Connect with Daniel on Twitter and Linkedin.

The past week or so of MSBA events have been some of the most rewarding experiences so far this summer. It has been a much needed exciting period after the 4th of July holiday stretch.

July 12 will be a day I’m sure the MSBA leadership staff will market to prospective students as a MAIN REASON to go all-in with MSBA next summer. And for good reason.

We were able to immerse ourselves in two of the most powerful brands in North American sport: The NFL and the New York Yankees. Our NFL visit included an interactive panel discussion with CMO Mark Waller, VP Fan Strategy Peter O’Reilly and VP International Chris Parsons. It would be an understatement to say these NFL executives put on a show for MSBA. Let’s just say after leaving the NFL offices on Friday afternoon, everyone had a firm understanding as to why the NFL is and will be America’s sport for quite some time.

After our NFL visit, we all booked it to the Stadium in the Bronx to pick up some free Field level tickets (with Mohegan-Sun Bar access) from Kris Haynes’ mentor, Jose Duverge. Jose has really been a great asset to MSBA this summer as one of the mentors that has embraced the unique MSBA experience. Jose previoiusly hooked us up with Spain v. Ireland tickets. Before the game, we toured the stadium, Monument Park and the Yankee Museum to get a sense of the history that goes into the development of an iconic sports brand. As a die-hard Mets fan, I had to refuse the free Yankee hat. But as a baseball and sports fan, it was a necessary experience to check off the bucket list.

The next morning I was up bright and early at 5:30 A.M. with a few other brave souls to make the hour trek down to Brooklyn for the MLB All-Star 5K Run for Sandy Relief. While my legs are still a little sore from the run, it was worth it to experience Brooklyn with everyone. The bonding and watching MSBA Co-Founder Ben Sturner run, made it worth the 5:30 wake-up call.

My Sunday, I believe, represents the core of what the MSBA leadership staff absolutely knocks out of the park with the concept of MSBA. And they still don’t even know what I did on Sunday. I took my roommates, Chris Stathos and Aaron Malave, to my hometown of Tarrytown, NY to get out of the unbearable NYC heat for a day and experience all the things Tarrytown/Sleepy Hollow provided to me and my friends growing up. While this may seem like a nondescript thing to do when MSBA only provides 8 fleeting weeks to be in NYC, what the trip represented was the relationships developed when you throw twenty-two young, eager, ambitious and open-minded 20-somethings into the same NYC building for 8 weeks: straight bonding.

The memories we all make together in NYC, whether it be a Tuesday night drinking at Merrion Sqaure Bar, late night chats about career, life and personal goals, or a Friday night out in the Big Apple, are far and away why MSBA has the potential to be a really great program.

#MSBA13 afternoon lineup: Visit to @NFL office and @Yankees night game. #FridayFunday @goMSBA
— Myles J. Robinson (@mylesjrobinson) July 12, 2013