By James Mitsos and Jack DeBoef, MBA Class of 2020
We are grateful to have had the opportunity to attend the SINC conference at George Washington University. It was a fantastic occasion to learn from some of the brightest and most influential minds in the business of professional sports. With a wide variety of speakers, ranging from the general council of the Washington Redskins to the Human Resources Director of UNICEF, there were talks and information sessions for any avenue of sports that students were interested in.
This two-day conference allowed students to interact with professionals in a relatively informal and low-pressure setting. Learning about the nuances of a highly competitive business is an extremely valuable experience for anyone who aspires to work in sports. Our personal favorite panel involved representatives of the Washington Redskins, NFL Players Association, Tandem Sports & Entertainment, and the Washington Mystics. This panel was discussing all that is involved in professional athlete contract negotiations and operations. Hearing the different perspectives of contract negotiations through the eyes of a team, a player’s association, and an agent really allowed us to fully capture and respect all the hard work and effort surrounding the process of signing an athlete.
Another extremely insightful panel provided tips to landing internships and jobs in professional sports. This panel was experienced through the eyes of human resource departments of professional sports teams and organizations. The human resources panel provided insight as to what teams look for in resumes and internship/job applications. It was very beneficial to gain this insight from people working directly within this specific industry.
The speaking panels and keynote presentations bookended a networking lunch where students were encouraged to interact with company representatives. This networking lunch provided a great opportunity to interact with representatives. The time allotted to network with multiple professionals in a natural environment led to extremely positive interactions and insightful conversation. It was during the networking portion of the conference where the most beneficial contact occurred. While the panels and information sessions were certainly beneficial, speaking with the professionals in an informal environment allowed us to gain invaluable experience.
Perhaps the most important and influential portion of the conference was the on-site interviews. All conference attendees that registered prior to February 5th were provided an opportunity to schedule interviews with some of the teams and companies there. These interviews allowed for a less stressful approach of conversations that led to talk about jobs and internships than would naturally occur in a typical conversation. These interviews also led to strong connections that will certainly be beneficial for both of us in the long run.
Outside of the conference, we were able to experience Washington DC for the first time as adults. It was an exciting city with a multitude of opportunities and a diverse set of people. The entire experience surrounding the SINC conference was stimulating and rewarding, and we are very grateful for having had the opportunity to experience it first hand.