Author: John Schumacher

SMP Alumni Bob Quinn named Detroit Lions GM/EVP

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SMP Alumni Bob Quinn named Detroit Lions GM/EVP

Bob Quinn becomes third UConn grad to serve as professional sports GM.

Article and Photo Courtesy of UCONNHUSKIES.COM

University of Connecticut graduate Bob Quinn has been named the Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Detroit Lions. A press conference was held on Monday to announce his hiring. Quinn will oversee the Lions’ football operations and report directly to Owner and Chairman of the Board Martha Firestone Ford and President Rod Wood.

Quinn, native of Norwood, Mass., earned his master’s degree in sports management from UConn in 2000 and completed his undergraduate studies at UConn in 1998. He and his wife, Julie (a Storrs native), have a son, Kyle, and a daughter, Grace.

Before his 16-year tenure started with the Patriots, Quinn spent time as a graduate assistant in the athletics department at UConn.

Quinn becomes the second UConn graduate as a current NFL GM as former Husky All-American linebacker John Dorsey is with the Kansas City Chiefs. In addition, UConn graduate and former Husky pitcher Billy Eppler is the GM of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

“We are thrilled to have agreed to a deal with Bob to make him our new General Manager,” Wood said. “As Mrs. Ford indicated at the outset, our search would be national in scope, and we would do everything possible to identify the very best person to lead our football operation. We believe Bob is that person.”

For 16 seasons, Quinn has played an integral role in several aspects of the New England Patriots player personnel department. In the past four seasons, he served as the director of pro scouting after the team promoted him to that position in May 2012.

During his time with New England, Quinn helped the Patriots build one of the most impressive stretches in NFL history that produced four Super Bowl titles, including the most recent championship last season (Super Bowl XLIX). Since 2000, Quinn’s first year, the Patriots won six AFC Championships, 13 AFC East titles, 12+ games in a season 10 times (which includes the past six years) and 10+ games in 14 of his 16 seasons.

Quinn’s responsibilities have included both pro and college scouting during his tenure with New England. From 2009-11, Quinn was the Patriots’ assistant director of pro personnel. He worked, prior to that, in college scouting as the team’s national scout in 2008 and as a regional scout from 2004-07. Quinn served two seasons as a pro scout in 2002-03 after he joined the Patriots in 2000 as a player personnel assistant.

Alumni Focus: Fernando Carrasquillo – at the National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum

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Alumni Focus: Fernando Carrasquillo – Steele Internship Program at the National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum, Summer of 2013

Fernando Carrasquillo (2013)

As a part of a continuing series, we turn the spotlight on members of the UConn Sport Management Program (SMP) Alumni Community, focusing on the diversity of experience and breadth of knowledge they have gained within the industry. Designed to help current and future SMP students learn to navigate and understand the real-world intricacies of sport management, we thank SMP alumni for their valuable contributions and insight. Today, the focus is on UConn alumnus Fernando Carrasquillo (Sport Management, 2013).

Puerto Rico: a Caribbean island and U.S. Commonwealth not only known for its cuisine, beautiful beaches and panoramic views, but also for being an island that lives and breathes baseball. Born and raised in San Juan, it was natural for me to be exposed to baseball through my father and grandfather. Looking back, I wish I had played the sport more and maybe play good enough to make it to Major League Baseball and cement myself in the Baseball Hall of Fame. I know, it’s a long shot, but one can always dream right? Still, I found a way to make it into the Hall of Fame, just not as an inducted player, but instead as a Development Intern for the National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum.

I was fortunate to have been selected as one of 15 interns out of over 600 applicants and the only Latino to do so. I had fulfilled of my lifelong dream of stepping foot into Cooperstown, NY and walk into the same building where the likes of Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, Roberto Clemente, among others are inducted. Even though it was in the summer of 2013, and no living player was inducted, it was still a wonderful experience just to see all of the legends that have helped make baseball into America’s pastime and to spend a summer breathing into the baseball atmosphere.

As a Development Intern, I got to work all areas from the Ticket Booth, to Membership Services to even presenting artifacts to visitors of the Museum, all contributing to fundraising for the Friends of the Hall of Fame Program. This program funds the Education area, preservation of the hall and general maintenance of the Mecca of Baseball. Going from simple interactions with a father showing his son the heroes he grew up watching to letting people know that I was from Puerto Rico and that we contributed to three Hall of Famers, I realized that the Hall of Fame can go a long way to connecting generations, preserving history and most importantly, honoring excellence. I hope that I could open the doors to more Latinos forming part of this prestigious program while opening the doors to more fellow Huskies to honor our school in such a wonderful experience.

NOTE: You can read an article written for Puerto Rico’s Primera Hora newspaper by clicking here (can be translated through Google Chrome).

Fernando Carrasquillo
SMP Class of 2013

Issues in Sport: The Relationship between Sports and Academic Achievement in Schools

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Issues in Sports: The Relationship between Sports and Academic Achievement in Schools

The University of Connecticut Sport Management program seeks to foster personal and professional growth in our students. Undergraduate and graduate students engage in thought provoking discussions in their classrooms. At the conclusion of the Fall 2014 semester, our graduate students had the desire to further such conversations to a space outside of the classroom setting. They wanted open dialogue with a wider audience. On December 9 the program launched its first discussion of the Issues in Sport series where we created a forum to talk about social issues and their impact on sports.

Approximately 30 students, faculty and staff members attended the Issues in Sport discussions series to discuss the relationship between sports and academic achievement in schools. Through a WebEx conversation, UConn alumnae Anne McKernan and Karissa Niehoff spoke to the audience about the role, positive and negative, that sports play in a student’s academic life. The key theme of the discussion was creating and maintaining balance for student athletes, After hearing from the guest speakers, attendants engaged in small group conversations about an article posted in The Atlantic entitled “High-School Sports Aren’t Killing Academics”.

Overall, the event served as a way for the community to express ideas and concerns about the current state of academics and sports. There was a great turnout by fellow sport management students and faculty; however, representatives attended the event from the Rainbow Center, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources as well. With such diverse backgrounds, there was much opportunity for versatile discussions and continuous networking.

The Issues in Sport discussion series will continue in Spring 2016. Dates and topics are to be determined.

Guest Speakers:

Anne McKernan (2011), the Director of Leadership Development for the CT State Department of Education and a former chief academic officer for the Enfield Public Schools and school principal at CREC’s Metropolitan Learning Center.

Karissa Niehoff (2010), the Executive Director of Connecticut Association of Schools-Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CAS-CIAC).

Conference Focus: Re-Imagining the Frontiers of Education

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Conference Focus: Re-Imagining the Frontiers of Education

Dr. Laura Burton (Associate Professor, Sport Management) and Dr. Jennie Weiner (Assistant Professor, Educational Leadership) represented the Neag School of Education, Department of Educational Leadership at the 2015 University Council for Educational Leadership conference in San Diego.

The conference theme was “Re-Imagining the Frontiers of Education: Leadership With/In Transnational & Transcultural Spaces”. Dr. Burton and Dr. Weiner presented their paper “The Double Bind for Women: Exploring the Gendered Nature of Turnaround Leadership”. The paper explored how leadership development within the context of a principal preparation program differentially impacted male and female participants.

Other members of the Department of Educational Leadership, including Casey Cobb, Erica Fernandez, Michele Femc-Bagwell, Morgaen, Donaldson, Sara Woulfin, Eric Bernstein and Richard Gonzales, presented research papers or book chapters, participated in panel discussions, and/or chaired sessions at the 2015 University Council of Educational Administration annual convention.

Faculty Op-ed: Dr. Joseph Cooper – Athletes & the Power of Social Activism

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Faculty Op-ed: Dr. Joseph Cooper – Athletes & the Power of Social Activism

Dr. Joseph Cooper, Assistant Professor of Sport Management, recently published an op-ed article entitled “University of Missouri Athlete Activism Dispels the Myth of a Post-Racial U.S. Society” that was featured in the NEAG School of Education Spotlight.

Read the full article

Boston Area SMP Alumni Men’s Basketball Watch Party on Dec. 12

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Boston Area SMP Alumni Men’s Basketball Watch Party on Dec. 12

The UConn Men’s Basketball team will be heating up chilly winter temperatures across the region when they take on The Ohio State on Saturday, December 12!

Come join the UConn Boston Alumni Association and UConn Sport Management Alumni Community for the first basketball watch party of the season, hosted by “The Greatest Bar” on 262 Friend St. in Boston.

The game kicks off at high noon on CBS, so please join us any time from 11:00 at The Greatest Bar for pre-game festivities and a prize raffle. The alumni team and UConn basketball will provide the festive atmosphere, so all you need to do is bring your friends and family (self-pay for food & drinks), and be ready to have a great time!

All alumni, students, friends & family are all welcome – we hope to see you there!

Go Huskies!

Native American basketball star Shoni Schimmel speaks at UConn

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Native American basketball star Shoni Schimmel speaks at UConn

Article written by Max Engel, photo taken by Olivia Stenger, both courtesy of The Daily Campus.

As a part of Native American Heritage Month, Shoni Schimmel spoke at the University of Connecticut’s Student Union Theater on Tuesday night, regarding her experiences as a Native American in the WNBA.

Schimmel was raised on the Umatilla Reservation in Mission, Oregon. She started the evening by reciting some of the ignorant questions she was asked in high school, such as, “Do you guys live in teepees?”

Schimmel described her reservation as a place where “everybody knew each other,” but outside the reservation and in high school she faced discrimination from classmates and teachers alike. When applying to colleges, Schimmel received a remarkably disparaging rejection letter.

“It said, ‘Go back to your reservation,’” she explained.

Schimmel, currently plays for the Atlanta Dream and was featured in a documentary “Off the Rez.” After attending high school in Oregon, she attended college in Louisville, Kentucky, and was drafted into the WNBA when she graduated in 2014. While playing college basketball at Louisville, her sister Jude was among her teammates.

Eventually, President Obama choseJude as a moderator for the 2015 White House Tribal Nations Conference, where she was seated close to the President as he spoke.

“It’s not about who has the nicest car,” Schimmel said, as she gave a background to the more modest mindsets held within her reservation.

Schimmel suggested that injustice towards Native Americans easily slips through the minds of many people, as one of the nuances of race relations in America. However, the general populace is slowly but surely becoming more mindful of the struggles of Native Americans.

An example of this is the documentary “Reel Injun,” which describes the degrading portrayals of Native Americans in film. There is also a significant movement protesting sports teams’ use of Native American mascots, such as the Cleveland Indians and Washington Redskins.

Regarding the controversy over the Washington Redskins mascot, Schimmel said she disagreed with its use. She noted that the use of such terminology is unusual and egregious within the context of other NFL team names and American professional sports altogether.

Max Engel is a campus correspondent for The Daily Campus. He can be reached via email at max.engel@uconn.edu.

UConn Sport Management Faculty/Student Presentation at NASSS Conference

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UConn Sport Management Faculty/Student Presentation at NASSS Conference

The North American Society for the Sociology of Sport holds an annual conference in varying locations. This year the conference was a held in the delightful town of Santa Fe and took the thematic approach of Sports at / on the Borderlands: Translations, Transitions, and Transgressions. From November 4th through the 7th sport sociologists gathered to share ideas, see old friends, and make new connections. Every year the conference plays host to a number of young scholars and well-seasoned faculty members to congregate and share ideas ranging from Environmental, racial, gender, youth, violence, current events, and new / old media the conference provides something of interest for everyone.

Representing from the University of Connecticut’s Sport Management program we had Dr. Joseph Cooper and first year masters student Charles Macaulay. Charles and Dr. Cooper collaborated and presented a piece discussing the challenges and processes researchers face and should use when working with racially similar and dissimilar ethnic groups. Using poststructuralist theory to examine the socially constructed nature of racial identities we posed an approach for disengaging institutionally imposed racial identities with the hopes of providing participants an opportunity to articulate their own identities in academic research.

In addition, Dr. Cooper presented two pieces discussing the prominence and downfall of the Negro Leagues and gave a presentation on Collective Uplift. Every presentation was well attended and received ensuring UConn was once again well represented. Hopefully in the coming years we can increase our presence at NASSS as it is a wonderful opportunity to expand networks and share ideas that are pertinent across the athletic world.

Alumni SportStory: Taylor Kielpinski-Rogers – UConn, the Boston Celtics and the Super Bowl

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Alumni SportStory: Taylor Kielpinski-Rogers – UConn, the Boston Celtics and the Super Bowl

Taylor Kielpinski-Rogers (2012)

As a part of a continuing series, we turn the spotlight on members of the UConn Sport Management Program (SMP) Alumni Community, focusing on the diversity of experience and breadth of knowledge they have gained within the industry. Designed to help current and future SMP students learn to navigate and understand the real-world intricacies of sport management, we thank SMP alumni for their valuable contributions and insight. Today, the focus is on UConn alumna Taylor Kielpinski-Rogers (Sport Management, 2012), currently working as a Communications Coordinator for the Boston Celtics.

From collegiate athletics, professional teams and league offices, advancing my career has always been a priority for me. I have been fortunate to broaden my experience through unique jobs and internships, and as a current member of one of the NBA’s most iconic franchises, I am incredibly grateful for a role that allows for involvement in both business and basketball operations.

My experiences have also led me to many of sports’ most notable events, such as the NCAA Final Four, NFL Draft and NBA All-Star. While those experiences elevated my career aspirations in the sport business industry, the opportunity to work on one of the largest sport and entertainment events in the world made an even larger impact.

My main responsibility leading up to Super Bowl XLVIII was assisting with the accreditation process for all media. We accepted applications throughout the season, and after carefully combing through each request, granted more than 5,000 credentials to credible outlets.

Game week featured many memorable moments, including working at NFL Honors. The night before the Super Bowl, the NFL celebrates its best players and plays from throughout the season with a star-studded awards show. As a public relations assistant, I was tasked with escorting current and former players on the red carpet pre-event, as well as accompanying award winners on their interview tours.

At the conclusion of the big game, I reported to the press conference room to announce media availabilities for the Head Coaches, General Managers and various players from each team.

The opportunity to work at Super Bowl XLVIII was one of many highlights of my career thus far and an experience I will always remember. I am thankful to the Boston Celtics, as well as the NFL Communications department, for allowing me to travel to Arizona for Super Bowl XLIX to serve as a public relations assistant this year as well. Working at the NFL provided me with a chance to gain a deeper understanding of league operations while enhancing my professional background. Most importantly, my time there taught me the value of stepping outside my comfort zone.