State of the Student Union: Another Year in the Books

Well, we made it. Hopefully we got a little smarter, saw a little more of the world and pushed ourselves a little bit further in the past year. If not, well then that's OK too. There's always next year.

In the fast pace of Drexel University, there isn't always time to look back. Let's take a second to look back at the 2013-14 year, and maybe another second to look ahead to -- gulp -- 2014-15. Yea, so basically just give me two quick seconds.

SMTSU Spring Series Announced for May 7-10

Becoming a Professional MVP: The Kobe

In 1996, the Charlotte Hornets elected to draft a young 19-year old kid from Philadelphia, as the 13th overall pick, to play for them in the NBA – his name, Kobe Bryant. Wait!?! Kobe has only played for the Los Angeles Lakers, right?

Water Cooler Talk: What to do Over Co-op

Co-op is right around the corner for a lot of us.  This is always a nice time of the year because we are done being full time students and can just focus on gaining professional experience.  If this is your first co-op what you might not realize is how much free time you are going to have.  You should use this free time wisely and try to develop yourself professional and personally.  I have come up with a few suggestions for things to do over these next six months.  

Becoming a Professional MVP: Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

"If you make an effort to do the best you can regularly, the results will be about what they should be. Not necessary to what you want them to be, but they will be about what they should, and only YOU will know whether you can do that. And that’s what I wanted from them more than anything else. And as time went by, and I learned more about things, I think it worked a little better, as far as the results."

 

John Wooden, one of the most respected coaches in the history of UCLA men’s basketball let alone the history of sports (6-Time Coach of the Year!), stated the above when asked to talk about what teamwork means to him. As I personally reflect on the aforementioned passage, I started to think of how I’d like to be talked about amongst my peers, colleagues and coworkers when we’ve all clocked out for the day and the water-cooler talk that happens outside the office begins. With that in mind, I believe the best approach we can take to working with a group of people in an organization (whom we may or may not get along with) needs to be viewed as if we were structured together as teammates; with the intent of being the best we can as a group.

 

Becoming a Professional MVP: Help Me Help You

As athletes, we all want to perform at our best when it comes to game time; and so we strive to be as ready as possible through tireless hours of practice and preparation. One specific area of preparation that is rarely talked about amongst the average fan but is an understood necessity between coaches and athletes to be on the same page relates to their time spent in the film room. 

Guard the Post: The 5 questions you should be asking your boss, but probably are not

This information was taken from an article on LifeHacker titled "8 Questions That Will Improve Your Relationship with Your Boss." The full article can be found here.

As a student trying to break into the very competitive sport industry, it is vital to take advantage of any and all connections and networks at your disposal. Although it is true that as a student most bosses give wiggle room in terms of any mistakes and utilize them as learning opportunities, it is also true that a lot of people will look at your as a lowly intern or co-op. By asking these simple questions throughout the time you are employed will aid in your growth in the company and hopefully in the industry.

SMTSU General Body Meeting on Thursday

Full Court Press: The Best Moments in Sports in 2013

The Year 2013 was one riddled with both ups and downs in the sports world. We saw 365 days of overcoming adversity, broken records, hard work, pride, drama, disappointments, victories, and defeats. The following pictures and videos depict 10 of the most influential and shocking moments in sports during the last year. 

State of the Student Union: SMTSU Adds Three Officers

As 2013 turns to 2014 and we put our New Year's resolutions into action, the Sport Management Student Union is also striving to get better. To begin 2014, the SMTSU has added three new officers to join Kevin Rossi (President), Kevin Murray (Vice President), Lindrit Shkodra (Treasurer), Mike Proska (Secretary), and Greg Monforte (Director of Marketing and Outreach).

The SMTSU would like to welcome Matt Puzio, Alexa Fontanella, and Bennett Schiff to their new positions as officers.

Feeding the Soul: What You Need to Know

As I start to write this blog post, I hope that everyone had a Merry Christmas and is looking forward to a Happy New Year. Quickly, I would like to give a brief overview of what this post will contain. As stated in the title, I am starting to compose stories I have come across that feed the soul through the use of sport. I plan on continuing a series of posts highlighting a new story every two weeks. I hope that everyone enjoys the stories and learn as much from them as I have.

Guard the Post: Keys to Interviewing Success

With Drexel Co-op interviewing continuing and the new year right around the corner, it is time to improve your interviewing skills. Below are a few tips to doing your best at every interview and hopefully getting that dream job!

Becoming a Professional MVP: Seasons Greetings!

Finals are done – thank goodness! Grades are in – fingers crossed! And now it’s time to roast some chestnuts on an open fire…

Becoming a Professional MVP: Pre-Game Routine

By: Patrick Gallagher

“Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out,” stated Robert Collier, an American author who wrote about the psychology of confident action and becoming your best.

Water Cooler Talk: Giving Back

Today is Thanksgiving, a day to be thankful for everything in your life and a good time to reflect on the last year.  I am very thankful to be where I am right now.  I have about a year left of my undergraduate studies and have made many great connections during my two coops.  I have met a lot of great friends while at Drexel and stayed in touch with my closest friends from high school.  In the spirit of the holiday, I am going to leave you guys with a great piece of advice: always try to give back.

Leaving your Mark: Be Thankful in Your Sports Career Pursuits

One of my esteemed blog colleagues, Kevin Rossi, wrote a piece in 2012 titled “Under Further Review: Saying Thank You”.  While I don’t want to reinvent the wheel, I can’t help but revisit the topic of being grateful in your career (and during college) with Thanksgiving less than a week away.  While you should absolutely thank your family and friends, do not forget about that person that you interviewed with or met with at a networking event or career fair.  Don’t forget to thank your clients/customers or prospective clients/customers.  Be sure to express your appreciation to the professor or advisor that as provided advice and mentorship.  These minor gestures of appreciation go a long way in building and maintaining professional, and sometimes personal, relationships.  In the “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon” sports industry that we are all in, this aspect is especially crucial.

Water Cooler Talk: Interviewing Keys to Success

Coop search can be a very stressful time.  I am searching for my third coop and honestly this one has been the most stressful out of all of them.  This week the interview requests come out for A round.  The interview is the most important part of the coop process.  Your resume was able to get you the interview but now you need to show the company you are the person for the job.  From my experiences I have learned a few keys that can help during the interview.  

Inspiration For The Week: Everyone Has a Story

The other week, I heard a story that really captivated me and made me think about my life. I currently am an intern for the Philadelphia Flyers in the Game Presentation Department. One of the duties I have is to deliver birthday packages during home games at TV stoppages. It is one of my favorite parts of the job because you really get to improvise and have fun with each delivery. Two weeks ago, while waiting for a stoppage, I met an usher who really inspired me.

Becoming a Professional MVP: No-Huddle Offense

Are you ready for some football? In the late 1980’s, it was believed by some football historians that the 1988 Cincinnati Bengals football team was the first to revolutionize the offensive philosophy of the game. That year, Boomer Esiason and his team based their game plan on having an attack or ‘no-huddle’ offensive style and remained fervent on changing how they attached their opponent throughout the entire season. Their hope was that they could implement a hurry-up, no-huddle offensive system that would speed up the game while mentally and physically wearing down their opponents. Simply put, they wanted to achieve better results when dealing with the crucial moments leading to a win or a loss. Their no-huddle offense proved to be successful and is now a fundamental staple to every NFL franchises’ game plan in order to stay competitive. So how does this relate to us and our professional development in becoming the MVP within our organization?

State of the Student Union: Welcome Back!

It's hard to believe that the 2013-14 school year is already here, but the Drexel Sport Management Student Union would like to give you a warm welcome back!

The Drexel SMTSU has been hard at work all summer long with some exciting events and opportunities coming up right away. We hope that you are as excited as we are to jump right into things and continue on our journey through the sports industry. Throughout this year, we hope to make that journey as enjoyable as possible and help all of you out along the way. After all, it's sports and, at the end of the day, sports are fun!

As mentioned, we have some exciting things on-tap from the onset of the year that I would like to bring to your attention.