I did not come to the University of Miami as a Sport Administration major because I was convinced that I was meant to be an educator in some capacity.
My parents sat me down one day when I was home worrying about student teaching and field experience, and asked me to describe what my part-time jobs had entailed. “Teaching,” I replied. “Teaching what,” they steered? “Sports,” I realized. “Finally,” Dad sighed. That was it. I was hooked.
I enrolled in as many KIN classes as I could last semester, when I officially decided that Sport Administration was the way to go. Introduction to Sport Administration was the catalyst that sparked my undying desire to be a professional in the sport industry. Dr. Dees’ Sport Marketing class (KIN302) and Rhonda DuBord’s course on Facility Management (KIN206) showed me the plethora of different paths I could take with my major.
The consistent networking I have the opportunity to engage in through the department has set me up for a continuing education in the field and I couldn’t be happier. Professor Resnick is dedicated as a faculty member to finding all students in this program a full-time internship during either the fall or spring semester, which students receive credit for. Beyond that, many of these students receive right out of college job offers from the companies they intern for. I couldn’t ask for a more comprehensive program. On track to be the premier undergraduate Sport Administration program in the country, UM’s major or minor in this area of study sets students up with the opportunity to do everything from volunteer as a game day marketing intern to interacting with players and coaches for interviews.
The small community and esteemed faculty don’t hurt either. Everybody knows everyone else. It’s like an image from Cheers, but it makes a school of 10,000 undergrads feel intimate. For a sports nut, this course catalog barely feels like work, while all the while preparing you for a job in the industry. I guess Mom and Dad really know best sometimes. I don’t know how anybody majors in anything else.