Beyond the Playing Field

Held at UC Santa Barbara, Sports Industry Academy Opens Scholars Minds to a World of Opportunities

Sports Academy participants | Credit: Vincent Vanterpool

Behind the spectacle of major sporting events where world class athletes collide and push the limits of the human body and mind, there is a 500-billion-dollar industry that continues to grow.

For even the most ardent fans and sports enthusiasts, the business side of the sports industry is often shrouded in mystery. With the development of the Sports Industry Academy, Walter Boggan seeks to dispel the uncertainty surrounding careers in the sports industry and give young scholars the tools to create their own path.

“It just really stems from my childhood growing up in the city of Vallejo, California. I saw an issue or a challenge with scholar athletes of color and that they had a single-minded pursuit of becoming professional athletes,” Boggan said. “I kind of expounded on that challenge to create the Sports Industry Academy.”

Giving student athletes a vision for a fulfilling career in sports once their playing days are over is much needed and one of the many positive impacts of the program.

“A future where every scholar has equal access to transformative opportunities and exposure to career paths within the sports industry. We aspire to break down barriers, promote diversity and inclusion, and cultivate a community of driven individuals who will make a lasting impact on society through their knowledge, passion, and ethical values” is the Sports Industry Academy’s vision statement.

“There’s a challenge in that we have a lack of Black, brown, and women in executive positions, and this is a program to counter that challenge as well,” Boggan said.

Beginning in 2015, the Sports Industry Academy has served over 200 young scholars. In 2024, the summer program was held at UC Santa Barbara’s Bren School of Environmental Science and Management from July 21-26.

The Sports Industry Academy is open to high school, community college, and four-year college/university scholars.

Through the intense summer program, the Sports Industry Academy gives students insight on the inner workings of the sports industry while advising them on career options and the importance of creating contacts and establishing an entrepreneurial mind-set.

Among the impressive line-up of speakers were: LaDonte King, Vice President, Launch Student Success; Brandon James, CEO, C2R Productions; Kristen Keller, Associate Athletic Director, Communications & Digital Strategy, UC Santa Barbara Athletics; Lauren Hall, Director, Rose Bowl Institute; Marty Gorsich, CEO, PGA Farmers Insurance Open; Ivan Hudson, Sr. Coordinator, Digital Partnerships, Chicago Bulls; Damon Jones, Vice-President, Assistant General Manager, Los Angeles Dodgers; and Angela LaChica, CEO, LaChica Sports & Entertainment Group.

“The scholars that we choose are from diverse backgrounds, and you will always see that our speakers come from diverse backgrounds as well, so that’s number one that they can see themselves in these particular speakers,” Boggan said. “They are spending time to share a day in their life with the scholars.”

Speaker Marty Gorsich, CEO Farmer’s Insurance Open | Credit: Gary Kim

Every professional sports franchise has a front office to steer the direction of the organization. Colleges and universities have athletic departments, and professional athletes have agents that seek to maximize earnings as well as enhance exposure and brand recognition. And many of the speakers and workshops featured at the Sports Industry Academy illuminate how the people in these roles found their career paths.

“I’ve always wanted to work in business and with my interest in sports and my experience playing, I feel like in the future it can give me a leg up on people who haven’t experienced playing sports,” said former Santa Barbara High baseball standout and current SBCC student athlete Michael Firestone. “Learning about how I can apply some of those skills at the Sports Industry Academy taught me a lot.”

For many of the scholars, a trip down to Wasserman Sports and Entertainment Agency in Los Angeles was the highlight of their experience this summer. A panel of experts including Alanna Hernandez, Executive Vice President, Business Affairs & Operations, Team Sports; Josh Beauregard-Bell, NBA Agent; Zach Sansavera, Senior Project Manager, Athlete Exchange; and Jenna Kramer, Manager, Global Soccer shared insights with students to help them chart a path for their future.

“This week at the Sports Industry Academy really opened my eyes to the idea of networking and seeing people network,” said Aminah Hill, a recent SBCC graduate, who will be attending UCLA in the fall. “My favorite experience, I would definitely say, was visiting Wasserman. Seeing people working across different sports as well as meeting students who are like-minded that are looking into the sports industry.”

Moving forward, Boggan would like to continue to grow the program and to help prepare high school and community college students for the college admissions process.

“I’ve found that this is a great program not only for underserved high school students, but definitely for California Community Colleges,” Boggan said. “My goal is to have a representative or a scholar from every Community College in the state of California.”