Do you have a sports management degree?

Being that I got my education and have worked in the sports industry in a variety of different roles for over 16 years, I have received all kinds of questions related to working in the industry. I have also had to shift and change my answers to these questions as I have had the opportunity to grow and advance in my career.

I always get asked about my education and if I think someone should get an undergraduate or graduate degree in sports management to be able to succeed in the sports industry. "Do you have a sports management degree?" "Why did you get a doctorate in sports management?"

In my opinion, you do not need to have an advanced degree specifically in sport to succeed and I don't even believe it's necessary to get your undergraduate degree in it either. I did my undergraduate degree in communications and initially, I took some sports comms and sports journalist courses to see if I had an interest or any talent in one day being a sports broadcaster/reporter. Focusing on being a division one basketball student-athlete, I did not give enough thought to what I was going to do when I graduated and as it got closer to the end of my playing career, I thought I might want to be a men's college basketball coach so that I could still be around the game. When college was done, I had the opportunity to play professionally and when I really sat with that I realized that I did not have the desire to continue playing the sport, but I was passionate about the business of sports and advocating for athletes.

That desire to still be involved in sports led me to look at going back to school for sports management. For me, it was a completely different experience than my undergraduate education. I was a good student in undergrad and was never ineligible throughout my collegiate career, but I just needed a totally different drive to learn and retain information in the classroom that I didn't before and finding more opportunities to engage that being a student-athlete didn't afford me. So, a master's in sports management it was, and then I had the incredible opportunity to stay on and get my doctorate. I found my graduate school experience to be challenging and a relearning time for me. I believe that I was able to be successful and excel through my program because I loved every aspect of sports and I understood the business side of things while also being able to research and teach in different areas of sports and being able to stay true to my personal mission of advocating, understanding, and relating to the athlete, whether youth, recreational, collegiate, and/or professional.

I always give any student and or student-athlete that reaches out to me about getting into the sports industry to take advantage of being a student to get in front of sports professionals you aspire to be. I think that people in the competitive and even some could say cut throat sports industry, you are more likely to build a relationship or even find someone to be your mentor if you are not actually in the industry yet. Now, I listen to podcasts and read articles and books on the sports industry and those that say that they lift while they rise, but from my personal experience, I have not had that experience. My doctoral advisor has been a constant in my life as career as someone that made me feel that he believed in me and has presented me with opportunities or publish and stay engaged with the sports in academia, which I appreciate more than I could ever express to him. But other than that, I have not had the experience of people that look like me or even more specifically women that look like me or otherwise champion me professionally. I have been called a "rockstar" and told that I am going to take the world by storm, but when it has come down to someone being a confidant, a mentor, or even a consistent reference, I have not had that. I take that back, I have had one that has been consistent. But I encourage anyone who will listen, try to get a handle on what it is you think you want to do as a profession and then connect with those folks as soon as you can while they are willing to assist you. I do believe in the power of community and having champions and mentors, just make sure that you focus on that in your career, or then you will be in a leadership position looking to advance your career and you feel like you are going about it with a blindfold on.

The myth; it's all about who you know. No. The update to the myth; it's all about who knows you. Not quite, but closer. The truth; it's all about who you know, who knows you, and who genuinely wants to and/or cares about assisting you in accelerating or advancing your career because it does not affect their career.

And the last thing about education in the sports industry. If you want to go to school and get as many degrees as you want, do it because that is your life and ultimately your career path. If you want to go straight into working in sports right out of undergrad, do it because it's your prerogative. I was told a few times, and even more specifically by black women that I looked up to, that my education and background was "non-traditional" and therefore unnecessary or puts behind those that had more years under their belt working. And for some years, I believed them. Because they both were in director positions at the time and they managed other staff and they were doing it in my opinion. I wanted them to like me or see something special in me to pour into me, but I didn't need that validation. I had receipts on the things I had been able to accomplish as a ticket sales professional and as a published young person with a doctorate.

I share all of this to give you validation that you don't need validation from anyone other than yourself. From this sports executive's perspective, you will forge your own path and your own career journey because we are all the authors of our OWN story. Find strength in that.

Do you think it's necessary to have an undergraduate or graduate degree in sports management to be successful in the sports industry?