Application Essay Example: Sports Management Program

I am very interested in applying to your Sports Management program with the goal of continuing to build upon my previous experiences and preparing for my lifelong dream career. Growing up, sports have always played an extremely important role in my life. I always had to be playing something, whether it was football, basketball, baseball, soccer or golf. If I was not playing it, I was either watching, talking or listening to it. It was the only thing that could keep me entertained, in shape and out of trouble. To this day, it remains one of my absolute favorite hobbies with my childhood friends and family. We still go out and have a good time playing a sport no matter where we are and what it is. I know it will always be a part of my life regardless of how old I get because even if I can no longer play or be involved in it, I can always teach it to the next generation of youth, including my own children. 

Ever since I was a kid I dreamed and talked about working in the sports industry because I know it will give me the opportunity to work with incredible people from many diverse and varied backgrounds. It was also through sports where I learned many of life’s important lessons such as communication, commitment, self-discipline, perseverance, and most importantly teamwork. These are the same life lessons I carry with me and help guide me every day. Sports also play an important role for me because I know they have the ability to change people’s lives. They have the power to bring people, all kinds of people together regardless of their gender or race. Sports also have an increasing ability to lead positive change and inspire beyond the game itself. One of my goals in life is to bring positive change, give back to my community and continue to inspire the youth. Sports provide me the opportunity to do all of them at once by using my knowledge, skills and previous experience. 

In fact, having the opportunity to be a coach versus a player was an experience I will always remember and cherish. Coaching at my previous elementary and middle school, School of the Epiphany in San Francisco, California, provided me with that exact opportunity of being able to inspire the next generation of youth and give back to my community. I was able to help these young children not only unlock their full potential to maximize their own performance, but also grow and develop into mature young men. When you’re a young child, you do not really understand the reasons why your coach is always yelling or punishing you when you make a mistake. It was not until I became the coach, when I realized why they do it. It is because they want you to be great and successful. That is the beautiful thing about sports, which is you do not understand all the valuable skills you are learning until you look back and realize these are the same lessons you are using in your everyday life. 

In college at San Francisco State University, I studied Business Administration with a Concentration in Management, with the goal of one day being able to lead and manage an organization in the Sports Industry. I want to be a part of all the amazing moments and memories of an organization when it reaches a long-awaited milestone. Watching it in person or on live TV has always been great, but when you are a part of that history making milestone or achievement it has a whole different meaning to it. This is the feeling that keeps me motivated to continue to learn and be successful. My university studies provided me with the opportunity to receive a good foundation of knowledge and skills on which to base more advanced studies. It was through my core classes that I learned what it takes to be a successful leader and manager, to motivate people, embrace change, accept criticism, and treat people properly. My goal is to implement these same lessons into building and leading a sports team into an abundance of success. However, it does not stop here for me because I want to continue to gain more knowledge in order to reach that step. Applying to this amazing Sports Management program will enable me the skills and knowledge to achieve these goals.

Now that I have had a taste of what it feels like to work for and be a part of a professional sports organization, I know I want to continue to be a part of it. Just this past year, I had the opportunity to work part-time for the San Francisco 49ers as an Event Sales Associate. This job allowed me to work closely with the organization and be a part of the process of getting ready for a game day. It also allowed me to be around something I enjoy and love, which is sports. The role provided me with various duties such as communicating with and listening to diverse populations of people, driving company revenue by engaging with all of the fans and selling raffle tickets during each 49ers home game at Levi’s Stadium. I worked cooperatively with all team members, supervisors and managers across all the departments. I enjoyed it so much it did not really feel like I was at work because I was around something I loved. It allowed me to share the love for a sport that other people enjoy as well. We were able to talk about and show how passionate we are about a team that represents our City. 

I was able to get a small taste of where I want to be in my future career and of what it will look like if I continue to work hard, gain more knowledge and skills so I can come back and work at a higher level. I saw what it was like to be a part of something special and see the amazing smile on the fans faces when they saw the team was winning. The atmosphere was absolutely amazing, and it is one of the reasons why I really enjoy being involved in sports. We all felt like we were a part of the team regardless if we were just a fan, concession stand worker, security guard or raffle seller. We celebrated with them when they won and got upset when they lost. It is what makes sports so much fun because you feel the impact it has on you regardless if you are playing or if you are on the outside watching. I am extremely excited to say I was a part of something remarkable. I learned so much from not only driving revenue and highlight promotions, but also learning how to properly engage with people and respond to difficult situations. 

At first, it was a bit difficult understanding my role as a sales associate because it meant I had to act as professional as possible and do my job to the best of my ability by upselling the item I was selling. I realized fans and people love when you are authentic and yourself with them. They are fans just like you, so understanding they are there because they love the game just as much as you, made it a lot easier. This is the exact moment I knew my job did not really feel like a job, but rather a fun place to interact with people that love sports and their team just as much as you do. Unfortunately, with the season ending my time with the organization came to an end. However, I know if they ask me to come back, I would be absolutely ecstatic to be part of the team again because it was so much fun and it definitely helped me gain new skills.

Now, I feel more prepared than ever to challenge myself by using what I know from my Management degree and previous experiences, such as the San Francisco 49ers and School of the Epiphany. I would apply this knowledge to all the program has to offer. I want to be able to use everything I know from my undergraduate studies and this program, and build my own career. My hope is also to raise awareness to the benefits of sports regardless of what age you are. I want people to know that sports can play a vital role to the development of their children, and it can be important for your health. You do not have to play sports at a competitive level in order to be involved in it. You can also use sport activities in your everyday life to help you stay active, healthy and in good shape. It can also help you maintain a strong relationship and network because you are able to communicate with so many different people. 

My ultimate goal is to become a General Manager and become part of the important decisions an organization makes regarding their future. However, if I can teach other people these important lessons along the way that is what matters most to me. I know accomplishing this goal will be difficult and will require advanced management abilities and skills. This is why I was led to and found your master’s program to be the ideal place for me to continue to learn and further my studies. USF is known to be an amazing place to study and be involved in the best programs. It has been around my family the past few years as many of my own family members have attended and graduated from the University. Therefore, for me, it was not a question as to where I wanted to go to learn, study and be a part of an amazing program.