Introduction

Hello everyone,

Me

First, before I go any further, I want to introduce myself. I am a young sports marketer working for a NCAA Division II school in southwest Missouri. Specifically, I handle ticketing operations, event management, group sales, promotions, and I supervise our concessions manager. A lot, right? But I'm not sure if I would like it any other way. In sports, you wear a lot of hats (both literally and figuratively), and you have to be well-rounded in all aspects of your position, as well as other people's positions. And the hours, oh boy I can't forget about the hours. They can sure pile-up in a hurry.

This is the profession I chose, however, and I accept everything that comes with the territory. Some of you reading this might be in the sports business as well. I'm sure many of you are further along in your profession and you don't give the stuff others would scoff at a second thought. Maybe others are just getting into sports or trying to find that first paid position (what seems like the hardest task in the world sometimes) or even accepting your first internship (even if that's not what it's called anymore because of Obamacare legislation) and want to learn more about what it's like. No matter your status working in sports, I hope you find what I have to write entertaining as well as informative. I'm not writing this blog for it to become an industry standard or to even compete with the Sports Business Journal (if only in my mind); I am instead writing this blog for three reasons:

1. To Share
2. To Grow 
3. To Learn

If you enjoy brainstorming and implementing new or borrowed promotions, you are like me and the right hemisphere of the brain dominates your thought process. That's the side that makes you creative, artistic, and incapable of enjoying professions such as accounting. Those of us that are right-brain oriented get enjoyment from sharing what we do with others, and perhaps even find validation from their compliments. It's this personal fulfillment tier on Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs that finds me wanting to share my experiences. 

As a professional in the sports industry, I'm constantly looking to grow. Ambition drives me, and I don't want to settle or become complacent on where I'm at or the job I'm doing. I want to continue to become better, and on the off-chance that this blog attracts others in a similar position as myself and allows for a connection to be established and my network to grow, then the extra work I put into this will be immediately worth it. If there's one thing I've learned so far in this industry, it's not who you know but who knows you. 

Finally, and probably most importantly, I want to learn. I want to learn what others in the industry are doing, all the way from their ticket-office operations and mini-pack plans to their game-day operations and promotional schedule. I want to learn what others have found successful and the failures they've encountered. Some might call sports marketing a copy-cat league, but I believe it's truly an example of impersonation being the sincerest form of flattery. 

It was my first internship in minor league baseball that
confirmed this is what I want to do for the rest of my life.

At the end of the day, however, I know my role. I'm not a lawyer, I'm not a teacher, and I don't serve in the armed forces. I simply love sports, and have chosen to make it my career. It's not the most important job in the world, but I couldn't picture myself doing anything else. It's this passion that allowed me to intern in minor league baseball for next-to-nothing; it's what motivated me to acquire my master's degree while working for that school's athletic department; and it's what is inspiring me to write this blog now. 

Enjoy, and like I mentioned before, feedback is highly encouraged.