Mike Dellosa
High School: Green
Major: Sport Management
Why did you choose to pursue sport management at Mount Union? After I decided I wanted to work in professional sports during my senior year in high school, I chose Mount Union College to further my education because of their exceptional sport management program.
What types of jobs are available for students who share your major? Sport management may seem like a very specific major with a set number of career opportunities, but it is actually incredibly broad and can involve everything from selling tickets for a professional sports team to coordinating events at a neighborhood YMCA. Some of the areas include sales, marketing, public relations, collegiate sports information and many other disciplines. Those who major in sport management have usually decided upon one of two distinct career paths – working for a sports organization, either collegiate or professional, or working in sports in a recreational capacity.
How will you use your degree upon graduation? I have chosen to pursue a career in professional sports in either sales, marketing or media relations. I’ll use my degree, the knowledge I gained in the classroom and the experience I gained out of the classroom to achieve my goal.
What activities are you involved in? I currently work as a student assistant in the Mount Union sports information department, as a sales representative for the Cleveland Browns and as a media relations intern for the Cleveland Indians. Earlier this year, I interned at the National Sports Forum in Philadelphia and last summer I was the public relations intern for the Akron Aeros. I have also volunteered my time at Cleveland Cavaliers’ home games conducting market research for the past two seasons.
Elements a person should possess to succeed in your major? In my opinion, anyone considering working in professional sports must possess a strong work ethic, good networking skills and a sense of humor. The strong work ethic is necessary because of the long hours and low pay that is associated with most entry level positions in sports. If you can work hard at these positions and pay your dues, however, you will eventually be rewarded. Networking and relationship building is important in professional sports because of the limited number of jobs available and the high rate of turnover in some organizations. In sports, there is always going to be a large number of qualified applicants for any job that becomes available, but it’s who these individuals know in the business that may give them the edge. And finally, a sense of humor is important because sports is still entertainment and people attend the events and watch the games on TV to have fun. You need to have fun and enjoy yourself, as well.
What advice can you offer for someone who is considering having the same major as you? Start looking for internships and relative experience as soon as possible. Don’t wait until your senior year of college to realize you need to land an internship to get your foot in the door, because by then it will probably be too late. Mount Union’s sport management program is constantly finding internship opportunities for its students and it’s the students who act on these opportunities who have the best chance of finding a job out of college. It’s never too early to start building your resume.