Networking in the Sports Industry, and Why You Should Be Doing It

By: maggie vlasaty

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Ask anyone in sports for advice on how to make it in the industry, and the answer is unanimous. Network. That, plus a passion for the grind and a tough-as-nails work ethic. But if you are new to the game, where do you start? What does “building connections” really mean? From one person to another, the answers may vary, but it all leads to the same goal. If you are a beginner, maybe a college student or recent graduate, you might be interviewing executives in marketing, sales, or hospitality, trying to figure out which department suits you best. You might join a few clubs or organizations in the school, do an internship or two, or express your interest through a degree in sport management. All of this builds into what will eventually become your network.

Here’s how I got started. From the first moment I knew I wanted to pursue a career in sports, I also knew, thanks to a guest lecture in college, that it was essential to get a comfortable meeting with sports professionals and develop those relationships. At the end of the lecture, I signed up for the first networking event hosted by my university I could find. Thanks to an adrenaline rush and lack of focus, I unintentionally signed up to be the name tag distributor instead of an actual attendee. No matter, I’ll perfect my elevator pitch for those 30 seconds someone is writing down their name.
I arrived at the event a few minutes early and met with the coordinator, who demonstrated the straightforward task I had come to do. At that moment, I realized the industry professionals had arrived sooner than I had, meaning they already had their name tags. To make matters worse, after about 35 minutes, no one knew had shown up—a couple of students filtered in and out, feeling the pressure of an empty room. Eventually, the coordinator came over, embarrassed, and asked that I go around and talk with a few companies to ease the awkwardness. I jumped up from my seat and walked straight to the Minnesota Timberwolves table (I memorized the table layout earlier out of boredom), talked with a man who eventually got me a job with them, and still knew well today after three seasons.

Now, learning from this, there are a few things you can do differently from my experience. 1) Make sure you sign up as an attendee or at least read the instructions clearly on the registration. 2) While you may attend a networking event because of a particular person, company or organization, make sure you talk to other people and organizations. Your person of choice may end up overcrowded, underwhelming, or not there at all. Your end goal might be sports, but there are plenty of avenues leading you there. That nonprofit lady at the end of the row may have a sports liaison opening; the guy who runs a mattress store might be in charge of the partnership between them and the hockey team, you never know. Every conversation on the way to a career in sports is a potential opportunity. Lastly, 3) I was young when this happened, and the first words out of my mouth were, “Do you know of any jobs open with the Timberwolves?” This question is acceptable at a job fair. Still, you are mainly at a networking event to get to know the individual, not necessarily the organization, and not solely to get a job. Luckily, the guy was lovely, and we discussed the open position. More often than not, though, especially at a busy event, that question will be overheard and under-considered in the long run.

That single interaction between a name tag distributor and a sales manager for a professional basketball team sparked my network growth. Shortly after talking with him, I applied to the job, had two rounds of interviews, and landed it. Plus four to the network web. Being the position was part-time and in-season only, I applied to another part-time internship with the athletic marketing department at my university. There was one interview, an unofficial job shadow, and a few quick conversations with previous interns, and I also landed that. Plus nine to the network web. That plus nine grew to a plus 30 once the internship started, all within a few months. From then on, my confidence in my career choice grew just as quickly as my list of connections.

Confidence played a massive role in helping me grow my networking skills as well as my actual network. It also played a part in a sudden plateau in my system, and I’ll explain why. There came a time for me, and I have seen this with my colleagues, where I let my current status decide how I treated my future state. I had two part-time jobs and an internship, all in sports. I didn’t feel the need to be talking with a different professional every other day; I already felt comfortable. I figured the connections I had already made would help me get the next job served in my direction. And while this may have still been the case, continually maintaining those connections while striving for new ones was creeping on me. If I wasn’t there to continue growing a relationship with someone I had connected with, who is to say they will be there for me when I need a good recommendation? Easing up on the pressure when applying to jobs means someone else who may have less experience but talked and shadowed their way through the entire organization might snag that opportunity from you. 

This understanding leads to a final tip: confidence and conscientiousness to opportunities are key ingredients to professional growth. And preparation. And interpersonal communication skills. But mostly the first two. Without having the courage to approach that sales manager in that event hall, I may have never made my way into sports. And without consistent and meaningful communication, I may not have stayed in the industry long.