaska and Puerto Rico, to Georgia and Arizona, the USF Sport Management Program’s newest collection of students is as diverse in their present career opportunities as they are in their individual backgrounds. In the midst of good-natured bantering over Jayhawks vs. Sooners, or Crimson Tide vs. Bulldogs, Cohort 35 has already been crafting its future in a persistent and dedicated manner.

Members of my cohort have been exposed to a variety of opportunities and are in the midst of many accomplishments. We’ve landed internships with the San Francisco 49ers, Oakland Raiders, UC Berkeley, USF, the Pac-12 and Stanford to name a few. Others are working part-time or full-time jobs while juggling internship or volunteer opportunities. Along with building our professional résumé, we’ve had the good fortune of exploring and adapting to a new city together. Our cohort has had the chance to attend SF Giants and Oakland Athletics games together, work internships, attend fundraising events put on by professionals within the industry and have quickly interacted with members from other cohorts.

With a desire to pursue a career in the sport industry, members of Cohort 35 came into the program with high expectations. Discussion over internships dominated conversations at our opening night of orientation. The dedicated nature of the internship program is the reason why most of us took on the challenge of attending USF. Orientation was the start of something very special, primarily because our expectations of what we could accomplish have been raised to another level. Through Dr. Cellini’s classes and the support of classmates and faculty, we are well aware of the potential opportunities to be earned. Because of these unique opportunities, students at the San Francisco and Los Angeles campuses have already made noteworthy sacrifices in pursuit of internships.

Corey Butler, a graduate of the University of Georgia came into the program with a degree in microbiology while playing for the Georgia Bulldogs basketball team. With an opportunity to attend medical school, Corey turned down an opportunity in the medical field in order to attend USF.

“My passions are in two very different fields,” notes Corey. “I love basketball, but I also love studying petri dishes in a lab. But being in sport management, I believe it will open more doors and allow for a multitude of opportunities. I believe I made the right decision and I can't wait to see what the industry has in store for me.”

The industry has a lot in store for Corey. He has already taken a position as an intern with the Stanford basketball program. Corey works directly with the coaching staff on a daily basis and deals with matters related to recruiting.

Like Corey, Craig Nelson, a member of Cohort 13 in Los Angeles has been in the position to see both the Southern California and Bay Area sports market. After nailing down a game day internship with the Oakland Raiders and a weekend internship at the Pac-12 offices in the bay area, Craig landed an opportunity with the Tiger Woods Foundation in Los Angeles.

Even though he is living in the L.A. area, Craig has found the energy to pursue as many opportunities as possible. He commutes to the Bay Area on weekends to work for the Oakland Raiders and the Pac-12. Luckily for him he’s found some friends for the road.

“I actually have had requests for a few weeks down the line from friends and cohort members who want to travel with me because they have friends and family in the Bay Area,” explains Craig. “I think I’m going to have to make a calendar to keep up with who I’m traveling with each week.”

Over the next two years in this program I hope to bring to you more stories like these. Regardless of my setting, I will provide you a glimpse into the lives of USF Sport Management students in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Hopefully it will be an insightful look into how we embrace the challenge at USF!