Appl. Essay Essay, Research Paper

Many people enter college with their futures already situated in their minds. Their dreams and aspirations are already in place set for them months or years prior to settling into their first college dorm room. They may choose to be a doctor, lawyer, or a police officer. No matter the choice, there was some instance in their life when they chose that road. My choice was made in the front seat of a 1985 Bronco on the way home from my first college open house from Western New England College. Discovering the sport management program was somewhat of an accident since it had never been brought to my attention that one could study sports and make a career of it. Had I known that, my career path would have been selected years in advance. Being from a family where you are expected to be not only an athlete, but also the best athlete on your team, in your league, or in the town, sports has been an influential part of my life. Many of the men and women in my family had set standards for future generations in our small suburban town of Smithfield, Rhode Island. My family has included all-state baseball players, basketball players, football players, and coaches on all levels. Sport has been a part of my life since the beginning, but I had never seen sports as anything but action on field activity. Sport has always been helmets and bats, not suits and briefcases.

As I read over that course book given to me at the open house, I came across the sub-heading ?Sport Management.? As I read down the page and researched what the catalog had to offer I was instantly interested in what this major had to offer. Once classes began I found myself looking forward to the next class. Although this material was new to me, it made more sense than anything I had been taught. If I am able to sit in a class and get excited about what someone is teaching me, working in this field on a daily basis will be much more rewarding.

One of the reasons that sport management was my one and only choice coming into school was my understanding of how versatile a person with a sport management degree could be. A degree in this field could mean anything from being an athletic director at a local high school, to a sport manager owning his own sporting goods store, to the General Manager of a top professional team. The opportunities in this field are infinite and the possibilities are endless. It seems to me that if I were to become a doctor or a lawyer, there would be limited room for diversity. Sport management opens a window of opportunity that is difficult to find in many of the other fields of study. More recently I have had extensive work in the field through the intramural department at Western New England. In the year and a half that I have been the assistant director, I have had the hands on experiences that I need to confirm my instincts that I want to be in this field of study.

My occupational objectives are to take what I have learned here at Western New England and possibly at Springfield College and run with that knowledge. I am not afraid to take any job at any level because I feel that my experience at Western New England and the experiences I will gain at Springfield College will instill in me the knowledge and capabilities to tackle anything that comes my way. To be able to get up every morning and want to be at work and to love what one is doing is the building block of what makes a person satisfied with their path that they have chosen. I would like to be able not only to do my work well because I expect that of myself in any situation. I want to improve continuously time after time because I choose to be better at what I do. That comes from loving what you do and taking pride in the work that you produce.

Springfield College has always been a top choice for graduate school since I began entertaining the idea of continuing my education. Being so close has given me the chance to see the school on many levels. As a spectator of many events, the athletic programs are some of the best not just in the Northeast, but also in the entire country. Having a childhood friend attending Springfield, I have encountered the social aspect of the institution find that the students have this small school environment to which I am accustomed. There is a sense of community on campus. Professors and athletic officials here at Western New England also have contributed to my decision through their high praise for Springfield College. All these factors contributed to my choice of doing personal research of Springfield over the Internet and through catalogs that are offered about the programs. A combination of school history, reputation, and job placement statistics combined with my reasons previously stated made Springfield and overwhelming top choice for graduate school.

I am encountering many changes as I get closer to graduation. One of these realities is that I am looking to gain as much knowledge as I can in the field of sport management. I will stop at nothing to reach my goals as a sport manager and for me to get to where I want to be I know that Springfield College is the best place for me to get to the next step. Springfield College will receive nothing less than my best effort in trying to represent not only myself as a future sport manager, but represent Springfield as an effective student.

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sports illustrated. vol. 3