This afternoon DePaul Athletics and The Blue Crew launched a virtual webinar series “So You Want to Work in Sports” on Zoom with a bright panel of professionals in the sports industry.
The panel was moderated by the event's founder and MBA student, Jessica Ley, along with Andy Clark, DePaul's director of sports business programs.
Ley is the DePaul Athletics graduate assistant for brand strategy and integrated marketing. She was instrumental in the development of this webinar series.
Many people love sports. But one of the most important questions directed to the panel was something the students should ask themselves: what can you actually do with your love for sports?
The panel reassured the students to follow their passion, but to not only focus on what they like. You’re not in the business to be a fan. You’re in the business to bring innovation, to take sports to another level.
DePaul’s Athletic Director DeWayne Peevy, Sr. Assoc. Athletics Director Jill Hollembeak and former General Manager of the LA Dodgers Dan Evans gave students insight on how loving sports can be translated to business and finding a successful career.
Evans, a DePaul alum who was cited by Forbes as a top 100 sports business account to follow on Twitter, wasn’t planning on working in the sports industry. Back when he was a student at DePaul, he sat in his advisor’s office and realized how much fun working in sports could be.
“I got great advice from my counselor,” Evans said. “She said, ‘hey, if you’re enjoying it – it’s not a job, it’s a career. Keep at it, see where it leads. I ended up working for the White Sox for 19 years.”
Now he’s 40 years into his career.
Peevy, who arrived at DePaul this past fall after a 12-year stint at the University of Kentucky, pointed out that the students should focus on their current job and figure out the things they don’t like. Doing so will give them a clearer idea of what jobs to steer away from going forward.
There are so many different positions and directions a person could go in the sports industry. Peevy grew a love for baseball at 6 years old. He would watch games with his grandfather and dreamt of becoming a major league player.
While he’s not in the major leagues, he’s working an authoritative position in sports while finishing up his MBA. He’s loving his life in what he calls “the controlled chaos of sports.”
Hollembeak is a former world-class, Hall of Fame gymnast, who earned her phD in education at DePaul. She now works more behind the scenes with coaches and student athletes.
“Sports is transformative,” Hollembeak said. “Creativity and that ability to have an open heart, mind and soul to learn – even through those hard times, even through those failures – is just imperative to any sort of success in any business – but certainly in sports.”
The panel reiterated the importance of having knowledge and skills when it comes to communication, social media and technology. Those were some things that they didn’t have to worry about when they started their careers in the sports world.
Evans emphasized the importance of listening. Don’t just hear. Be okay with changing your mind, adapting and evolving.
The first webinar of “So You Want to Work in Sports” was a great opportunity for students to get their foot in the door and build great connections with successful figures in the industry. To register for the next one, follow Blue Crew and DePaul Athletics and stay connected with exclusive insights.