LU sport management students network with Florida pro sports organizations 

Last month, 12 Liberty University sport management students traveled to Florida to gain practical field experience networking with various professional sports organizations.

The trip, which ran from March 30 to April 4, was part of the students’ Sport Management 497 course requirements. While in Florida, students met with staff and executives from FIFA, the Florida Panthers, the Miami Dolphins, Formula 1, the Orlando Magic, NASCAR, Orlando City SC, and the Orlando Sports Foundation, and they toured the institutions’ respective facilities.

Associate Professor Chris Amos, who has led the trip for 10 years, said it provides students the chance to not only witness firsthand life in professional sports but also explore the various career opportunities available within a sports franchise.

“For students, this is often opening the door for internships,” he said. “This is an opportunity to network and hopefully get your foot in the door for internships.”

Prior to making the trip, students were required to research the organizations and prepare in-depth questions to ask leadership. The questions ranged from facts about the organization itself, to how working in the sports industry impacts home life and how to maintain a Christian walk in the secular world of professional sports.

“One cool thing is every organization we met with, at the end they would come up to me and say, ‘Your students are amazing. They are asking very thought-provoking questions. You can tell they’ve done their research. They’re not just sitting on their cellphones, but they’re engaged,’” Amos said. “The students put a lot of effort into the research part of it and that comes out of it.”

Upon their return to Lynchburg, students had to submit assignments related to the trip.

As Liberty’s alumni base continues to grow in professional sports, Amos remains in contact with former students to expand the scope of the trip. This year marked the first time the class visited the Orlando Magic, a connection made by LU graduates working for the team.

Due to the high interest in joining the trip, students are required to apply. Faculty review applications and select students based on their classroom participation, GPA, extracurricular involvement in the sport industry, and other determining factors. Over the years, multiple Liberty students have received internships and eventually full-time positions through connections made on the trip.

“The only word I could say to describe it, is ‘incredible,’” said senior Kristin Kato. “It’s one thing to make a connection in the sport industry, it’s another to meet 30 different people you can easily connect with and have connections for years to come. It’s an amazing experience, definitely once-in-a-lifetime.”

Currently serving as the social media manager with Liberty Club Sports Athletic Training, Kato aspires to one day do the same for a professional franchise. During the trip, she connected with a broadcaster for the Orlando Magic and hopes to facilitate further connections with their social media team.

“(This trip) means the world to me because it’s always scary trying to go out into the work field not knowing anybody,” she said. “The most important thing for working in the sport industry is having connections. (I was able to) connect with people that I probably would not have been able to before.”

Kato credited Liberty’s sport management program with providing her the skillset and experience needed to succeed in the realm of athletics.

“It’s truly an incredible opportunity. Liberty’s sport management program loves to make sure you have experience, and all of our projects are hands-on experience,” she said. “It’s definitely equipping me to be in the sports world one day.”