SPM

Summer Networking Series: Sport Management Alumni Reunite in Hartford

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Sport Managemnt Event in Hartford
Sport Management alumni and friends gathered for an evening of networking on Aug. 24, 2017.

The UConn Sport Management program held its third annual summer networking event at the Salute Restaurant in downtown Hartford, Conn. on August 24, 2017.

The night was filled with many laughs and stories shared between alumni, faculty and sport professionals, paired with great food and drinks. The event served as an opportunity for the programs’ alumni to reconnect in a positive, outdoor atmosphere.

Many of the incoming Sport Management graduate students were also in attendance at this years event and were able to meet with some of the established and successful alumni who are still in the area.

Attendees included Sport Management faculty members Dr. Laura Burton, Dr. Joseph Cooper and Dr. Jennifer McGarry. Several alumni who are currently working with UConn Athletics were also present at the event, including Kristina Tedford, Danielle Upham and Jason Lublin.

Sport Managemnt Event in Hartford
Sport Management alumni and friends gathered for an evening of networking on Aug. 24, 2017.

Members of the Sport Management faculty, staff and internship programs who planned this networking event enjoyed providing an opportunity for alumni to stay connected with the program, as well as the new and past individuals who will always be a part of it.

The event marked a perfect end to the summer and an exciting start to the upcoming school year. As the fall semester commences, the program is looking forward to the annual Career Night in Sport, which will be held on October 17. Information and registration for this event can be found on the Sport Management website, under ‘Upcoming Events’.

Event Photos

Former Huskies Reunite in NYC at Alumni Event

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Sport Management alumni gather together for a Happy Hour event in front of Cask Restaurant in NYC.Members of the UConn Sport Management program, all gathered together on June 27 at the Cask Restaurant and Bar in New York City as part of a summer alumni networking event and celebration.

The happy hour lasted into the night, as the alumni, faculty and fellow huskies working in sport shared appetizers, laughs and old memories from their days at UConn. Attendees included alumni from the recent graduating class of 2016, as well as those who were members of the undergraduate class of 2004.

Drs. Laura Burton, Joseph Cooper and Jennifer McGarry (Bruening), Sport Management’s faculty, were also in attendance, along with current undergraduate student and Sport Management intern Cristy Vincente.

Sport Management alumni pictured together at the Happy Hour event at Cask Restaurant in NYC.The second annual happy hour event provided the opportunity for alumni in the greater NYC area to reunite, connect and continue to build relationships with those in similar career paths and academic backgrounds.

The Sport Management program is always looking for ways to connect its alumni with one another after graduating.

Event Photos

Title IX Celebrates its 45th Anniversary – Here’s How UConn’s Sport Management Program Celebrated

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While Title IX celebrated its 45th anniversary last week, members of the UConn Sport Management program publicly acknowledged what its passing, almost five decades ago, has allowed them to accomplish in their personal careers in sport.

Students, alumni, professors, colleagues, teammates, coaches and mentors all joined in on the campaign to honor this milestone, sharing how Title IX has provided them with opportunities to achieve success, and will continue to do so in the future. Check out some of their responses to the prompted statement, "BecauseOfTitleIX..." BecauseoftitleIX campaign word cloud

‪"I'm able to travel the country representing my school & able to pursue a career in the sport industry!”

‪"I've hydrated some of the best athletes, mentored, coached & am inspired daily by incredible women."

‪"I have a spot on the field, a seat at the table, and the opportunity to make an impact"

‪"I'm the first college grad in my family & continue to share my passion for sports w/ student-athletes daily"

‪“I built relationships that'll last a lifetime, learned valuable lessons & can have a career in athletics!”

‪"I have seen female athletes achieve success at the highest level."

‪"I get to promote women in a sport that I have been playing since I was four years old."

‪“I've the opportunity to play the sport I love, surrounded by incredible women whose talents are limitless”

‪"I've had the opportunity to be not only a student-athlete but a college coach, & now Dir of Athletic Development!"

‪“I was able to pole vault in the State of Connecticut as an official track and field event, not an exhibition event, my senior year in high school.  Which set me up to earn the CT state women’s record and later the University of Connecticut’s school record.  It helped me earn a track scholarship, bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in sport management.”

"I found my passion and have been able to travel and meet to many inspirational people"

‪"I am able to fulfill my lifelong dream of playing Division I athletics, as an ice hockey player."

‪“I played the sport I love at a D1 level, have opportunities to learn & lead along side some of the strongest women I know.”

‪"I was seen as equal within my role as graduate head manager for an elite Division 1 Men's Team”

‪"I have the ability to travel to various sporting events and pursue a career that I love!”

‪"My professional/athletics careers are possible. I wouldn't be where I am if not for the women who came before me"

‪"I can dream."

‪"I was able to travel to Dallas to cover the Women's Final Four, and have pursued a career in athletics"

‪"I played. I coached. I studied. And now I teach, I learn and I lead."

‪"I get to work with Rhett at Fenway Park!!"

‪"I'm able to pursue a career in the sport industry & use it as a platform to advocate for female athletes"

“I’m a 7x All-American w/2 Master's, a career in athletics, making a difference in the lives of student-athletes”

"I was able to be a Division I Softball Student-Athlete!"

“Opportunities are endless and the best relationships are made.”

For more Tweets and Instagram posts or to engage in the dialogue, check out #BecauseOfTitleIX and #TitleIXat45.  Let's continue sharing each of our success and promote equality for all.

"No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving federal financial assistance." Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972 to the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

Publication: Women in Sport Leadership

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Dr. Laura Burton, headshotDr. Laura Burton co-authors new book on Women in Sport Leadership which highlights that “although women and girls participate in sport in greater numbers than ever before, research shows there has been no significant increase in women leading sport organizations. This book takes an international, evidence-based perspective in examining women in sport leadership and offers future directions for improving gender equity. With contributions from leading international sport scholars and practitioners, it explores the opportunities and challenges women face while exercising leadership in sport organizations and evaluates leadership development practices.”

 

 

Co-Authors of Women in Sport Leadership book

Pictured here are the contributing authors (L-R): Nef Walker, University of Massachusetts; Sarah Leberman, Massey University; Meg Hancock, University of Louisville; Laura Burton, UConn Neag School of Education; Heidi Grappendorf, University of Cincinnati; Janelle Wells, University of South Florida; and Nicole Melton, University of Massachusetts.

 

 

Graduate UConn student Kraig Page experiences the annual (2015) Career in Sports Forum hosted by the NCAA National Office

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Student Feature

Kraig Page (Graduate Student in UConn Sport Management Program)

While attending Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA), I dedicated myself to getting the most out of my student experience through my participation in athletics and several leadership roles from various departments within the university. In doing so, I had fun and positioned myself to be a strong candidate for the annual career in sports forum hosted by the NCAA.

In my final year at MCLA I applied for and was awarded the opportunity to attend the career and sports forum at the NCAA headquarters in Indianapolis. There were speakers, presentations and workshops at the forum dedicated to helping students to understand how behavioral styles are able to impact individual effectiveness, gain an accurate view of the role of the intercollegiate coach and athletic administrator, network and consider how personal values intersect with career opportunities.

Speakers shared their pathways to their current roles in sport, provided us with tips and advice on how to become more desirable to organizations and answered any questions that we had for them. Participating in t workshops provided me with an opportunity to brainstorm through scenarios within small groups, ask questions and reflect on my values and myself as I was making the transition from student athlete to member of the sport industry.

The experience overall was educational, motivating and rewarding. I left with a deeper understanding of the sport industry and the opportunities within it. The forum motivated me to take the next step in positioning myself for a career in the sports field, while also allowing me to make new friends, exchange information and develop contacts.

Sport Management Alumn Hosts Brown Bag Event

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Sport Management Alum, Mikio Yoshimura at Brown Bag eventSport Management alumnus Mikio Yoshimura, who currently works as the Asian Business Development Specialist for the Boston Red Sox, served as the guest speaker at a Brown Bag Luncheon in Boston on Tuesday, June 13.

The event, put on by the Japan Society of Boston, was titled “Japan and the Red Sox: A View from Inside.” During the luncheon, Yoshimura shared experiences about all the work that the Red Sox organization and Fenway Park have done with Japan.

UConn Sport Management congratulates Yoshimura for this accomplishment and looks forward to seeing all that he will achieve in the future with this organization.

Graduate Student Isaiah Jacobs experiences with the AmeriCorps Public Ally service in partnership with UConn Husky Sport

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Student Feature

 Isaiah Jacobs – Program Leader (Public Ally AmeriCorps), Current Graduate Student in UConn Sport Management Program

 “Throughout our nation’s history, lasting social change has always resulted from the courageous acts of many, not just the inspiration of the few. “

From 2014 to 2016, I spent my time as a public ally with the AmeriCorps Public Ally service organization in partnership with UConn Husky Sport. Public Allies is a national movement grounded in the conviction that everyone has the ability to be a leader. The organization prides itself in believing that everyone truly has the power to make a difference, and works to inspire individuals to believe in themselves, step up and act. We provided service under the mission to create an equitable society and to foster the diverse leadership necessary to sustain it. We work to change the face and practice of leadership in communities across the country by demonstrating our conviction that everyone can and should lead, and that lasting social change results when citizens of all backgrounds step up, take responsibility and come together.

A vital aspect of working as a Public Ally was the process of constructing and implementing a team service project held to benefit the community that we were stationed in. Luckily, I was stationed right in my hometown of Hartford, Connecticut. It was a pleasure giving back to the community that I grew up in and held so close to my heart.

To help fund this project, we decided as a group to host a 3-on-3-basketball tournament. Though the event was focused around it, basketball was simply acting as the driving force to get people in the door – this event was bigger than sports. It was an opportunity to bring local organizations together and partner with one another to host teams and enjoy the company of the community. I began to realize how successful our event was when people started asking when the next one was – people who were not concerned with the sport itself, but what that sport is able to produce. In holding this event, we exhibited the power that sport has to unite people and bring happiness to all of those immersed in its culture.