Sport Management Students Gain Practical

Students majoring in sport management at Shorter have the unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience in event management through the Event and Facility Management course (SPM 4700).

The main goal of this course is to provide students with the most experiential opportunities possible while capitalizing on the local event management components, according to Dr. Kyle Conkle, assistant professor of sport management and course instructor. Students are required to attend event tours, complete simulations, and work at a minimum of five events relating to event and facility management in sports.

One of the most important parts of the class is to connect current students with Shorter University alumni and show their personal success within the field of sport management. This year, current students connected with alumni Jackie O’Reilly and Tyler Stinson to tour the Advent Health Stadium, home of the Rome Emperors (formerly Rome Braves).

“We like to bring alumni into the picture to showcase the success that has come out of our program. With this tour, I believe my students saw an all-encompassing view of how the world of sport management goes much further than what they see while playing their sport at the collegiate level. Through the course components, they see beyond the class and even beyond a tangible value,” said Conkle. Students in the class are exposed to many opportunities to expand upon their sport management experiences. Junior sport management majors Landon Maynard and Cole McDaniel said completing the case simulations, serving as event workers for Shorter soccer games, and connecting with alumni, provided them with valuable experience and helped to prepare them for careers in sport management. “While taking part in the Advent Health stadium tour, I felt I got a well-rounded view of what truly goes into a managerial role. I saw areas such as ticketing, parking, concessions, marketing, and even social media aspects that I did not expect to see in real life even though we complete these components in our case simulations,” said McDaniel. Through this event tour, McDaniel voiced that he believed Shorter University is focused on producing good, quality students. Through tours and working events, McDaniel expressed his thankfulness to his professors for focusing on aiding students in their careers after college. Maynard served with McDaniel in helping Shorter’s athletic department during home soccer games. While these