Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Dr. Lapchick on ESPN's Outside The Lines

Last week, The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport (TIDES) published its latest study examining the academic performance measures of teams playing in this year's round of college football bowl games. The release of this study coincided with an increased industry and media focus on the lack of African-American head football coaches. Dr. Lapchick wrote an excellent article on the matter that was published on ESPN, which you should take the time to read here.

Additionally, Dr. Lapchick was part of a round table discussion on this past Sunday's episode of Outside the Lines, which highlighted the controversial Auburn University hire and the failures of other universities to genuinely consider African-Americans for their head coaching vacancies. The video of that discussion can be seen on the Outside The Lines Web Page under the link "OTL Roundtable: Civil Rights Movement," or with the right browser, in the embedded video below.

As always, all of Dr. Lapchick's articles and the studies he publishes with researching assistance from DeVos Graduate Students can be found on the TIDES Web Page.



Checking In... End of First Semester

Long time no blog! Sorry for the delay in creating new posts, but we have just finished up a busy first semester. With finals out of the way, I can now take a few moments to wrap up how our first round of classes finished up.

As is par for the course, the end of the semester brought its typical deluge of assignments and projects to complete in addition to prepping for tough exams (i.e. Dr. Pennington's doozy of an economics test). Between creating original videos poking fun at organizational behavior concepts to running and analyzing regressions on statistical software, we were definitely challenged and learned a great deal through these assignments. With four M.B.A. courses now completed, we look forward to the spring semester where we will take our first classes with Dr. Lapchick and Dr. Harrison as well as continuing with three more business courses.

Before we get to spring however, we have a few weeks off to spend with family and friends and to recharge our batteries. Some of our class will be heading down to New Orleans tomorrow to continue work with Hope For Stanley and the rebuilding efforts there, so we wish them safe travels and hopes for another rewarding experience. We will be sure to post pictures and reactions from the latest New Orelans trip in the coming weeks.

Enjoy the Day and Happy Holidays,

Charlie

Monday, November 24, 2008

Hail To The Champions


Congratulations are in order for the ladies of the Class of 2010 and their win in the UCF Intramural Basketball Championship on Wednesday Night! Down by 4 at halftime, Team SBM (Sports Business Management) outscored their oppponents 20-9 in the second half to secure the 34-27 victory.

Leading the way in scoring for SBM was Nathalie Reshard, with 15 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 authoritative blocks. Jessica "Big Fundamental" Hanson also had 8 boards while Crystal Apellaniz hit two big three pointers on her way to 8 points. Ashley Turner chipped in 5 points while Reshina Warren and Jacque Pannell made huge plays all game.

A box-score and more information on their win can be found at the UCF IM Sports Website.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

DeVos 1st Annual Alumni Weekend


Over the weekend of October 7-8, the DeVos Program held its first ever Alumni Weekend. This was the first ever organized gathering of students from all five of the graduating classes alongside students from the current two classes. The events of the weekend provided time not only for past students and leaders of the DeVos Program to catch-up and reminisce, but also cultivated networking opportunities and new friendships between members of the DeVos family past and present.

The main event took place Friday night at NBA City down at the Universal Studios City Walk. The restaurant proved to be a fun and appropriately sport-themed atmosphere, while the NBA City staff catered an excellent meal for a large and hungry DeVos family.

The party continued on Saturday with a tailgate at Southside BBQ on the UCF campus. The day not only marked a reunion of DeVos classmates, but it was also UCF's Homecoming Game as well. After wrapping up the tailgate with inspirational and kind words from our distinguished speaker and namesake of the Hope For Stanley Foundation, Mr. Stanley Stewart, our family made their way to Brighthouse Networks Stadium for the game.

While the UCF Knights came up short of a Homecoming Day victory, the day and night before were a resounding success for the DeVos Program. The planning and diligent work of members of the Class of 2009 paid off with a weekend that will be remembered fondly. A new tradition has been started and we will look forward to future reunions with anticipation as our network grows and each future DeVos class builds upon the successes and legacies of the original core of students who helped create the program in its formative years.



Meet The Class of 2010 - Steven


One of the unique attributes of the DeVos Sport Business Management Program is the network of students who make up our program. Our class will take every course together during our tenure here at UCF and we will work on countless group projects and collaborative efforts. As a result of our shared interests in the business of sport, a natural team camaraderie is formed. However, our team is composed of people from diverse backgrounds, experiences and ambitions. We offer profiles of class members to give you an idea as to the type of people who make up our program, individuals who collectively will be leaders in sport and society and will be teammates for life.


Name: Steven Clenney
Hometown: Orlando, FL
Undergraduate College: Florida State University
Undergraduate Major: Marketing and Media Production
Background: Seminole Productions Assistant Producer, Florida State University; ARAMARK at Turner Field, Atlanta, GA; Orlando Predators (Arena Football League), Orlando, FL

Current G.A. Position or Industry Job: Graduate Assistant for the Campus Activities Board and Guest Services Staff for UCF Football

Future Career Goals: I would like to one day work in corporate sponsorships or promotions at a league or team.

Reasons For Choosing DeVos: I chose the DeVos Program because of the commitment to diversity and community service. Also, I wanted to be a part of a family atmosphere and learn from the most influential people in the industry.

Meet The Class of 2010 - Jacque


One of the unique attributes of the DeVos Sport Business Management Program is the network of students who make up our program. Our class will take every course together during our tenure here at UCF and we will work on countless group projects and collaborative efforts. As a result of our shared interests in the business of sport, a natural team camaraderie is formed. However, our team is composed of people from diverse backgrounds, experiences and ambitions. We offer profiles of class members to give you an idea as to the type of people who make up our program, individuals who collectively will be leaders in sport and society and will be teammates for life.


Name: Jacquelyn Pannell
Hometown: Bloomfield, CT
Undergraduate College: Emmanuel College
Undergraduate Major: Business Management
Background: NBAtv Brand Ambassador for the 2008 NBA Finals, Director of Teens-N-Motion Sports Camp, Intern for The Center for the Study of Sport in Society, President of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference’s SAAC, Captain of the Emmanuel Saints Women’s Basketball Team, Assistant to the Emmanuel College Athletic Director

Current G.A. Position or Industry Job: Graduate Assistant for National Consortium for Academics and Sport (NCAS)

Future Career Goals: My goal is to work for an organization that will allow me to incorporate my passions for sports, diversity, service, and event planning.

Reasons For Choosing DeVos: I choose the DeVos program because of its emphasis on diversity and ethics in sports. My mentor, Dr. Rissmeyer, advised me to continue my education at a place where I would learn not only in the classroom but from the leaders the program. When I researched the program I realized that the director was the keynote speaker at my first diversity conference in high school and founder of the organization where I was doing my internship. The rest is history!

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Community Service - Scholar Baller


Scholar Baller seeks to bridge the gap between the educational, athletic, and entertainment communities in America. By eliminating the cultural disconnects between these three entities, student- athletes will gain a more holistic understanding for how education, sport and entertainment can become one healthy lifestyle. This will in turn help student-athletes create a positive self-image and compete with passion and integrity in all aspects of their life.

On Saturdays, the volunteers for this service organization teach the Scholar Baller curriculum to students from the YMCA Black Achievers program. The students in the Black Achievers program consist of 9th-12th grade male and females from various high schools in the Orlando area. The six main principles in the Scholar Baller curriculum include lessons on self identity and social identity, the competitive spirit, scholar baller paradigm/ standard, vision, purpose, mission, and goals, decision making system, and vision, industry, self-respect, perseverance, success and humility. In addition to teaching the Scholar Baller curriculum, the volunteers in this organization also assist with the YMCA Black Achiever Junior-Senior sessions. During these sessions, the volunteers serve as mentors to high school junior and seniors and assist them with various components of the college application process and ultimately help them prepare for post-secondary education.

When asked about her views on the Scholar Baller Program, Nicole Fowler (Class of 2010) said that "I have never come across a program like Scholar-Baller that uses a unique mix of sport, entertainment and education to mentor students-athletes to be positive role models and give back to the community. It is very rewarding to help these great student-athletes realize that they can be successful on the field, in the classroom, and in life."

For more information about this and other community service projects coordinated through the DeVos Program, please feel free to e-mail us at devosprogram@gmail.com.

- Cara

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Distinguished Speaker Series - October


As we have mentioned before, one of the great privileges of being a student in the DeVos Program is to meet face-to-face with leading experts in the field of sport and have the opportunity to listen to their personal stories of life in the business and question them on a range of topics pertinent to our careers. In the month of October, the classes of 2009 and 2010 have been very fortunate to listen to several excellent guest speakers. Abe Madkour, executive editor of the SportBusiness Journal and SportsBusiness Daily, and Dr. Jay Coakley, a leading American sport sociologist and professor emeritus at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, each paid a visit to Orlando as featured speakers in the DeVos Distinguished Speaker Series.

Abe Madkour blew our classes away with his encyclopedic knowledge of every sport and understanding of current trends and issues facing the sports industry. Mr. Madkour oversees the leading publications for sports business executives and thus has a powerful voice in shaping the dialogue on important topics in the industry. As students in the DeVos Program, we have made it a point to start our week by reading the latest issue, so it was particularly fascinating to us to hear how he goes about his editorial decisions and how he sees his role in the industry.

Earlier this month, Dr. Jay Coakley discussed at length some of his research involving the death of amateur sport, the theory of “neo-liberalism in sport” and professional sports as a reflection of societal values among many fascinating topics. Many of our classmates have utilized Dr. Coakley’s textbooks during their undergraduate education and were quite interested in hearing his insights on many key societal issues in sport. Dr. Coakley was a very engaging speaker and gave us great access by continuing to answer our questions even through the post-speech reception. The pictures below show several students from both classes mingling and enjoying our time together at the post-speech reception following one of our great speakers.

Coming up in the weeks ahead, we look forward to hearing from both Floyd Keith, the director of the Black Coaches Association, as well as members of Disney’s Wide World of Sports Leadership Team. We will be sure to post our reactions from what will surely two equally exciting events in our DeVos Distinguished Speaker Series.

Enjoy The Day,

Charlie





Community Service - Camp Boggy Creek



Camp Boggy Creek, Florida’s Hole in the Wall Camp, was started by Paul Newman and is a place where children with chronic or life threatening illnesses can safely enjoy the activities of a “traditional” camp. The mission of Camp Boggy Creek is to create camping experiences that are memorable, exciting, fun, empowering, physically safe and medically sound. They offer week long summer sessions as well as family weekends during the fall and spring. Each session or weekend brings children together with the same illness so they realize that they are not alone.

During family weekends you can be assigned as either a family pal or an activity pal. Activity pals are stationed at certain activity sites (for example, archery or boating and fishing) and are there to help explain the activity and ensure that everyone remains safe. A family pal is assigned to a family and goes everywhere that the family wishes to go. They are responsible for ensuring everyone is having a good time and getting involved, as well as allowing the parents a chance to relax and not worry about their children. During family weekends the child with the illness is able to bring their siblings, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends, ect. to camp with them.

I volunteered for the Rheumatic family weekend held September 26-28, 2008 and was assigned as a family pal. My family was Macayla, an adorable 11-year-old girl with Rheumatic disease who was the best hula-hooper I’ve ever seen; her mom, Christy; her best friend, Megan, a 12-year-old girl who is great at gymnastics; and Megan’s mom, Heather. My girls loved archery so we spent a lot of time there but we also took a paddle boat out on the lake, made race cars in woodshop, played miniature golf, and went to a pool party for all of the campers. It was nice because their moms were able to spend some time together and relax while I got to run around and play with the kids. On Saturday night we had a dance with a superheroes theme. Macayla and Megan loved to dance and I got to teach them the Cupid’s Shuffle and the Electric Slide. On the last day the kids had a talent show. My girls were a little shy so they didn’t participate but we enjoyed watching the other campers display their talents. As my fellow classmate, Eric Little, said, “It was a really fun experience and an opportunity to be a kid again. The motto is ‘Play with Kids’ and the camp really embodies that”.

Throughout camp three “medallions” were passed around to anyone who displayed acts of kindness. Macayla and Megan were given a medallion for being a hopper and getting the breakfast for the families at our table. They gave me the medallion almost immediately after getting it for being their family pal. It was a very special moment for me. In addition they wrote very sweet letters to their moms and me which were read to all of the families after the talent show. Their kindness, generosity and selflessness are inspirational. Macayla and Megan, along with all of the other campers and their families, truly are superheroes for their courage, hope, and positive attitudes.

- Jessica, Class of 2009

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Community Service - Read2Succeed


One major component of the DeVos Program is the opportunity to volunteer and interact in the greater Orlando community. The Read2Succeed Program takes place in schools around Orange County with the goals of increasing literacy in area second graders and building these students’ confidence and interest in reading. Since its humble beginnings at five school sites three years ago, the program now enrolls nearly 450 volunteers at over 40 schools.

This semester, Alejandra, Lauren, Jama and myself are volunteering at Hidden Oaks Elementary where we each tutor four children a week. Between interactive group games and one-on-one reading time, we keep our sessions fresh and entertaining for the kids so that they enjoy reading and learn the comprehension skills necessary to keep pace in the classroom.

Alejandra summed up her thoughts on the Read2Succeed Program by saying how rewarding it was just to interact with her students at Hidden Oaks. “I love going in every week and greeting my kids with a smile and hug. We really can’t tell yet how much our efforts together have positively impacted their reading skills, but the kids are definitely more interested in reading overall. Each time I walk them back to their classroom at the end of our session they promise they will read more at home and how they can’t wait to meet again next week.”

Enjoy The Day

- Charlie

Monday, October 13, 2008

Meet The Class of 2010 - Hiroki


One of the unique attributes of the DeVos Sport Business Management Program is the network of students who make up our program. Our class will take every course together during our tenure here at UCF and we will work on countless group projects and collaborative efforts. As a result of our shared interests in the business of sport, a natural team camaraderie is formed. However, our team is composed of people from diverse backgrounds, experiences and ambitions. We offer profiles of class members to give you an idea as to the type of people who make up our program, individuals who collectively will be leaders in sport and society and will be teammates for life.


Name: Hiroki Kosugi
Hometown: Sapporo, Japan
Undergraduate College: Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania
Undergraduate Major: Sport Management
Background: Intern for Fantasia Entertainment Inc. and Soccer Player for the Sagawa Express, a semi-professional soccer team

Future Career Goals: My goal is to work on the marketing side for a professional sports organization

Reasons For Choosing DeVos: After being initially recommended to the DeVos Program by my undergraduate program chair, I set my sights on DeVos due to the program's terrific emphasis on and connections with sport marketing. Additionally, the Florida weather and Orlando location were hard to pass up!

Meet The Class of 2010 - Jama


One of the unique attributes of the DeVos Sport Business Management Program is the network of students who make up our program. Our class will take every course together during our tenure here at UCF and we will work on countless group projects and collaborative efforts. As a result of our shared interests in the business of sport, a natural team camaraderie is formed. However, our team is composed of people from diverse backgrounds, experiences and ambitions. We offer profiles of class members to give you an idea as to the type of people who make up our program, individuals who collectively will be leaders in sport and society and will be teammates for life.


Name: Jama Frederick
Hometown: Jasper, TN
Undergraduate College: The University of Tennessee
Undergraduate Major: Sport Management, Minor in Business Administration
Background: Intern for the Tennessee Baseball Office, Tennessee Football Community Relations and AAU Junior Olympics.

Current Graduate Assistantship or Employment: Graduate Assistant to Dr. Keith Harrison and the Scholar-Baller Program

Future Career Goals: Undecided on a specific position, but I want to explore the world of professional sports in the upcoming semesters to narrow my choices.

Reasons For Choosing DeVos: Among the variety of reasons I chose this program were the emphasis on ethics and diversity, the opportunity to earn two degrees, and the chance to learn from a knowledgeable, experienced and dedicated staff in a "family" environment.

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Meet The Class of 2010 - Derek




One of the unique attributes of the DeVos Sport Business Management Program is the network of students who make up our program. Our class will take every course together during our tenure here at UCF and we will work on countless group projects and collaborative efforts. As a result of our shared interests in the business of sport, a natural team camaraderie is formed. However, our team is composed of people from diverse backgrounds, experiences and ambitions. We offer profiles of class members to give you an idea as to the type of people who make up our program, individuals who collectively will be leaders in sport and society and will be teammates for life.


Name: Derek Cowan
Hometown: Guelph, Ontario, Canada
Undergraduate College: Carleton University – Ottawa, Ontario
Undergraduate Major: Commerce Specialized in Marketing, Minor in Economics
Background: Corporate Hospitality and Suites – Tennis Canada & Rogers Cup, Volunteer Manager – Rogers Cup, Intramural Director – high school and University Athletics, Certified Coach – curling, basketball, baseball

Current Graduate Assistantship or Employment: Premium Seating UCF Knights Football and G.A. in the Marketing Office through the Marketing Internship Program

Future Career Goals: In the short term, I am interested in marketing, promotions or operations with an NBA organization or multi-sport/event facility. The long term goal is to become the President/CEO of the Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment.

Reasons For Choosing DeVos: After the harsh realization that I would not become a professional athlete, I wanted to find a way to be involved in the work that goes on behind the scenes. So the decision to head the sports business route was simple, and the chance to earn dual degrees was a definite selling point. I was also looking for a program that would help to further my knowledge, provide the opportunity to gain practical experience (in class and through an internship), allow access to industry renowned professors and setup activities to give back to the Orlando community. The DeVos Program provides the opportunity for all of these goals to be accomplished. Plus, the weather in Central Florida isn’t hard to take either!

Friday, October 3, 2008

Hitting The Road To Daytona International



Earlier this week, the Class of 2010 traveled to Daytona to visit the Daytona International Speedway (DIS) as part of our DeVos Guest Speaker Series. The event started off with a buffet lunch in Bill France’s (Chairman & CEO, Nascar) skybox overlooking the start/finish line. After lunch, we had the privilege to speak with leaders from both Nascar and DIS, including Robin Braig, the President of DIS and Steve Phelps, Chief Marketing Officer for Nascar. Following this we took a quick trip on top of the skybox to get the best view of the track from where the driver’s spotters are stationed during a race.

Next, we headed over to the Daytona 500 Experience to learn some of the history of the track and test our racing skills through friendly competition in racing simulators in Acceleration Alley. We ended the day by taking a tram tour of the track. There was some shock among us as we got into the track and realized just how narrow the track actually is considering the drivers will sometimes push the envelope and drive four wide. The amazement grew as we entered the first turn and saw firsthand the magnitude of the 31° banking in the turns.



Going into the day, most of the 2010 class had fairly limited exposure to Nascar. After touring the track and experiencing its incredible size and hearing some of the staggering figures concerning Nascar’s revenue, fan loyalty, sponsorship commitment and television ratings, many of our preconceived notions of the sport had changed. Most of us now have a new appreciation for the sport and may be buying our first tickets to a Daytona or Nascar event in the coming months. I personally have been an avid fan of the sport and have been to a couple Nascar races before, but getting to see Daytona in person for the first time was a great personal treat for me. I look forward to other future events in the Guest Speaker Series that are equally as entertaining and fulfilling.

Chris

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Meet The Class of 2010 - Nathalie



One of the unique attributes of the DeVos Sport Business Management Program is the network of students who make up our program. Our class will take every course together during our tenure here at UCF and we will work on countless group projects and collaborative efforts. As a result of our shared interests in the business of sport, a natural team camaraderie is formed. However, our team is composed of people from diverse backgrounds, experiences and ambitions. We offer profiles of class members to give you an idea as to the type of people who make up our program, individuals who collectively will be leaders in sport and society and will be teammates for life.


Name: Nathalie Dionne Reshard
Hometown: Niceville, AL
Undergraduate College: The University of Alabama
Undergraduate Major: Business Management
Background: Member of the Alabama Women's Basketball Team

Current Graduate Assistantship or Employment: G.A. in the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports (TIDES)

Future Career Goals: To become the general manager for the Los Angeles Lakers

Reasons For Choosing DeVos: Opportunity to be involved with a program that is about more than just taking some extra classes

Meet the Class of 2010 - Chris


One of the unique attributes of the DeVos Sport Business Management Program is the network of students who make up our program. Our class will take every course together during our tenure here at UCF and we will work on countless group projects and collaborative efforts. As a result of our shared interests in the business of sport, a natural team camaraderie is formed. However, our team is composed of people from diverse backgrounds, experiences and ambitions. We offer profiles of class members to give you an idea as to the type of people who make up our program, individuals who collectively will be leaders in sport and society and will be teammates for life.


Name: Chris Kamke
Hometown: Blacksburg, VA
Undergraduate College: Virginia Tech
Undergraduate Major: Industrial and Systems Engineering

Current Graduate Assistantship or Employment: G.A. in the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports (TIDES) and UCF Football Guest Services

Future Career Goals: My goal is to work in marketing for an NBA franchise

Reasons For Choosing DeVos: I was interested in the DeVos program because of the professors, the commitment to community service, the annual class trip to meet with leaders in the industry and the partnership with the Orlando Magic

Meet the Class of 2010 - Cara


One of the unique attributes of the DeVos Sport Business Management Program is the network of students who make up our program. Our class will take every course together during our tenure here at UCF and we will work on countless group projects and collaborative efforts. As a result of our shared interests in the business of sport, a natural team camaraderie is formed. However, our team is composed of people from diverse backgrounds, experiences and ambitions. We offer profiles of class members to give you an idea as to the type of people who make up our program, individuals who collectively will be leaders in sport and society and will be teammates for life.


Name: Cara Lopresti
Hometown: San Diego, CA
Undergraduate College: Duke University
Undergraduate Major: Sociology, Markets & Management
Background: Intern for Cal Ripken Experience, Myrtle Beach Pelicans, Sun Sports and Academic Services for Student Athletes at UCF

Current Graduate Assistantship or Employment: G.A. in the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports (TIDES) and the National Consortium for Academics and Sports (NCAS)

Future Career Goals: I would like to work in academic services for student athletes after I graduate, starting off as an Academic Advisor and then eventually the Director of Academic Support Services

Reasons For Choosing DeVos: I really bought into the idea of using sports as a vehicle for social change. I have always had a passion for making a difference in the world and I know that the Devos Program is the right place to make this goal happen

Meet the Class of 2010 - Alejandra


One of the unique attributes of the DeVos Sport Business Management Program is the network of students who make up our program. Our class will take every course together during our tenure here at UCF and we will work on countless group projects and collaborative efforts. As a result of our shared interests in the business of sport, a natural team camaraderie is formed. However, our team is composed of people from diverse backgrounds, experiences and ambitions. We offer profiles of class members to give you an idea as to the type of people who make up our program, individuals who collectively will be leaders in sport and society and will be teammates for life.


Name: Alejandra Diaz-Calderon
Hometown: Guadalajara, Mexico
Undergraduate College: University of Notre Dame
Undergraduate Major: Finance
Background: Captain of the Notre Dame Women's Golf Team for 2007 and 2008, SAAC (Student-Athlete Advisory Council) golf representative, Notre Dame Big East SAAC representative

Current Graduate Assistantship or Employment: G.A. in the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports (TIDES)

Future Career Goals: In process of targeting my ideal career choice, but as of today I'd be most interested in working in college athletics.

Reasons For Choosing DeVos: I identified through several sources that DeVos was regarded as one of the top 5 programs in the country for Sport Business Management. What separated DeVos from the rest of the pack was it's focus on social issues plaguing sports and knowing that we would be empowered to be leaders on confronting these problems.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Meet The Class of 2010 - William


One of the unique attributes of the DeVos Sport Business Management Program is the network of students who make up our program. Our class will take every course together during our tenure here at UCF and we will work on countless group projects and collaborative efforts. As a result of our shared interests in the business of sport, a natural team camaraderie is formed. However, our team is composed of people from diverse backgrounds, experiences and ambitions. We offer profiles of class members to give you an idea as to the type of people who make up our program, individuals who collectively will be leaders in sport and society and will be teammates for life.


Name: William Johnson
Hometown: Louisville, KY
Undergraduate College: The Florida State University
Undergraduate Major: Business Management

Current Graduate Assistantship or Employment: G.A. in the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports (TIDES)

Future Career Goals: Working in professional soccer and eventually moving up to the ownership level.

Reasons For Choosing DeVos: The program stands for ethics, diversity, leadership, and community. The community aspect is very unique and the professors are good, positive role models.

Meet The Class of 2010 - Charlie


One of the unique attributes of the DeVos Sport Business Management Program is the network of students who make up our program. Our class will take every course together during our tenure here at UCF and we will work on countless group projects and collaborative efforts. As a result of our shared interests in the business of sport, a natural team camaraderie is formed. However, our team is composed of people from diverse backgrounds, experiences and ambitions. We offer profiles of class members to give you an idea as to the type of people who make up our program, individuals who collectively will be leaders in sport and society and will be teammates for life.


Name: Charlie Harless
Hometown: Hollywood, MD
Undergraduate College: The University of Tennessee
Undergraduate Major: Sport Management
Background: Head Student Manager for Tennessee Lady Vol Basketball Program, Intern in Athlete Services for the United States Olympic Committee

Current Graduate Assistantship or Employment: G.A. in the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports (TIDES)

Future Career Goals: Working in college athletics administration and earning my doctorate in sport studies

Reasons For Choosing DeVos: Opportunity to work alongside highly motivated peers who are looking to not only be leaders in sport, but leaders in their community as well. The educational opportunity to earn two degrees while being placed in real-life sport and business environments presented a challenging and collaborative academic experience that I could not pass up.

Monday, September 22, 2008

Living Classroom 2.0 - New Year, New Class


Greetings everyone! The time since our last blog post has been regrettably long, but we are back to give you insight into the exciting goings-on in the DeVos Sport Business Management Program at UCF.

The Class of 2010 has already been in classes for a full month (!) and if I do say so myself, we have acclimated very quickly to both the rigors of the program and the many outside-the-classroom activities we can participate in. The first semester is all business, literally, as we take four of our M.B.A courses in statistics, economics, accounting and organizational behavior. We had our first major exam this morning so please wish us luck on the grade front.

Our most important test of the semester may actually take place tonight on the intramural fields, as our class does battle with the Class of 2009 in a game of co-ed Intramural Flag Football. In honor of our victory, I’ll post our winning score in the blog tomorrow (clearly nothing stings more than blog smack talk).

We have had the pleasure of listening to Dr. Bernard Franklin, Senior V.P. for Governance, Membership, and Education and Research Services for the NCAA. Dr. Franklin was our first guest in the Distinguished Speaker Series at DeVos. Dr. Franklin gave a fantastic presentation discussing his prominent role in college athletics, particularly his experiences with the controversial Native-American Mascot legislation. Students in both the 2009 and 2010 classes enjoyed Dr. Franklin’s candor and openness to questions regarding a wide issue of topics. On Friday, we are all looking forward to listening to author and former NFL all-pro linebacker David Meggyesy and next week, we will travel to Daytona to meet with the leadership of NASCAR. These should be some fascinating meetings that will give all of us greater insight to both the business and social issues of sport.

In the coming days, we’ll show you more of the life of a DeVos student and introduce to you the new class members who will be posting in the future. We're excited to share with you details from our memorable trip to New Orleans (that picture is all of us in the Class of 2010 with Dr. Lapchick and his wife Ann in New Orleans) and our unique community service activities. For any prospective students out there please feel free to post comments or ask questions of us at devosprogram@gmail.com. We are more than happy to talk about ourselves (modest much?) and how awesome the DeVos program has been for us this first month.

Enjoy the day

Charlie
Class of 2010

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Super Tuesday

We are about a week past “Super Tuesday,” and find ourselves in the midst of politicians calling for “change”. While many people of our generation are turning out in record numbers to cast their vote, I think we all remain a bit skeptical of political movements. Dr. Lapchick is always saying, “There is something about sports.” I believe that to be true, and I think my classmates think that as well. Even amongst all the scandals, there is something in us that believes that there is a certain pureness to sports. I think that is why many of us chose to go into sports, because we really believe we can make a difference.

I believe all of us should make our voice known and vote in the coming election. However, I remain a bit skeptical of the politicians and their promises. Teeball, hotdogs and baseball games, Lil’ Penny, marching bands, bracket busters, game winning shots, unbelievable catches, the World Cup, and slam dunks…these are things that seem to remain consistent. There is something about sports, indeed. I leave you with a quote from Lance Armstrong, “One of the redeeming things about being an athlete is redefining what is humanly possible.”

Much love and good game,

Jonathan

Friday, February 1, 2008

Dee Brown!?!?!


What’s it like to meet one of athletes you looked up to as a child? I grew up in Vermont rooting for the Boston Celtics in the 1990s after the “big three” of Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish retired and there wasn’t a lot to root for as the team struggled. Dee Brown was one of the only reasons to like the Celtics. He won the 1991 Slam Dunk Contest as a rookie when he famously pumped up his Reeboks before covering his eyes with his forearm and dunking the ball “no look”. He went on to play twelve seasons in the NBA with the Celtics, Raptors and Magic, averaging just over eleven points per game.

I had the distinct honor of introducing a bio of Dee to my classmates. I had a huge grin on my face, though I was definitely nervous (and I don’t get nervous). When I researched Dee to present the bio, I was extremely impressed with the diversity of his background: player, coach of two WNBA teams (Orlando Miracle and San Antonio Silver Stars), NBA front office experience with the Magic, on-air TV personality with ESPN after winning the show “Dream Job”, ESPN radio personality from 12-3 everyday, and owner/operator of Edge Training Facility.

As a lifetime Celtics fan and someone who people have called a “sports encyclopedia," I thought that I knew everything there was to know about Dee Brown... Boy was I wrong. Dee Brown stressed to us that basketball never defined who he was as a person; he was just gifted at it and used basketball as a tool to pursue all his other interests. Dee has two degrees from Jacksonville University in math and computer science. He owned several dot-com companies during the 90s and claims to be one of the first two NBA players (along with Spurs great David Robinson) to have the first monochrome, 15-pound Apple laptop in the '90s.

Dee also stressed the importance of having a value system above everything else. He spoke of an incident when he was in Boston for the first time after the NBA draft. Dee was tackled to the ground by police who suspected him of robbing a bank, despite the fact he was at the post office a block away. As Dee said, “What kind of dumb criminal goes to the post office across the street from the bank he just robbed?!” This was Dee Brown’s first impression of Boston, the city that would be his home for seven years. He could have been bitter, he could have sued, he could have blamed the world, but he didn’t because he didn’t believe it would help the situation. Instead Dee spun it positively and sought out the director of our program, Dr. Lapchick, who was at Northeastern University at the time. They have been great friends ever since.

It’s been a week since Dee Brown spoke to us and I still have that huge grin on my face. I thought that I knew everything there was to know about Dee Brown... Boy was I wrong.

Eric

Friday, January 25, 2008

Don't Bet on It

This week in Dr. Lapchick's class, we had a very interesting discussion about how commonplace gambling has become, particularly with regards to sport. He opened up by calling us out, asking if we would use cocaine, carry a handgun, drive under the influence, etc. The response for each was a resounding, "No."

It was interesting, then, that three-quarters of our class said they would either participate in an office pool or bet on a game. As you may know, sports gambling is only legal in Nevada, yet it has grown into an accepted reality - particularly during March Madness and the Super Bowl. Perhaps because it is viewed as a small-scale wager, or removed from organized crime, we have allowed ourselves to justify our decision.

The truth is, however, that gambling's addictive nature can lead to harm quickly. Everyone thinks they can beat the odds, but many fall short. If an athlete, trainer, coach, or administrator gets in a bookie's pocket, the integrity of the game could soon be compromised. Though this is a hypothetical situation, the issue has plagued athletic competition over the last century, with a dramatic spike in the Internet age.

In fact, the 2007 Super Bowl had over $93 million in legal wagers - that is, from those over the age of 21 and physically in the state of Nevada - yet this represented only 1.5% of the actual amount wagered - an astonishing $8 billion on one game! It can be assumed that the difference was comprised of bets with local illegal bookies or through Internet sites.

Congress took a stab at Internet gambling in 2006 with the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, which effectively shut down US poker and sports wagering sites. Offshore betting, however, remains rampant and unchecked.

This issue is at the forefront of sport ethics and will remain so, with nearly $400 billion bet annually. The cliche is that money talks - the question is, what is it saying?

Interesting Links:
Sports Betting

History of Point-shaving

Sports Wagering Industry Info

What do you think?

Nathan

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Wrapping Up Bowl Season

College football’s bowl season seemed to go on and on (and on) this year from December 20 to January 7. There are now thirty-two bowl games including the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl, the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl, Roady’s Humanitarian Bowl and the Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl (I swear I didn’t make any of those up). This year I had the pleasure of studying the teams in the bowl games closer than most and I don’t mean the play calling of the X’s and O’s, but the academics of A’s, B’s, C’s, D’s and F’s.

My graduate assistant (GA) position is with the DeVos program in the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport doing research on the academic standing of college athletics and the racial and gender hiring practices of professional leagues and the NCAA. There are six of us in the ’09 class out of twenty-six that work with the Institute, but (in case you were wondering) almost everyone in the program has a GA position somewhere on campus.

This year Marina Bustamante (DeVos ’08) and I co-authored Dr. Lapchick’s study, “Keeping Score When It Counts: Assessing the 2007-08 Bowl-bound College Football Teams. Academic Performance Improves but Race Still Matters.” The study was released December 3, 2007 which was the morning after the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) bowl games were announced. The study concluded that while overall academic performance was improving in college football, there remains a large gap between the graduation rates of White and African-American football players with African-Americans trailing far behind. If it was based off academics alone, Navy and Boston College would play for the national title. I encourage you to read the study.

The Institute also annually releases a NCAA leadership study, which assesses diversity among Division 1-A campus and conference leaders. We also annually release racial and gender report cards for Major League Soccer, Major League Baseball, the National Football League, the National Basketball Association, the Women’s National Basketball Association, among others. I’d also encourage you to check these out at the Institute’s website. The work of the Institute is a major part of the mission of the DeVos program and I’m humbled to play a small role in it.

Eric

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Ladies and Gentleman, the Former President (of FCA), Jon Adams...


Hello everyone, my name is Jonathan Adams. I have the tough act of following Eric and Nathan, but I will do my best. I am originally from a small town called Fruitland Park, Florida (If you know where that is, I would be seriously impressed). I moved to Orlando to attend UCF for my undergrad. I got my degree in Business Management with a minor concentration in sport business management.

I have had the privilege of having a variety of experiences over the past 5 years. I have worked the past four seasons with the Orlando Magic as part of the game night arena operations staff. I also currently work with Dr. Keith Harrison doing research on social responsibility.

When UCF Athletics first started their sales department, I had a position stationed at the Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce where I sold businesses UCF football season tickets. I also worked a year at a local inner city YMCA, which was a great experience. I had the privilege of working three years as a teacher’s assistant with Dr. Fritz Polite, who was a former professor here at the DeVos Program. I was involved with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes all four of my years of undergrad, serving as president my final year.

I can truly say I feel so at home at the DeVos Program. The faculty are great, and I cannot say enough about how much I have enjoyed all of my classmates. I think we truly have a special group (but I suppose I’m partial).

Hopefully, on good days you will be able to take something away from my blog. I’d love to hear from you if you have any questions or comments. In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King’s Day that just passed, I’d like to leave you with this quote from his autobiography. “Human beings with all their faults and strengths constitute the mechanism of social movement. They must take their mistakes and learn from them, make more mistakes and learn anew. They must taste defeat as well as success, and discover how to live with each.”

Much love…good game,

Jonathan

Monday, January 21, 2008

Sic 'Em, Bears!


Hi there! My name is Nathan Semones, and I'm a student in the DeVos Class of 2009. I'm from Dallas, TX, and I came all the way to Orlando just to be a part of this program - but I suppose I should back up a bit.

I've always been passionate about sports, but wasn't sure how to mix my talents with my passion. At first, I pursued a sports reporting career, which led me to complete my B.A. in Radio/TV/Film from Baylor University in 2006.

After several internships at the local ESPN Radio and ABC TV affiliates, I decided that I was on the wrong side of the coin. I wanted to impact sport, not describe it.

I landed internships at Madison Square Garden in NYC and Conference USA in Dallas, and soon began to understand how sports organizations function. I had no practical business experience, so I knew that if I was going to continue this route, there would be a missing piece to my skill set and my resume.

I discovered the DeVos Program at UCF, which allows candidates to pursue both an MBA and a Masters in Sport Business Management. This course setup would be the perfect blend of business background and sports focus to launch my career.

As we begin our second semester, the experience just keeps getting better. We're getting into the important issues of sport today, specifically in the areas of diversity and ethics. Our classroom diversity allows for a variety of insights, and the hot-button topics always lead to interesting discussion.

It's also great to see the Class of 2009 taking ownership of the program now that the Class of 2008 has moved on to internship and job opportunities. You'll hear more about both as the spring rolls on and stories roll in.

I'll be updating every week or so with updates. In the meantime, if you have any questions, about myself or the program, feel free to shoot me an email: n_semones@yahoo.com. Thanks for stopping by, and hopefully we'll see you back soon.

Best wishes,

Nathan

P.S. As of this date, the Baylor basketball teams are a combined 31-3 overall and 7-0 in the Big XII. A proud day to be an alum...

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

The Pride of the Vermont Catamounts

Hey everyone! My name is Eric Little and I'm a first-year student in the DeVos Sports Business Program at UCF. I wanted to use this first blog as a chance to introduce myself by telling you who I am, where I come from, what I’ve done and what I want to do, so here goes.

I am originally from Milton, Vermont which is a town of 10,000 people about an hour from Montreal, Canada. For my undergraduate work I attended the University of Vermont (UVM) and graduated last May with a degree in Business Administration and a concentration in human resources and sports management.

While at UVM I was a tour guide for three years, which took me to places like Boston, New York City, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. while talking to people about UVM. Being a tour guide also helped land me an internship with UVM athletics my senior year. I also worked with Alternative Spring Break for all four years. UVM has one of the best programs in the country of its kind, with ten trips of ten students going out and doing community service during the spring break. I went on trips in Mississippi, Georgia, Kentucky, and Tennessee while in college. Finally, I studied abroad in London during the summer between my junior and senior year through a program at Florida State University called Global Sports. The program involved trips to Wimbledon, the British Open, and the Tour de France, among others.

I believe sports can be a vehicle for social change and that sports teams, at all levels of competition, have an obligation to give back to the people with whom they share their community. I am with the DeVos Program because it believes that too. I would like to accomplish these things professionally with either NBA Cares or an individual team in the NBA.

Eric

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Back in Action

The spring semester has just begun and all of us here at the DeVos Program are hitting the ground running. The Class of 2008 graduated in December, so the Class of 2009 has big shoes to fill over the next few months. Applications for the Class of 2010 are due by February 1st, when the professors and current students will begin interviewing the prospective students. We're looking forward to meeting the best and the brightest, and hope that you are up to the challenge.

After last semester's blog struggled, we've revamped the format. Three writers will update you on all that's happening in the DeVos Program. Eric Little, Jonathan Adams, and myself (Nathan Semones) will share our thoughts and experiences from our unique program. Each writer will update once a week, so check back often to see what's new in our world. Topics will range from our prominent guest speakers to unique work opportunities and our in-depth classroom discussions. You won't want to miss it.

Eric Little will check in tomorrow, while Jonathan and I will introduce ourselves next week. Take care!

Nathan