(STATESBORO, GA) Sport management professor Todd Hall traveled with 10 Georgia Southern University students to the West Coast recently and met dozens of professionals in the sports marketing field.
The trip lasted two weeks in an effort to replicate a domestic study experience similar to study-abroad programs common in summer courses.
Given the economic struggles, Hall thought it would be more affordable for students to visit attractive destinations in the United States rather than abroad. “This allowed students to network with professionals who could be an asset to them, rather than somebody in Europe or China with whom they would never speak again,” Hall said.
Hall had three goals throughout the trip. He wanted to expose the students to as many different types of sports organizations as possible, assist the students in developing a professional network of contacts, and provide them with a culturally and geographically enlightening experience.
“We met with a lot of people in the sports industry,” said student Ross Bowers. “We got access and built professional networks with people that would have taken years to do otherwise.”
The students visited a diverse group of sports organizations such as the Seattle Seahawks, Seattle Mariners, Adidas’ North American headquarters and Nike’s global headquarters. The object was to visit anywhere from major professional sports teams to obscure minor league teams, as well as manufacturing giants to small niche companies.
“The trip was a great experience,” student James Desmond said. “The people and places we had access to are things that I will always remember.”
Hall felt the trip was a success and a career stepping stone for all of the students who attended. “To gain that exposure and make career decisions based on those experiences is what I was hoping to accomplish,” Hall said. “For students to say, ‘I know this is the part of the industry I want to work in,’ or, ‘I would never want to work at a place like that,’ is exactly what I wanted.”

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