Sport Management News
SPM hosts major leaguer, area coaches for State of Baseball event
Locastro headlined a panel of industry professionals, including:
- New York Yankees Scout Marc DelPiano, who previously served as a Special Assistant to the General Manager for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 2008-2015. He then became the Vice President of Player Development for the Miami Marlins through September 2017. DelPiano also played two seasons of minor league baseball.
- Cayuga Community College Head Baseball Coach TJ Gamba, who is a former Miami Marlins minor league coach.
- Ithaca College Head Baseball Coach David Valesente, who has also coached at Wells College and Saint Joseph’s University.
- American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Famer and 41-year Ithaca College Head Baseball Coach George Valesente, who retired in 2019.
The panelists discussed the game as it evolves, from college to the minor leagues and ultimately the major leagues. They spoke about opportunities in professional baseball operations, scouting, front office administration, and analytics.
Sport Management assistant teaching professor Dave Meluni organized the event and moderated the discussion.
“It was enlightening for our students to hear from a wide range of baseball professionals who are knowledgeable in all aspects of the game,” said Meluni, who teaches sport marketing, sales, sponsorship and promotion at Syracuse University. “With technology playing an ever-changing role in baseball, there are countless opportunities for our students to break into this industry.”
DelPiano echoed that analytics and technology now important aspects of the game, and only as good as the voice communicating this data to the players, coaches and front office.
November 16 Charity Sports Auction to benefit Make-A-Wish Central New York
The Sport Management Club is a student-run organization in Falk College’s Department of Sport Management. Over the last 14 years, the Sport Management Club has raised over $460,000 for local charities.
Make-A-Wish Central New York is the beneficiary of the 15th Annual Charity Sports Auction. Make-A-Wish CNY grants the wishes of critically ill children in their 15-county footprint. Research shows that a wish builds the physical and emotional strength a child needs to fight, and often overcome their illness.
The event is a silent auction format with bid sheets assigned to each individual item for participants to place their bids. The backcourt consists of approximately 100 tables filled with a variety of auction items. The items consist of sports memorabilia, Syracuse University items, jewelry, gift baskets, and a wide range of items that would be appropriate holiday gifts.
Purchase of a game ticket for the Syracuse University men’s basketball game vs. Seattle University at 7 p.m. on Saturday, November 16 is necessary for access to the auction. Tickets can be purchased on the Syracuse University Athletics website, at the Carrier Dome Box, or by phone at 1.800.DOMETIX.
Sport analytics students work with EDGE10 to explore, manage player performance data
Beginning in 2018, Syracuse University students enrolled in SAL 213-Sport Data Analysis gained exposure to the player health and performance sides of sport analytics to uncover valuable, yet-to-be-discovered data insights. EDGE10, a leading provider of athlete management software, working with Professor Rodney Paul, director of the Falk College sport analytics program, and sport analytics academic advisor, Francesco Riverso, launched an on-going collaboration with Falk College that continues this year.
“EDGE10 is a dream partner for our new sport analytics degree. The opportunity to work with real-life performance data on a scale that EDGE10 provides offers enormous advantages to our students and the feedback and interaction they will have with the experts will help them in all aspects in attaining their career goals,” says Professor Paul.
In the process of engaging students with advanced statistical analysis skills to bring innovative solutions to existing real-world scenarios, the partnership with EDGE10 prepares students for internships and employment in this area of sport analytics.
During the fall semester, students in Professor Paul’s SAL 213 class working in small groups have access to anonymized athlete performance and medical data samples provided by EDGE10. The company shared scenarios that detail the type of user in the athletic organization and what their goals are for the respective data sets. With a client roster that spans sport organizations in the English Premier League (EPL), National Basketball Association (NBA), and the National Football League (NFL) among other entities in sports and additional market segments, EDGE10 is a leader in helping professional sports teams manage player performance data.
“Teams and sports organizations are continually seeking to create or unveil a competitive advantage with regard to enhancing athlete performance, no matter the sport,” said Michael Veley, director and chair of the Department of Sport Management. “Creating a partnership with EDGE10, a cutting-edge analytical pioneer in athlete welfare and performance, will provide endless opportunities for our faculty and students to become further engaged with improving athlete performance and recovery.”
Jason Riddell, EDGE10 senior sports scientist, said, “we are extremely excited to be partnering with the first program of its kind here in the United States at Syracuse University’s Falk College. The opportunity to work with sport analytics students at such an early, formative stage has benefitted EDGE10 immensely by allowing us to help shape and develop the skill sets that we find so valuable in today’s world of elite sport. Dr. Paul and Francesco Riverso’s mission to provide as much real-world experience for their students aligns perfectly with type of analysts we aim to employ.”
Following the group presentations later this semester, five students will be selected to continue with an independent study in the spring to include a deeper exploration of the EDGE10 architecture. Working with Professor Paul, the comprehensive final project will include a data model and subsequent analysis, with suggestions for improvement using performance and tactical/match data.
Falk College’s bachelor of science in sport analytics provides students with an understanding of math, statistics, research methodology, sport economics, database management, finance, and computer programming. Upon graduation, students will be prepared to think conceptually and analytically while applying these principles to real issues in sport organizations. The degree incorporates a mandatory foreign language requirement to prepare students for the global sport in a variety of possible analytics career paths on the player evaluation side, business side, or both. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the job market for various data analyst disciplines is growing at 27 percent annually, far exceeding the national job growth average of 11 percent.
The award-winning EDGE10 Group provides a solution combining performance, analytics and digital medical records to 750+ teams across sport, armed forces and corporate wellness. The solution allows organizations to centralize, analyze and visualize data regardless of source, to gain valuable insights through the use of next-generation analytics. This leads to better informed decision-making, supporting high-performing teams and athletes to meet their ultimate goals. EDGE10 Group currently works with some of the world’s largest sports franchises across the NBA, Premier League, MLS, AFL, NFL, NCAA and EFL, in addition to carrying out six league-wide contracts to the MLB, ATP and CFL.
Falk College’s offering in sport analytics is the newest addition in its academic portfolio of programs in the Department of Sport Management that includes sport management (BS), and sport venue and event management (MS).
Dean Murphy welcomes Falk students to campus
Dear Falk Students,
Welcome back to campus, returning Falk students! Let’s give a very special welcome to the Class of 2023, as well as new transfer and graduate students. We are thrilled to have you join us. I hope you each enjoyed an adventurous and restful summer.
What a special time to be at Syracuse! There are plenty of exciting events planned on campus this semester, including a very special Orange Central homecoming and reunion on September 12-15, which will commemorate 150 years of Syracuse University history.
As we jump right into the Fall 2019 semester, I would like to remind you of some important information that will help you as you begin—or continue—your studies here at Falk College.
Falk College Student Services is your support system. Student Services counselors are here to provide you with private academic advising and help you meet your requirements and goals. In addition, they are your resource for private consultation related to student social and emotional concerns. If you have any concerns throughout your academic career, please contact Student Services or visit Suite 330 Barclay Hall in the Falk Complex.
I encourage you to connect with the staff at Falk Career Services, who can help you prepare for life after college through career exploration, internship and job searching, professional networking, and more. They are also located in Suite 330 Barclay Hall, or you can search for opportunities through Handshake, the University’s job search and professional events portal.
In addition, you can connect to spiritual life on campus at Hendricks Chapel, as well as health and counseling services now open in the Barnes Center at the Arch. Visit news.syr.edu to keep up with Schine Student Center renovations and other important University updates.
The Student Lounge, located in Falk 216, is available to you anytime the Falk Complex is open. The lounge has a microwave, refrigerator, and vending machines for student use. Across the hall is the Falk Café on 2, open 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. In addition to smoothies, make-your-own salads, and wraps, the Café has a grill for sandwiches, hamburgers, veggie burgers, and many other items. Just down the hall is Falk 229, the quiet student lounge.
There are several computer labs in the Falk Complex. Falk 113 is a PC lab, Falk 253 is a Mac lab. Both are available to students at any time. Falk 400 and 407 are PC labs that are also used as teaching classrooms. When class is not in session, they are open for student use. You may check their schedule of availability using the Orange Events website. You may also use the quick-print stations in Falk 216 and 229 for printing and email. These stations log out automatically after 15 minutes of use.
The Student Involvement Fair will be held Wednesday, September 4 on the Quad from 11:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (Rain location: Goldstein Auditorium in Schine Student Center). With more than 300 student organizations on campus, you are sure to find something that interests you. I highly encourage each of you to attend.
You can discover activities and events on campus by visiting the University’s new community calendar. You can also follow Falk College and other campus groups on social media.
Syracuse University email is the primary communication method at the University. Your professors and University offices will contact you with important information using your Syracuse University email address (ending in “@syr.edu”), not your personal email address. So, it is essential to read your University email at least once every day.
While I hope this list is helpful, there are many other resources available to you at Syracuse University. Please visit syracuse.edu/life/students to review a more inclusive listing of valuable student resources to enhance your experience at Syracuse.
With that, I wish you the very best for the upcoming Fall 2019 semester. Once again, welcome to Falk College and the Syracuse University family.
Go Orange!
Diane Lyden Murphy, M.A., M.S.W., Ph.D.
Dean
Falk College
Falk College welcomes new faculty and staff
Syracuse University’s Falk College is pleased to announce the appointment of new staff members who have joined Falk College in the past academic year, including Karen Goebel, office coordinator in the School of Social Work; Meredith Groman, administrative assistant and Jamie Rhoades, assistant teacher in the Bernice M. Wright Child Development Laboratory School; Kevin McNeill, internship placement coordinator in the Department of Sport Management; Megan Myers, assistant director of development in the Office of Advancement; Kathleen Nasto, office coordinator in the Department of Human Development and Family Science; Jessica Pitcher, career advisor and David Sly, associate director of career services in the Office of Student Services; Laura Sauta, administrative assistant and Megan Snow, internship placement coordinator in the Department of Public Health, and; Zachary Schuster, assistant director of undergraduate admissions and recruiting in the Office of Admissions.
It also welcomes five new faculty members, Justin Ehrlich, Chandice Haste-Jackson, Jeremy Losak, Stefanie Pilkay, and Xiafei Wang.
Justin Ehrlich
Assistant Professor, Department of Sport Management
Justin Ehrlich joins Syracuse University’s Falk College Department of Sport Management as a tenure-track assistant professor in Fall 2019, where he will teach in the area of sport analytics.
Prior to joining Syracuse University, Ehrlich taught as an associate professor at Western Illinois University, School of Computer Sciences, since 2010 in Macomb, IL. There, he specialized in data visualization, visual analytics, sport data computation and analysis, machine learning, computer graphics, virtual reality, server-side development, languages and technology. He taught several courses such as Topics of Computer Science: Data Visualization, Operating Systems, Advanced Computer Graphics, Server-Side Development, and served as chair of the Council for Instructional Technology and chair of the IT Governance Executive Committee. He previously worked as an AViSSS (Animated Visual Supports for Social Skills) lead software developer for the University of Kansas and has held roles such as ASP.net developer for Nomise Systems and lead developer for HSSportsTV.net, both in Wichita, KS.
Ehrlich has published several papers in sport data visualization and analysis in Public Choice, Mathematical Social Sciences, Games, and the Journal of Quantitative Analysis in Sport. He has conducted many talks and live demonstrations on sport data computation, visualization, and analysis that incorporate use of Tableau (with VizQL), R, Python, and D3.
Ehrlich’s research has received support from the U.S. Department of Education, the U3E, and from Falk College. He was awarded the Moore Best Ph.D. Dissertation Award from the University of Kansas School of Engineering, the Provost’s Award for Academic Excellence in Teaching with Technology from Western Illinois University, and several awards from WIU’s College of Business and Technology.
Ehrlich earned a Ph.D. in computer science from the University of Kansas in 2010. His dissertation was titled, “The Effect of Desktop Illumination Realism on Presence and Generalization in a Virtual Learning Environment.” He also holds a computer science M.S. earned in 2007 from Wichita State University, and an accounting and business administration B.B.A., earned in 2004 from Friends University in Wichita, KS.
Chandice Haste–Jackson
Associate Teaching Professor, Department of Human Development and Family Science
Chandice Haste–Jackson is an associate teaching professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Science beginning Fall 2019.
In addition to working as internship coordinator in Falk College since 2016, Haste-Jackson has served as adjunct faculty in the Department of Human Development and Family Science since 2005, teaching courses such as Intimate Relationships and Gender Roles, Family Development, and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. She has also taught as adjunct faculty for Onondaga Community College and the American Public University/American Military University System Department of Human Development and Family Science. She previously served in Syracuse University’s School of Education as director of the Liberty Partnerships Program and has held positions at the Chadwick Residence, Inc., the Dunbar Association, and Syracuse Model Neighborhood Facility, Inc.
Haste-Jackson serves on the School Counselor Advisory Board for the Syracuse City School District and is a consultant for My Brother’s Keeper Syracuse initiative founded by President Obama.
Haste-Jackson has presented for the Society for Research on Adolescence in San Francisco, CA and the National Council on Family Relations in Orlando, FL. She has given presentations for the U.S. Department of Education Office of Innovation and Improvement in Washington, DC, the New York State Education Department Empire State Youth Summit in Albany, NY, Ethiraj College and Women’s Christian College in Chennai, India, as well as for the National Diversity Council’s Upstate New York College Diversity Summit in Syracuse, NY, among others.
Haste-Jackson’s work in urban youth development, vulnerable families, cross-cultural family dynamics, and diversity education has received support from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, New York State Office of Temporary Disability Assistance, New York State Legislature-Joan Christensen, Onondaga County Department of Long-Term Care and Aging Services, Onondaga County Youth Bureau, Onondaga County Department of Health, Onondaga County Department of Social Services, United Way of Central New York, and Syracuse University.
Haste-Jackson earned a Ph.D. in child and family studies from Syracuse University in 2013. Her dissertation was titled, “Strengths and Risk Factors for Romantic Relationships: Perspectives of African American Women.” She also holds a M.S. in behavioral sciences with a concentration in psychology, earned from Cameron University in 1999, and a B.A. in cultural anthropology, earned from Syracuse University in 1996.
Jeremy Losak
Assistant Professor, Department of Sport Management
Jeremy Losak joins Syracuse University’s Falk College Department of Sport Management as a tenure-track assistant professor in Fall 2019, where he will teach in the areas of sport management and sport analytics.
Prior to joining Syracuse University, Losak was a graduate assistant in the John E. Walker Department of Economics at Clemson University. His teaching experience includes positions as teaching assistant for Sport Economics, teaching assistant and later head teaching assistant for Undergraduate Principles of Microeconomics and Principles of Macroeconomics, and teaching assistant for Managerial Economics. In the sports industry, he was a baseball analytics consultant for Wasserman Media Group, marketing analytics consultant for The Madison Square Garden Company, and analytics intern for the Auburn Doubledays.
Losak’s research focus is in sports economics, particularly sport labor markets and betting markets. He is published in Managerial Finance and in the Academy of Economics and Finance Journal. He has given several presentations at venues such as the 2019 Eastern Economic Association Conference in New York, NY; the 2018 Southern Economic Association in Washington, DC; the 2018 Missouri Valley Economic Association’s Sports Economics Session in Memphis, TN, and; the Center for Research in Sports Administration’s Sports, Data, and Journalism Conference at the University of Zurich in Switzerland.
Losak is the recipient of a Junior Researcher Award for the 2018 Sports, Data, and Journalism Conference at the University of Zurich and the Distinguished Student Paper Award at the 2018 Missouri Valley Economic Association Conference. He is also the recipient of travel grants from the Institute for Humane Studies Hayek Fund and Clemson Graduate Travel Grant Service. He was named a 2016 Falk College Class Marshal and a Falk College Scholar while at Syracuse University.
Losak earned a Ph.D. in economics from Clemson University in 2019 where he was a Koch Fellow in the John E. Walker Department of Economics. He also earned a B.S. in sport management from Syracuse University’s Falk College in 2016.
Stefanie Pilkay
Assistant Professor, School of Social Work
Stefanie Pilkay joins Syracuse University’s Falk College School of Social Work as a tenure-track assistant professor in Fall 2019.
Before joining Syracuse University, Pilkay served as an adjunct lecturer at both Yeshiva University’s Wurzweiler School of Social Work in New York, NY since 2018 and the University of Tennessee, College of Social Work in Knoxville, TN since 2015, teaching research methodology, trauma theory and practice, lifespan and neurophysiological development, and human behavior in the social environment. She was also a postdoctoral fellow at the Emory University School of Medicine, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics in Atlanta, GA since 2017. She has served as a court-appointed special advocate for Anderson County Tennessee Juvenile Court. In 2014, she was a forensic social worker for the Community Law Office, Knox County Public Defender’s Office. Specific to her research experience, Pilkay has served since 2018 as an early investigator trainee on “Developmental Origins of Health and Disease,” an international cross-discipline research study with collaborations between Canada and the U.S.
Pilkay’s research interests include trauma, early-life adversity, inter-generational transmission of adversity, adversity and trauma mechanisms for risk and resilience in human development. She is published in the Journal of Social Work Education, the Journal of Social Service Research, and has given several peer-reviewed presentations, most recently at the 64th Annual Program Meeting of the Council on Social Work Education in Orlando, FL, Connecting for Children’s Justice Conference in Murfreesboro, TN, the International Congress on Child Abuse and Neglect in Prague, Czech Republic, and the 73rd Annual Scientific Meeting of the Society of Biological Psychiatry in New York, NY. Pilkay’s work has been supported by the National Institute of Health/National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities and the University of Tennessee Health and Science Center.
Pilkay earned a Ph.D. in social work with a minor in graduate statistics from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in 2017. She holds a M.S. in social work, an evidence-based interpersonal practice major with trauma treatment graduate certification, and a B.S. in social work with majors in honor’s social work and psychology, earned in 2014 and 2013, respectively, from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
Xiafei Wang
Assistant Professor, School of Social Work
Xiafei Wang joins Syracuse University’s Falk College School of Social Work as a tenure-track assistant professor in Fall 2019.
Prior to joining Syracuse University, Wang served as a research assistant on “Evaluation of Chinese National Working Committee on Children and Women & the United Nations Children’s Fund Joint Child Friendly Spaces Project in China,” funded by the United Nations Children’s Fund: China since 2017, and on “Improving Child and Adolescent Mental Health and Health Outcomes: Integrative Family and Systems Treatment (I-Fast) Integrated Episode of Care Model” since 2014, funded by the Ohio Department of Mental Health & Addiction Services and Department of Developmental Disability.
Wang has published peer-reviewed articles in Social Work Research, Journal of Social Service Research, The Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice, Children and Youth Services Review, Journal of Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics, PsyCh Journal, Community Mental Health Journal, Child Psychiatry and Human Development, Child Abuse & Neglect, and Social Work in Mental Health, as well as multiple book chapters.
Wang recently presented at the 32nd Annual San Diego International Conference on Child and Family Maltreatment in San Diego, CA, the Council of Social Work Education 64th Annual Program Meeting in Orlando, FL, National Association of County and City Health Officials 2018 Annual Meeting in New Orleans, LA, the Joint World Conference on Social Work, Education and Social Development 2018 in Dublin, Ireland, ResilienceCon 2018 in Nashville, TN, and the Society for Social Work and Research 22nd Annual Conference in Washington, D.C., among other presentations.
Wang’s work has received support from the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues, Big Cities Health Coalition, Central Benefits Health Care Foundation, and the Ohio State University College of Social Work.
Wang earned a Ph.D. from The Ohio State University in 2019. Her dissertation was titled, “Breaking the Cycle of Intergenerational Trauma: A Mixed-Methods Study.” There, she also earned her M.S.W. in 2015. She earned a M.A. in social work and social policy from Peking University in 2012 and a L.L.M. from the Peking University Law School & The Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law in Beijing, China and Lund, Sweden in 2011, where she was named valedictorian. She also earned a B.A. in social work from Peking University in 2009.
Welcome Class of 2023!
Falk College welcomes the Class of 2023 including 307 first-year and 20 transfer students who join 140 graduate students who are new as well. Welcome back to all Falk students who, this year, represent 40 states and 30 countries!
The entire welcome week schedule for new students can be found by visiting the Syracuse Welcome website.
Congratulations to the Class of 2019!
On May 11, 2019, the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics celebrated its Class of 2019 Convocation ceremony at Manley Field House. One-hundred Sport Management undergraduates, five Sport Analytics undergraduates, and 10 Sport Venue and Event Management students took part in the ceremony.
SPM senior Anthony de la Fuente served as a Falk College Marshal delivered a speech during the Convocation. The 2019 Sport Management Marshals were Nicholas Carlson (undergraduate) and Baylee Douglas (graduate). Caitlin Burke, Daniel Hamilton and Justin Perline were named Falk College Scholars.
Twenty-four Sport Management students in the Class of 2019 graduated with honors with a GPA of 3.4 or higher. Eighteen students graduated Magna Cum Laude (GPA of 3.6 or higher) and nine graduated Summa Cum Laude (GPA of 3.8 or higher).
The Department of Sport Management’s traditional celebration of its graduates on Commencement weekend continued this year with more than 200 parents, family members, friends, faculty and staff gathering in Falk College on May 10 to celebrate the accomplishments of the Sport Management and Sport Analytics undergraduates and Sport Venue and Event Management students.
The awards ceremony featured remarks by Sport Management director and chair Michael Veley, and College benefactor David B. Falk.
Awards presented included:
- Director’s Award – Anthony de la Fuente
- Academic Excellence Award – Nicholas Carlson
- Matt Brodsky Philanthropic Award – Caitlin Burke
- Sport Management VIP Award – Sarah Lundmark
- Professional Engagement Award – Brigid Daly
- Jason Morales Perseverance in Sport Award – Courtney Anderson
- Academic Promise Award – Da’Sha Prescott-Moore
- Kate Veley Civic Engagement and Social Responsibility Award – Olivia Lavelle
- Graduate Student Award – Baylee Douglass
Sixteen students received the Director’s Academic Achievement Award for earning a GPA of 3.4 or higher for each of their consecutive semesters at Syracuse University. Those students were: Cody Barbuto, Jan Breitenmoser, Caitlin Burke, Nicholas Carlson, Brigid Daly, Anthony de la Fuente, Charles Garrett IV, Daniel Hamilton, Joshua Katz, Xinyu Li, Sarah Lundmark, Shuk Ching Jocelyn Mong, Austin Natowitz, Justin Perline, Micah Rubin and Sara Stanley.
Five students were noted for being dual majors: Caitlin Burke (Sport Management and Spanish Language, Literature and Culture), Michael Cavalier (Sport Management and Economics), Charles Garrett IV (Sport Analytics and Broadcast & Digital Journalism), Matteo Lovece (Sport Management and Economics), and Justin Perline (Sport Analytics and Newspaper & Online Journalism.)
Four students were named Berlin Sport Analytics Scholars: Cody Barbuto, Charles Garrett IV, Justin Perline and Evan Weiss. These four students are the first graduates of SU’s Sport Analytics program.
Sport Venue and Event Management Master program graduates its seventh class
Syracuse University’s master program in Sport Venue and Event Management (SVEM) graduated its seventh class on May 11, 2019 at Manley Field House. Ten members took part in the Falk College Convocation ceremony. The graduate students arrived on campus in July 2018 for 36 credit hours of intensive classroom learning, skill development and experiential opportunities.
The students began in an immersive nature, working three days at the Musselman Triathlon in the Finger Lakes region during the first week of the program, followed by an immersion experience at the Buffalo Bills preseason training camp.
The graduate students also took part in professional development seminars conducted by Sport Management internship placement coordinators on networking, cover letters, resumes, strategic interviewing, salary negotiation, career guidance and using LinkedIn.
In the Spring 2019 semester, students worked with SPM associate professor Dr. Gina Pauline in the advanced event management course to plan a charity event benefiting Griffin’s Guardians. Read more about the event.
Students in the first seven cohorts have immersed themselves in the program’s academic and experiential opportunities, and leveraged relationships to launch their careers in the industry. Graduates have secured positions at McFetridge Sports Center in Chicago, Dover Speedway, Brown University, Spectra Venue Management, Legends Hospitality, Spartan Race Inc., Country Music Hall of Fame, Syracuse University’s Carrier Dome, Boston Celtics, Boise State University, and Tulsa Sports Commission, among others.
The following SVEM students completed their graduate practicum work in Fall 2018: Peng Chen, USTA National Campus; Marisa Duval, Syracuse University Athletics; Paige Hammond, Comcast Spectacor at Wells Fargo Center; Anna Vergara, AT&T Stadium; and Janelle Williams, LA Clippers and LA Rams. Baylee Douglass, Twenty 3 Group; and Yaohui Wei, Syracuse University Recreation Services; completed their practicum work in Summer 2019.
The eighth SVEM graduate class began in July 2019. Learn more about the graduate program.
Students immerse themselves in New England sports culture
Eighteen students enrolled in SPM 300 spent eight days during Maymester 2019 in the Boston area touring sport-related facilities, and meeting with industry executives from nearly 20 venues and organizations. The New England Sports Immersion course compares and contrasts business practices, marketing strategies, branding initiatives, social media outreach and the organizational culture of competing sports franchises and entities in the greater New England market.
Students conducted professional networking and met and interacted with more than 70 industry executives and practitioners in the sporting industry, including 13 Syracuse University graduates. The group was accompanied by Sport Management Director Michael Veley and Sport Management assistant teaching professor Dave Meluni.
“Building the Syracuse Sport Management footprint throughout New England is important for our students and our program,” Veley said. “We met with a multitude of executives, alumni and practitioners in nearly every facet of sports, which was a transformative experience for the students.”
This year’s trip included meetings with professionals from the Boston Red Sox, Boston Celtics, Boston Bruins, TD Garden, Kraft Analytics and Sports Entertainment Group, Basketball Hall of Fame, New England Sports Center, Tennis Hall of Fame, UMass Lowell Athletics, American Athletic Conference, UMass Amherst Athletics, Major League Lacrosse, ISlide, Baseballism, and Boston Athletic Association.
“The engagement, support and welcome from all of the organizations was incredible,” Meluni said. “Our students made important connections with numerous executives as they begin to pave their path for the future.”
Students attended a professional soccer game between the New England Revolution and Chelsea; a minor league baseball game at historic McCoy Stadium, home of the Pawtucket Red Sox; a Boston Red Sox game; a collegiate baseball game between Boston College and Notre Dame; and visited Faneuil Hall Marketplace.
“Seeing so many facets of the industry truly opened my eyes to what I could do with my career, from managing sports complexes to sales,” said sport management major Tasha Getten ’21. “I made connections that will help me in my future for sure.”
The trip is made possible by a gift from Jeff and Andrea Lomasky.
Students visit 4 countries on 19-day European Olympic Odyssey
Fourteen students from across the University and the Department of Sport Management, led by SPM assistant professor Dr. Jeeyoon Kim, traveled to Europe in May as part of a 19-day, four-country Olympic Odyssey trip.
The program began in London, where students experienced the impact of the 2012 Summer Games. From there, they traveled to Paris, birthplace of the modern Olympic movement and host of the 2024 Summer Games. The students visited the French Paralympics Committee and INSEP (the National Institute of Sport, Expertise, and Performance) as well as attended a PSG Ligue 1 match. Next, the group traveled to Lausanne, Switzerland, to inspect the present-day “Olympic Capital” and headquarters of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) since 1915. Students met with IOC representatives from Television and Marketing Services, The Court of Arbitration for Sport, and the Olympic Studies Center. They also visited the Olympic Museum and tried archery at the World Archery Excellence Centre. The group then headed to Greece and toured the ancient facilities at Olympia, Delphi, and Marathon. The trip concluded in Athens, site of the 2004 Summer Games.
“This was the trip of a lifetime,” said sport management major Andrew Perodeau ’22. “Learning about the Olympics while touring four amazing countries is a rare opportunity that most people won’t experience. My eyes have been opened to a whole new world of job opportunities, with the IOC or even partner organizations and Olympic committees.”
The group also visited Wembley Stadium, the British Museum, Buckingham Palace, Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, Alps, Parthenon, and the New Acropolis Museum, among other sites.
Students spent the Spring 2019 semester learning about the Olympic Games as part of SPM 356 Olympic Sport Management. They kept a blog of the trip which you can read online.
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