Dallas - NACDA/NACMA Conference

(Don't play this video until after you read about the CWS power outage)

After arriving at our hotel (and discovering the 5:30-7:30 complimentary happy hour) we rally our group together and decided that we wanted to go to a restaurant to watch our College World series game that evening. We were one win away from going to the finals and we weren't going to settle for watching it on tiny tv's in our hotel bar - so we took the hotel vans to Buffalo Wild Wings and took over the restaurant. There was a Rangers game that night on tv and you could see the disappointment on their faces when we rolled up in our Arizona shirts and demanded it be played. With a little over 45 of us there, we easily took over the restaurant and turned it into a place that could be mistaken for being on University. Cheering and clapping, showing off our AZ pride! It was a fun night hanging out together after a long day and just unwinding together watching the game and grabbing some dinner. It was fun until about the end of the 8th inning when the power went out in Dallas.... yes, the power went out and the restaurant had no back up generators. They told everyone in the restaurant that if they didn't have the power back on soon, we'd all have to leave. Our group was dying for the game to come back on and just praying we could see the last inning which would secure Arizona's place in the CWS for the first time in 20 years! We were about to give up hope and go find a place near by to watch until the lights miraculously came back on in the bottom of the 9th and we were golden! We got to watch our team win and head out to the CHAMPIONSHIP! Little did we know, going to bed early that night would have been very nice considering the next morning we were going to be up at and downstairs by 7 ready to go to our first day at NACDA (National Association of Conference Directors of Athletics) and NACMA (M= Marketing).
         
         This past week, our group was fortunate enough to attend the annual National Association of Athletic Directors Conference (NACDA) and the National Association of Athletic Marketing Conference (NACMA). If was a busy 4 days filled with panels, lectures and meetings on an assortment of sports related topics all over the industry. Every discussion or meeting was hosted and given by athletic professionals from different colleges and universities across the United States. As an undergraduate and new to the conference, I attended basic training with a majority of our group. The training was an eye opener and gave  us a very interesting beginning to our NACMA experience. It was a nice way to subtly ease us into the crazed professional athletic world we are just becoming a part of. Basic training was filled with students, graduate students and people with new and limited experience in the business. It was interesting to see the varied range of ages that were in basic training. We thought we would be the youngest students present but to our surprise, there were a few Canadian college students in attendance as well. Some of the basic training topics we listened to were about Mentoring and finding a mentor, Social Media and Developing a brand, Networking, Job Searching and I have a job, now what? 

            In mentoring, we discussed the importance of establishing a strong connection and relationship with someone in your field that you can trust and can confide in to help you further your career and knowledge. We heard from speakers such as Mary Pink from Iowa State University and Amber Lilyestrom from University of New Hampshire. With Social Media and Developing a brand, we discussed how with the advancements in social media, we need to protect our image by perceiving ourselves in a respectable manner for future employers and imagine with every online experience we are being judged. By being online, we are developing ourselves as a brand. We want our brand of ourselves to be as positive and pleasant as possible. Networking discussed the importance of not just gathering business cards but making meaningful and sincere relationships with other people in the business. It is vital to create relationships with people who you can help grow while they help you as well. We discussed the daunting task of job searching and the significance of gaining experience and accumulating volunteer work hours in order to be hired by the best. We also touched on the subject of what to do once you have a job and how to progress and further your career. You need to dress the part and dress for the job you want, not the job you have, keep a positive attitude and you need to be a team player and do what is asked of you, even the little things.

After the lecture, during lunch, I made sure to go introduce myself to Amber Lilyestrom, the Associate Athletic Director for Marketing and Communications at the University of New Hampshire. I introduced myself to her and thanked her for her talk about the importance of finding mentors and about being a powerful woman in a male dominated business. I explained to her that I wanted to do what she does and that my interest and emphasis lie in media relations, communications and marketing. She gave me excellent advice about getting in there and not letting anything hold you back from it, the fight it takes to reach those goals and how she did it all by 30 years old. She was very motivational and inspiring to me. I asked her if in her opinion it would be in my best interest to go to Graduate school first or go straight into the work force for experience. She told me that while a graduate degree could always be beneficial, she did not attend and she believes that I have as good of chance as any to get a job someone else has as long as I was confident, assertive and passionate (which she said I was since I came up to her out of no where, shook her hand and introduced myself). After about 10 minutes of talking, she handed me her business card and told me to contact her soon and to keep her updated on my journey through sports and if I needed any advice or help. I would have to say that she is the contact I am most excited about attaining at NACMA. Her “take no prisoners” attitude, passion and drive really inspired me. Her journey sounds similar to mine and she seems like someone I truly can continue to connect with. I hope to become better acquaintances with her in the near future and hopefully gain a strong contact through her.

As day one came to an end, we were able to network with many people from the convention at an informal reception and later in the exhibition hall. This time we had in the exhibition center, to the untrained eye may have seemed lacks, but it was actually a very important time for us to network and introduce ourselves to people from all different careers and on different paths across the business spectrum.  I used this time to introduce myself to Chris Del Conte, the current Athletic Director at Texas Christian University, one of the associate athletic directors at Indiana University and to a few member of the Loyola Marymount Universities athletic department. After a busy day of lectures and networking, we went home and prepared ourselves for the long days ahead but now, unlike the morning before, we were more prepared and knew what we were in for.

Day two of the convention was less of a world-wind and more of a day to take what we learned the day before and execute it. We started off the morning in the grand hall listening to Kevin Plank, the CEO and Founder of Under Armor, give a speech on his success and his journey with the business. Not only was he an amazing speaker, he was very good at describing the timeline and the journey it takes to take a simple idea and make it into a billion dollar industry. He showed us that in order to be successful you have to be willing to commit all your time and put your whole self into your work if it is something you really want. He was so inspiring and showed us how we took an idea that seemed so simple and created an empire. As I listened, I started to think in my head of any ideas that are right in front of us that no one has created or thought of yet in athletics that I could create and become a billionaire just like him – I’ve still yet to think of something but I’m still hopeful.

After Mr. Plank’s speech ended, I went to the lecture Leadership in Professional Sports, which focused on the professional sports industry, and it’s pros and cons versus college athletics. It was very different from what I was expecting. I was anticipated them to discuss more about their professions in the professional arena and how it differs from college athletics but it was more about their job descriptions with their teams and only a few pointers of the difference from college sports. It was interesting nonetheless because I am also interested in the professional sports industry but they negatively discussed college sports, which was a bit discouraging to me.

Later that day, I went to a lecture on women in sports. We heard from powerful women that had worked hard and had to fight for their positions in a male dominated business. We discussed the issues that faced women with male bosses and co-workers that viewed them as “sensitive”, “weak” or “emotional”. We discussed the iddues surrounding raising a family, having to take time to balance being a wife and or mother while being a person in high standings in their career and the guilt associated with having to “choose” between a career or their family, which we should not have to do. It was encouraging to see how far so many women have come with their work and that I can do it just like they can. They encouraged us to attend grad school if we need to but to gain as much experience as we can and to be tough and not let our emotions get the most of us if anything was about to set us over the edge.

Wednesday, I attended some break out sessions about media and public relations and how to reach out with involvement from your student section. It was really beneficial because I am a member of Zona Zoo crew and this is a constant problem we have with member attendants. We don’t have a problem with people attending basketball and football, and now baseball, but other sports, especially women sports, they need more attendance and participation. Wednesday was more of a calm day but it was a good way to end the convention with a lunch honoring athletic directors with special achievement awards from NACDA.

Going to NACMA was a huge eye opener and I gained a world of knowledge. After hearing from and meeting established athletic directors, associates and directors throughout the industry, it confirmed the fact that I want to work in the world of sports, whether collegiate or professional I’m not sure. While informative, at times it scared me. I had not considered going to graduate school with this degree because my thought process was that I would rather go into the work force, gain experience and apply to jobs after that. But after hearing from so many people who told me my MBA or a graduate degree would be useful, it is now something I am starting to consider seriously. I learned three very valuable lessons at NACMA that I will never forget. First off, you are as much of a brand product as the brand or product you are selling. If you represent yourself well and maintain a clean image, you will get so much further than you would other wise. Do not be afraid to sell yourself and be proud of your accomplishments. Secondly, passion is key. You must be passionate in your work because if you aren’t, it will show in your attitude, worth ethic and your progression in your career. Lastly, it is direly important to find a mentor to help navigate you in the correct direction, help you further your career, and to develop a relationship with to keep you grounded and motivated. NACMA was an amazing opportunity and I gained contacts I never would have other wise. By being confident and bold, I put myself out there and was not afraid to walk up to someone and introduce myself. Though I was nervous at first, after I conquered the first experience the rest was simple. I hope to attend NACMA in the future as someone with athletic business experience and come back to help other young students such as myself now. I was worried at the beginning of NACMA that I was going to be behind everyone else, due to my age and lack of experience, and it would be intimidating but looking back on it, I am now way ahead of other students my age and this trip to NACMA can only help benefit my future. 

 (Yes, I did just copy my paper on my NACMA experience that I turned in the other night.... I felt too repetitive so I used modern technology and copy and pasted. Sorry.... kind of.)

To end on a happier note, WE WON THE COLLEGE WORLD SERIES!! Now I am the first to admit that I am a bandwagon fan for baseball. It's not really my thing and it's too slow for my technology generation mind, but I will say I resent the term "Band Wagon" and I'd rather replace it with "School Spirited". I am so proud of my school for going all the way and winning. It was truly so exciting and I'm glad I was with a group of other like minded, athletic individuals because I believe it made the experience 100x times better. While watching the game in our hotel lobby however, we were threatened a numerous amount of times that if we did not stop cheering and clapping we would be asked to leave/get kicked out. Seeing as how we needed a place to sleep at night, we quieted down a bit and kept our rooms for the night... but it was a very close call. When we won, our crowd of 45 sports management students erupted - cheering, clapping, screaming and singing Bear Down at the top of our lungs at 11 at night... I'm not saying I don't understand why the hotel hated us that night, but I think our celebration was warranted! GO CATS! 

Watching the game in the lobby of the Embassy Suites!

I want this shirt SO badly!

Celebrating our win - Proudly singing (screaming) Bear Down!

Cheers!