As I sat on the rooftop terrace of the MSBA offices, I stared at the New York City skyscrapers that were lighting up the night sky. I entered into a rare moment of reflection in which I tried to think about everything that has happened to me during the last eight weeks. I remembered walking onto the roof of Cogent Entertainment Marketing for the MSBA 2016 Kickoff Celebration, feeling both nervous and excited to start the MSBA program. I remembered meeting both my classmates and mentors for the first time. I remembered envisioning all of the memories that I was going to make.
“I have experienced commuting and living in New York City, I have made lifelong friends, and I have grown as a person – both professionally and socially.”
From watching the Radio City Rockettes, to playing basketball at Terminal 23, to traveling to NFL Headquarters, the MSBA program has been a truly unforgettable experience. From my internship at Wasserman, I have learned how to more effectively conduct myself as a professional. I have had the unique opportunity to watch and listen to all of Wasserman’s employees work together to complete projects and communicate to ensure they’re all on the same page. At the same time, I feel that I have provided significant value to Wasserman through hard work, attention to detail, and (most importantly) asking questions when I need further clarification. As a result, I have successfully completed my projects and also improved my self-confidence. I now realize that I possess the traits necessary to be successful in the sports business industry. My drive to make an impact and ability to work with others will allow me to continue working hard, set larger goals each day, and become a better person.
I have thoroughly enjoyed the MSBA Speaker Series, as I have learned so much from listening to the multitude of influential speakers throughout the summer. I am confident that I will be looking through my notes for a very long time. Our recent field trip to MLB Headquarters was very special for me. In the summer of 2007, I travelled around the country visiting 14 different baseball stadiums in 21 days. During that summer baseball tour I got to see many different aspects of the business of baseball, from meeting the team’s lawyers to speaking with the people in charge of licensing the team’s merchandise. This baseball trip is a major reason why I am pursuing my passion to work in the sports business industry. As a result, I felt as if everything had come full circle while sitting in Major League Baseball’s “Selig Conference Room”; all of my hard work over the years helped get me there, but I am still not satisfied. I have the hunger for more.
I feel that Jim McCloud, MLB’s Vice President of Sponsorship Sales, gave us extremely valuable advice when he said to know your strengths and weaknesses. I think that too many people forget to acknowledge they don’t actually know everything. As I embark on my journey in the sports business industry, I need to constantly remind myself that while I am good at certain things, but I am also weak at certain things. Once I recognize this, I can then surround myself with people who better complement my weaknesses in order to create a successful team.
As I sat on the rooftop terrace of the MSBA offices, I felt proud of everything I have accomplished this summer. I have experienced commuting and living in New York City, I have made lifelong friends, and I have grown as a person – both professionally and socially. Above all, as I stared into the New York City night sky, I reflected on all my new MSBA 2016 memories that I will surely never forget.