Turning game day hustle into career goals

In a game filled with many special moments and memorable highlights, it was the time before kickoff that meant the most to the group of Commonwealth University sport management students who spent a week in Miami volunteering for the College Football Playoff National Championship.

“It’s rare to get an opportunity like this,” said Christopher Algard, a dual major in media and journalism and sports management at CU-Bloomsburg. “Being able to take in the gameday energy and environment — to see how excited the fans were and to see them creating lifelong memories during the pre-game show and national anthem — is something I won't forget.”

Same for Paige Yingst, a sport management major at CU-Lock Haven.

“Walking out onto the field and seeing a packed stadium was surreal,” Yingst said. “It was one of those experiences that really reminded me of why I want to pursue a career in sports.”

The build-up to kickoff was palpable, according to the students, carrying flags for each of the 12 CFP teams during the opening ceremonies.

“I had chills the entire time I was on the field,” said Jasmine Fink, a sport management major at CU-Bloomsburg. “Trips like these give you experiences you would never have thought about being able to do, especially still being a student.”

Outside of the championship, the students toured the Miami Marlins Stadium and volunteered at the AT&T Playoff Playlist Live with Green Sports Alliance. Each segment of their trip provided a lesson learned in the amount of time and effort that’s put into a largescale sporting event like this.

“It gave me a new level of appreciation for all of the sport industry professionals who work all year long to make an event like this be a success,” Algard said. “Not just for the fans but for the reputation of the College Football Committee and host city. It enhanced my passion to work in the sports industry at a major level.”

Students were able to draw from many of their sports management classes during the CFP experience.

“My classes helped prepare me for this trip in many ways,” Fink said. “Knowing how things operate, how fast and how precise each task needs to be completed, along with the amount of work needed to go into this event.”

Yingst said her field experience class was especially helpful.

“Every class teaches you something important,” Yingst said, “...but firsthand experience working in sports is what best prepares you for these big events.”

Algard had a full circle moment translating what he’s learned in the classroom directly to seeing it at the CFP championship.

“Our classes dive deep into everything that goes into making an event like this possible, from the operations side to logistics and marketing and also fan engagement,” Algard said. “Learning all of these concepts in the classroom and then getting to go and witness each one of those aspects in real time for one of the largest sporting events in college athletics of the year is pretty special.”

This opportunity reinforced the importance of networking, especially in the sports industry.

“We were working with professionals who have been in the field for a long time.” Algard said. “Hearing advice from them and being able to tell them about yourself and show your passion for the sports industry was another major takeaway of mine that I am extremely grateful for.”

According to Yingst, it's important to attend these trips because of these real-life experiences you gain … even if it's only a few days of work.

“You get to understand how the events operate and what all goes into it,” Yingst said. “Plus, it's just an overall fun experience where you get to enjoy time with your classmates and make new connections.”

Fink agreed, “Making and forming meaningful connections may seem silly, but once you have them, you have them forever. In the sports industry, it’s important to make meaningful connections to do well. With this, creating and building meaningful connections is what I got out of this experience.”