Our time together in Sport and Strategic Communication provided our class with engaging content with dialogue focused on sports related topics ranging from the evolution of journalism and social media in sports to studying historical and current feats of activism toward racial and gender equality. In addition to our class content, we had activities like the NFL Survivor Pool and the weekly ‘What caught my eye in sports’ segments which allowed us to gain some comfort with our classmates through some less thought-provoking topics. One of the better aspects of our class was the fact it had assignments like our Sport Professional Penpals and NIL Presentation which pushed us out of our comfort zone and required us to immerse ourselves in a new topic and be innovative in how we think. Finally, Sport and Strategic Communication gave us access to something which became a phrase Professor O’Hallarn might consider copyrighting, “access to Gianana’s infinite Rolodex,” for which, we all are grateful.
In fact, my biggest takeaway from our class came from a theme consistent with every speaker in the lineup of guests we had the privilege of having this semester: Networking … I mean … Connection Building. As this concept was preached to us week after week, there was eventually a point where the message was received and I realized the importance of asking to have a conversation in finding a job opportunity after college or at some point in the future. To be frank, our speakers were not the first people to give me this lesson, my Dad was, but their first-hand experience in the sports industry gave validity to their words for me and are now forever engrained in my mind.
Another key takeaway I had from Sport and Strategic Communication is a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes life of the professional sports industry and some of the things both athletes and sports professionals are navigating in their career. This came through listening to Gianina speak about her job and from reading articles about how athletes can become more than just an athlete in today’s world. This played into our NIL presentation and I believe the process of branding athletes and targeting market segments with their following will become very useful in my future career.
At the end of the day, I am glad to have had this class in my first semester at ODU because it pushed me out of my comfort zone, made me think in new ways, and opened my eyes to how important it is to intentionally and frequently put yourself in a position to meet new people within the sports industry.