I have been publishing this blog for a little over a year now; I must admit I am surprised by the variety it contains. Each article addresses issues, people, events and information I consider pertinent to sport management professionals, business leaders, athletes, sport enthusiasts, high school/college students and their parents. Some are inspired by events in my personal life (especially my two daughters), by my interactions with students/alumni/colleagues (I am a sport management professor) and by the events and circumstances of everyday life. My goal is to provide content that helps readers look at things from a different perspective and enables individuals to learn while being entertained.

For this week’s blog I’d like to get your input.

• What types of topics do you enjoy the most?
• What issues would you like to see covered in upcoming posts?
• Do you have any questions about sport management at the college level or in the “real world” of business?
• Is there an area I have not yet covered that you feel should be examined and discussed?

This is your specific invitation to let me know what you want to see from me on this site. Please remember that I am always open to suggestions or comments—I am just taking this week to especially focus upon your thoughts and ideas. To make things easier and to serve as an overview (especially for those relatively new to the blog), I have organized past postings into categories. I am sure there is a better way to do this (feel free to share suggestions) but here goes anyway.

Listed below are the topics from the past year and the month in which you can find the original post within the archives. Please respond with your thoughts, ideas and suggestions for the future…I’m serious…let me know what you think and what you want in the future and I will do what I can to accommodate your wishes. In the meantime, thanks for reading and joining in on the conversation!

For All Readers
1st Time for Everything (March 2009)
A Different Perspective (April 2009)
I am _____? (January 2010)
Make a Positive Lasting Impression (October 2009)
Motivation (June 2009)
Peopling (September 2009)
Planning for Success (February 2009)
Preparation, Reaction, Change (March 2009)
Success (December 2009)
Taking Responsibility (July 2009)
Tips for Landing a Job (May 2009)
What do you read? (February 2010)

Networking and Social Media
10 Tips for Twitter Networking (August 2009)
Basic Networking Tips (January 2009)
How can Twitter help me? (April 2009)
Networking and Fantasy Football (September 2009)

Issues for College Students
Easing the Transition between High School and College (June 2009)
Get Involved (August 2009)
How do you study? (May 2009)
Student-Athletes (February 2009)

Sport Management Majors (Information and Conferences)
Advice for Sport Management Students (December 2009)
Choosing a Sport Management Program (July 2009)
CSRI Conference in Chapel Hill: Day One/Day Two (April 2009)
Health Care Reform and the Sport Industry (July 2009)
Make the Most of the New Year (January 2010)
Princeton Sports Symposium (December 2009)
Sport Management Faculty (February 2009)
Sport Management Projects (May 2009)
Students Host Professional Panel and Charity Event (October 2009)
YCP Alumni on the Web (May 2009)

Highlights of Sport Professionals
Bob Ancharski/Hershey Bears Hockey Club (April 2009)
Lewis Howes/Sports Networker (September 2009)
Steve Masterson/Game Face, Inc. (March 2009)
Packy Moran/University of Ohio (March 2009)
Becky Norris/Oklahoma City Thunder (March 2009)
Jeana Olchowy/National Pro Fastpitch (June 2009)
Dr. Ramlan/Director General of the National Sports Institute of Malaysia (November 2009)
Dave Salter/Author (October 2009)

Miscellaneous Topics
Brest Cancer Awareness Month (October 2009)
Fix It (February 2009)
Random Thoughts (November 2009)
Rush Limbaugh (October 2009)
Summer Job (June 2009)
Trip to Malaysia (November 2009)

This week’s entry is a profile of Sport Management Alum, Becky Norris (01) and is based upon conversations with current student, Laura Zimmerman.

Last night I had the privilege of talking to a York Sport Management Alumni. Becky Norris graduated from the Sport Management program in December of 2001. Like every other Alumni that I have spoken to, she had no ill words to say about the school or program.
Becky graduated with a major in sport management and a minor in accounting. The current position that she holds is working in the ticket and operations department for the Oklahoma City Thunder. She has held positions with the Washington Redskins, Baltimore Ravens, Miami Heat, and the University of Maryland.

We all have heard the same advice since we have begun this major: networking, networking, and networking. I was not surprised when Becky told me this was one of the most important lessons she was taught while at York. When she was a sophomore in college, she sent out a two line letter to every NFL team she could think of. She said the only one she heard back from was the Baltimore Ravens, and the only reason she even heard from them was because she lived in Maryland. Through the effort of sending out the letters, she got a 2 year internship with the Ravens. She still has contacts with the Ravens, along with the Redskins, Miami, and Maryland. “The sport world is small,” she said, “and everyone knows or has heard of everyone else, so you should never burn bridges, because you might need that contact somewhere down the road.”

So I started thinking, every professor and every guest speaker says the same thing, networking. This makes me wonder if the networking we are actually doing is enough. We all sit together in the same classes every day, listening to the same lectures, participating in the same events, but how well do we really know the person sitting next to us? Networking starts with the people who are experiencing the major with us. I’ll admit, when I walked into my sport classes this semester I didn’t know many people at all. This made me realize that I’m doing something wrong and better start making my network much larger.

Like the rest of us, Becky underappreciated the program while she was here. Now that she’s in the real world experiencing real crisis situations, she said learning about what could possibly happen and how to handle/fix it was one of the most important pieces of information she took from York. She has had many close crisis situations in the last few years since she has been in the ticket business. This got me thinking that maybe my crisis for the project I am doing really won’t be that bad, and hopefully will be more of a learning experience.

Becky believes the concentrations that we take are very important and crucial in the sport world; they give us the upper hand compared to schools that focus only on sport. Another very important party of the department is the close knit relationships that we get while being in this major. Having so many group projects make us learn how to deal with others and work as a group. After all, most jobs require you to be able to work with one another whether you enjoy their company or not.

Becky taught me many things about her experience at York College. I myself have realized that I am not using all of the resources that are offered around me. There are so many wonderful things about this program that other schools don’t offer, and just like every other student in this program, I need to use my resources, start working harder, and think about what I really want to do when I graduate. There were two very helpful pieces of advice that Becky gave me. “If you don’t love sports you will hate the profession. Most people dealing with sports have hobbies, so if you don’t love it then you should keep it as a hobby, not a career.” And secondly, “When you work for a good boss it makes all the difference in the world, so when you find it you have to run with it.”

View original post here.

This week’s entry is a profile of Sport Management Alum, Packy Moran and is based upon conversations with current student, Kyle McClure.

Packy Moran graduated from York College’s sport management program in 2006 and is currently completing his second-year as a graduate student at the University of Ohio studying higher education administration. His ultimate goal is to obtain his PhD and teach sport management.

Mr. Moran selected Ohio University based a variety of reasons; such as it was the first university to offer a sport management program, it enrolls over 400 students in the program and is recognized as one of the most respected programs in the nation. He was also influenced by the large number of alumni and the extensive networking capabilities resulting from being an established program. However, Packy admits his decision to attend undergraduate school was not as well researched. In fact, enrolling at York College had more to do with his personal life and luck than anything else.

It all started for Packy when his fiancé’s job with Bon Ton relocated her to Pennsylvania. Back then, Mr. Moran knew he had to further his education but did not know where, how or even in what career field. On one particular snowy day, he ventured out to get information about Penn State York; however, no one was there to assist him due to the weather. While he was traveling down Grantley Road, Packy happened to notice the words ‘sport management center’ located on a side of McKay Hall. One thing lead to another and the rest they say is history.

York College had a tremendous influence on Packy’s life. Mr. Moran was put in real life situations and forced to figure them out on his own (Dr. Newman’s teaching style was the same back then as it is now). Packy likened his college experience to the real world in that you never know what people want from you…you have to figure it out on your own.

Luckily for Packy, his time at York College resulted in earning a degree in something he was passionate about. The program also introduced him to “Pracademics,” the 120 practicum hours required for sport management students. He continued to say that it was refreshing to work with coaches and athletes at the college as well as with other personnel such as Scott Guise from Sports Information. He also recommends that sport management students consider getting an MBA because he feels, “It forces you to think like a businessman and not a jock.”

According to Packy, his career path “would have been impossible without York College sport management.” He still finds himself thinking “WWDND” as he continues moving forward in his personal and professional life. (The five letters—WWDND—represent “what would Dr. Newman do?”) Mr. Moran referenced all the professors at York College as playing a role in his growth because they all do a fantastic job of presenting the sport management industry.

I want to thank both Packy and Kyle for their time and information. On a personal note, I feel things always have a way of working out for the best. I’d be curious to hear from others…what have you learned from your experiences at the college that are relevant to you in the working world…what is your advice for our current sport management students…your thoughts and comments are always welcome!