Millions of viewers watch as elite athletes like Michael Phelps, Simone Biles and Katie Ledecky shatter records at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. But what typical fans don’t notice is the marketing, communication and event management that happens behind the scenes to make it all possible. It’s a sector of the industry that Sport Management students at Falk College are looking to pursue after graduation, including Chris Henderson ’18.
This summer, Henderson is working in the midst of this global sporting event, putting his education into practice at the Rio Olympics while interning for NBC. “It has been an amazing experience so far,” said Henderson. “It really turned out the best it possibly could.”
In the communications department, Henderson starts his morning by preparing a detailed news coverage report. Using different search terms, he monitors news stories to help gather what viewers are saying about the Olympic coverage. After providing a coverage report, Henderson is assigned to a television station where for each game, he gathers notes and quotes for afternoon and primetime press releases.
While coursework covers a variety of skills and topics from marketing and event management to ethics and law, hands-on experience is a critical portion of Falk College’s Sport Management curriculum, which students acquire through internships, study abroad opportunities and the senior Capstone.
“My co-workers have been great,” said Henderson. “The communications department brought a very small team down to Rio, so it has been easy to get to know the whole department. Two of the six went to Syracuse University, so it’s a very easy connection.”
In addition to its undergraduate degree in Sport Management and a master’s program in Sport Venue and Event Management, Falk College recently launched a bachelor of science in Sport Analytics focusing on topics such as economics, finance and technology.
As part of the BIG Initiative, Henderson was recently selected as the Valedictorian for the 2017 Michigan Sport Business Conference, where he will have the opportunity to speak to industry professionals and his peers at the University of Michigan in October. Each year, the Michigan Sports Business Conference BIG Initiative recognizes 10 outstanding students who demonstrate exceptional accomplishment and leadership.