Your Project, Our Classroom

Texas A&M University is proud to partner with sport organizations across the globe. With this alliance and investment, Texas A&M University can provide our Capstone Experience students with hands-on and practical experience. By working with our students, this real-world experience impacts their lives as leaders and future employees in the Sport Management field.

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Brandon Pake, SPMT 2023

Brandon Pake

For my Capstone Experience - Business Project, I worked with San Antonio Sports and David Castro, Director of Events & Operations. I researched former players that played in the annual San Antonio All-Star Game at the Alamodome. I was looking for stats of former players who are now playing football at the college level. There was a total of over 400 athletes for this project that I had to find information on. I also created a "hype" video for the organization to boost awareness of the all-star game. This Capstone Experience - Business Project was super helpful in getting my foot in the door of the sports job community. I am grateful for the opportunity. I have learned various new skills and met some amazing people along the way. This experience is one of my favorite projects I worked on during my time at Texas A&M University. 

 

Words of Wisdom

  • This project was an opportunity to do something meaningful in the sports industry. Use this opportunity to your advantage.
  • Go above and beyond the requirements, and it will pay off. 
  • Have fun with the project but work hard because you never know where it could take you. 

Andrew Ekleberry, SPMT 2023

Andrew Ekleberry

Throughout this Culminating Experience, I have learned to develop new segments. I gathered research and data to make strategic decisions effectively. This problem-solving project ultimately led me to develop the events the Spurs organization can utilize. I also developed effective means of communication and project management. This experience allowed me to become self-sufficient when given a task to complete with little instruction. Overall, this experience allowed me to utilize the foundation that Texas A&M has built for me through my curriculum. I developed skills on top of this foundation and really immersed myself in my project. This Capstone Experience - Business Project has made me feel more prepared as an upcoming graduate to perform tasks professionally.

 

Words of Wisdom

  • Dedication, Professionalism, Integrity    

Toni Clark, SPMT 2024

Toni Clark

My Culminating Experience was the best opportunity for me to grow as an individual and prepare myself for after my time at Texas A&M. I met so many new people not just from Seoul, but also from countries such as China, Australia, and Japan. Being able to say I have international friends gives me a unique trait. I came to Seoul not knowing anyone, being lost in a new environment, and adjusting to learning the Korean language and culture. In a positive outcome, I am now halfway through the year fo my study abroad trip, and I plan to return to Seoul for graduate school after graduating from Texas A&M. 

Words of Wisdom

  • No matter what Culminating Experience you are assigned, all of them are great opportunities to grow as an individual.
  • Stepping out of your comfort zone will not be an easy adjustment when you have to present yourself in the working field, but with time, the experiences you will gain will make adult life seem much easier and make you more prepared!

Grant Glasson, SPMT 2023

Grant Glasson

Working on this project for Athletes in Action sports facilities has been a privilege. Through my collaboration with AIA, I have identified areas for improvement and provided recommendations that will enhance the overall experience for your athletes, visitors, and staff. Working on this project has further enhanced my knowledge of my career path in working in sport facility management. I have been blessed to work with such an awesome group of people.

Words of Wisdom

  • This project has taught me to always approach any job or opportunity with an open mind and a willingness to learn. Listen to the needs and goals of the people I am working with and work collaboratively to develop solutions that meet those needs.
  • Secondly, communication is key. I have learned that communication is very important with the organization and team members to ensure everyone is on the same page and that progress is being made toward the end goal.
  • Lastly, this project has taught me not to be afraid to think outside the box and offer innovative solutions. A fresh perspective and unique ideas can often lead to groundbreaking solutions that can significantly impact an organization.

Nathaniel Evans, SMPT 2024

Nathaniel Evans

For my experience, I started off working with David Kensinger learning about marketing at Athletes in Action's sports complex and retreat center. After a few weeks of doing this, I was moved to help Matt Dunn market the Keys to Life breakfast at the Final Four in Houston. For this event, I did a lot of grassroots marketing by creating databases and sending emails to universities, media outlets, and churches. I was also given the great opportunity of going to the event in person, where I helped with operations. This experience was a once in a lifetime opportunity where I was able to grow and learn with real hands-on work.

Words of Wisdom

  • Be flexible always. 
  • Take the experience one day at a time. 
  • Ask lots of questions.

Carter Norwat, SPMT 2024

Carter Norwat

I went to the Alamo Bowl and worked under Mr. Rick Hill. During the Alamo Bowl, Rick had me research and work with the social media team. I shadowed him to learn what it's like for a Vice President during the week. After this, I researched the demographics of the bowl game and looked at things that happened years ago. I compared posts of the major bowl games (Top 8) on various social media platforms. Rick wanted me to look at what all the other competitors are doing the week leading up to the game to see what the Alamo Bowl can do to improve at various levels.

Words of Wisdom

  • Don't be scared to do a Capstone Experience. Even though it's a lot of work, you'll enjoy it tremendously. 
  • There are feedback meetings and communication to know what you should be doing. Feel free to ask a lot of questions.

 

Sammy Ward & Austin Hebert, SPMT 2023

Sammy Ward & Austin Hebert

Sammy Ward and Austin Hebert partnered to create a business called Aggieland Athletic Rentals. This business supplies rentable athletic products to youth athletes in the Bryan-College Station area. To begin, they are targeting four little league baseball organizations (College Station, Bryan National, Bryan United, and Bryan Harvey) and one softball little league (Brazos Valley Girls Softball Association) to provide baseball and softball bats for the players in the league. They are targeting this sport in particular because baseball and softball bats are products necessary for the sport and are also products that players often grow out of often. With this in mind, the company lowers the cost barriers commonly associated with joining sport organizations by offering a cheaper alternative to entirely purchasing bats in the form of rentable equipment.

Words of Wisdom

  • Who you know is more valuable than what you know.
  • Take advantage of Sport Management Society and other volunteer/career opportunities to improve your resume and experiences.
  • SPMT curriculum is designed to prepare you for your culminating experience, so use the courses that lead up to it to prepare for that final semester.

Sammy Smith, SPMT 2022

Sammy Smith

For my internship, I was fortunate to work with Texas A&M Women's Basketball. I was in an operations-related role, so I was involved in many activities and events within the program. My "big project" was implementing new community service opportunities for the team. Other responsibilities of mine included helping with preparation for the Welcome Back Party (an event before the season for donors, season ticket holders, staff, and the team), assisting with practices and games (including travel), performing administrative tasks, and many other activities. I gained a variety of experiences and formed meaningful professional connections during this internship.

Words of Wisdom

  • Ask stupid questions instead of doing stupid things, and then trust yourself to make good decisions moving forward.
  • Observe the other people working in the organization – how they behave, how they go about their business, and how they treat others.

Kyle Bays, SPMT 2022

Kyle Bays

My project involved researching and compiling all the necessary statistics for the student-worker program. The research collected was critical in making major decisions for the program regarding hiring and general future planning. The information was collected and made easily understandable in a full 32-page report. This project served as a reference for the current state of the program.

Words of Wisdom

  • Approach every task with your full attention and effort. This internship is an opportunity to prove yourself and should be treated as such.
  • Come into work daily with an attitude that people respect and want to be around. It makes the job more enjoyable.
  • Feel free to showcase your skills. At the end of the day, you are the most valuable to the organization when they can understand how to utilize you fully.

Malazzia Jimenez, SPMT 2022

Malazzia Jimenez

The Facility and Operations internship was a great experience. As you go through the internship, you will learn more about preparing for athletic events at Texas A&M. Through this internship; you will learn to become a better leader, adapt to a constantly changing environment, and learn to work effectively in team settings. Some of the tasks you will complete in this internship are court preparations for men's and women's basketball, ensuring the cleanliness of those courts, setting hospitality for these sporting events, and much more. You will also learn what it means to upkeep each facility in different ways. All facilities require you to learn new skills to help with that. I assisted with replacing lighting at Reed Arena, reinforcing the windscreens at Ellis Field, and making modifications to basketball hoops so they would properly fit in the practice gyms. A great work environment will also surround you. The culture there is excellent and will keep you motivated when you may be doing something less enjoya ble.

Words of Wisdom

  • ASK QUESTIONS! You don't need to know everything when you start, but you build your knowledge of the job by asking questions that will help you in the future.

  • Failure is okay, everyone makes mistakes, and it may feel like the end of the world, but no one will remember. What they will remember is the way you reacted to the situation.

  • Always have a positive mindset! Keeping a positive mindset will help you find more joy in your work

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