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When the 86th Annual NFL Draft came to Cleveland April 29-May 1, some 60 students in Baldwin Wallace University's sport management programs, both undergraduate and graduate, were in on the action.
This
year,
COVID-19
protocols
and
travel
restrictions
pulled
the
plug
on
BW
sport
management's
signature
involvement
in
world-class
sporting
events,
including
an
annual
trek
to
the
Super
Bowl.
Now,
as
large
events
are
resuming,
and
with
the
NFL
Draft
in
BW's
backyard,
the
experiential
learning
that
is
a
hallmark
of
the
BW
programs
powered
back
up.
"Students seeking bachelor's degrees and those and in our new sport management MBA, have been gaining experience with BW athletics and through virtual internships all along, but there is a lot of excitement to resume the hands-on, off-campus experiences that define our programs," said Dr. Charles Campisi, who chairs marketing and sport management for the BW School of Business.
"Public health protocols were in place for employees, volunteers and guests at these major events," he added.
For
the
NFL
Draft,
BW
students
worked
in
both
paid
and
volunteer
positions
at
The
NFL
Experience,
an
interactive
football
theme
park
near
First
Energy
Stadium,
and
at
the
inaugural
NFL
Alumni
Draft
Pro-Am
&
Experience
at
Firestone
Country
Club.
Brandon Moore '23, who was part of the paid OnePass team helping to oversee the NFL Experience, signed on to work the event for both a love of football and the opportunity to learn and grow. "I believe events like these help to improve my communication, problem-solving and troubleshooting skills," Moore said.
Moore, Daniel Rittgers '23 and Kamaria Montgomery '24 all see the NFL Draft as an honor for Cleveland.
"This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see all the logistics of running an outstanding event like the NFL Draft," Montgomery said.
"I have watched the Browns with my family every year, and I have seen how much football means to the people who live in the Cleveland area," Rittgers added. "To have an event of this magnitude in our hometown was incredible."
In
addition
to
the
group
working
the
NFL
Draft,
students
also
headed
to
the
Kentucky
Derby
in
Louisville
to
support
"The
Most
Exciting
Two
Minutes
in
Sports"
the
first
weekend
in
May.
Ashley Ackerman '21, who has packed a lot into her time at BW, including Super Bowls, National Championships, internships and studying abroad, chose to work the iconic first leg of horse racing's Triple Crown as a capstone experience.
"It was a new and exciting opportunity to enhance my knowledge of the sport and hospitality industry further," Ackerman explained. "The Derby is not only a global event, but it offered me the opportunity to learn about an entirely different side of the sports industry."
Natalie
Wilkins
'21
agrees
and
said
she's
wanted
to
work
the
"Run
for
the
Roses"
since
touring
the
historic
Churchill
Downs
track
during
a
BW
2020
College
Football
Championship
trip.
"I
already
had
experiences
in
the
more
popularized
sports,
like
baseball
and
football,
so
getting
to
experience
a
completely
different
work
environment
was
very
challenging
and
exciting."
BW sport management is already mapping out a full year of experiences through the 2022 Kentucky Derby.
Future events on the BW experiential learning roster include the U.S. Grand Prix Formula 1 race in Austin, Texas, 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship in Indianapolis and, yes, Super Bowl LVI in Los Angeles.
See media coverage of the program's NFL Draft and Kentucky Derby experiences on 19 News, Crain's Cleveland Business and Fox 8 TV.
