The Sports Management Club at the University of North Florida hosted a sports industry panel and networking event on Monday for students to ask industry professionals an array of questions. 

Austin Weeks was the first of four UNF students who bravely asked the experts a question in front of the crowd.

“I don’t want to be a follower, I want to be a leader. I want to be able to put myself out there,” the sports management major said. “The ones that put themselves out there are going to get more opportunities.”

Overall, Weeks wanted to stand out from everyone. 

“I don’t wanna sit back and just follow the guidance of others, but take a leap forward, and that leap will hopefully get me somewhere,” Weeks said. 

Weeks came to the event to connect with different professionals and see what internship opportunities are available. Despite already having experience with multiple organizations, Weeks said he wanted to further his portfolio for even bigger opportunities. 

Weeks said the best advice he received was from one of the panelists, Jack Boyle, who answered his question about work-life balance. 

“The best one was that work life balance isn’t just 50/50 but it’s fluctuating,” Weeks said. “It’s about integration that you want to find a [workplace] with great culture, but also that’s going to set you up professionally and personally as well.”

Boyle, president of Fanatics Commerce and UNF trustee, attended the event to engage with students in the sport management program. 

“What appealed to me today was being with students and being able to talk to the sports management program as a dynamic, growing, important program here, and just to give some advice and being able to connect directly with the students.” Boyle said. 

Boyle’s favorite advice he gave students was the importance of culture to someone’s future employer. 

“How [culture] is important, besides just metrics, titles, and results,” Boyle said. 

Boyle thinks the event showed the diversity of sports careers. 

Another student, Taylor Gray, courageously asked a question to the panelists about mistakes they’ve learned from. 

“There’s so many people here and sports is such a competitive field that I want to do anything I can to stand out,” Gray said. “And if that means quite literally standing up in front of everyone, that’s what I’ll do.”

Gray’s favorite advice she received was from Donna Orender, former WNBA president and PGA Tour executive, who said mistakes are a learning experience.

“I;’m definitely the type to dwell on every detail, every move I make,” Gray said. “So that was very light hearted and good to hear.”

Event Creation

Five panelists from companies including Fanatics, PGA Tour, and the Orlando Magic answered a multitude of pre-prepared questions asked by club president Molly Springer. 

Springer, who came up with the event idea in February, wanted to create a big sendoff to finish off the year. Ultimately, Springer wanted to showcase what the sports management club was capable of.

“We are such a sport-rich community,” Springer said. 

Springer also created this event to “give more students the opportunity to talk to professionals.” 

While acknowledging that students get to speak with professors—who are professionals—in classroom and club settings, Springer said it’s a completely different experience when speaking to sports employees who currently work in the industry. 

“I wanted to give the students that haven’t had a chance to talk to professionals the chance to finally do that and maybe even figure out what they want to do,” Springer said. 

Before the event, Springer said it was going to be “incredibly eye opening” for students to meet and network with potential employers. Her goal of the event was to help students see the entirety of the sport industry, not just general managers and athletic directors. 

“I think it will help them with just understanding how many opportunities there are in the industry,” the club president said.

In addition to Orender and Boyle, professionals Alex Alston, Stephanie Delgado, and UNF graduate Vernon Walker were also on the panel. 

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