Wed, 05/08/2024 – 10:22am | Posted by: Van Arnold
Two sports management classes at the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) collaborated with the Biloxi Shuckers, a minor league baseball organization, during the spring 2024 semester in a program that allows undergraduate and graduate students to participate in experiential learning projects. The Biloxi Shuckers are his AA affiliate of the Major League Baseball organization Milwaukee Brewers.
These projects align with the mission statement of USM's College of Business and Economic Development (CBED), which states, “A practice that builds the knowledge and develops the skills that all students need to succeed and lead in global markets.” “ensuring that students gain valuable experience'' and “collaborating with the community.'' ”
At the undergraduate level, Dr. Sabrina Reed's SM 395 Sports Sales Methods and Techniques class partnered with Shuckers on a ticket sales project. For this class project, students were assigned a specific Shuckers-themed night to promote and sell tickets.
Theme nights included Mardi Gras Night, Military Appreciation Night, Educator Appreciation Night, and First Responder Night. Students applied course content to create promotional materials, research and contact potential customers, and ultimately make sales.
Students partnered with Shuckers sales executives and provided mentorship throughout the project. Executives also provided two training sessions during the semester.
Kathy Burrows, Sales Consultant and Founder full seats, We also provided training sessions related to the project. All told, the class sold about 200 tickets for the themed night games.
“The majority of entry-level sports management jobs are in ticket sales, so this project was important to give students a taste of what a career in sales is like and give them real-world experience. I felt like, 'I need to put that on my resume to secure a job in the sports field,''' Reed said.
Shuckers Assistant General Manager Trevor Matifes added: This experience was invaluable to them and provided them with practical skills and knowledge for their careers. ”
Reed's class has previously partnered with the New Orleans Pelicans and USM Baseball on similar class projects. In the future, she would like to work with the Shuckers and other professional sports organizations to implement experiential learning class projects.
At the graduate level, Dr. Chris Croft, assistant professor of sports management, and the SM 715 Sports Marketing and Public Relations class developed a marketing plan for the Shuckers. The class worked under the guidance of Makenzie Crampton, a Southern Miss CBED alumnus and director of marketing and social media for Shuckers.
Mr. Crampton visited the Hattiesburg campus in February, where he and his class outlined projects including this year's new Shuckers facility at MGM Park. The class will work in groups with Crampton and Shuckers front office staff to develop strategic strategies related to brand awareness, traditional marketing, social media marketing, and community engagement for the Shuckers' future marketing and promotional plans. We proposed plans and visions.
“Working with Dr. Croft's sports marketing graduate class has been an exciting journey for us at the Biloxi Shuckers,” Crampton said. “These students represent the future of the sports industry and their insights will be invaluable as we seek to evolve and diversify our strategy, from stadium renovations to new audiences. Their feedback will help shape our long-term vision, from expanding our reach and services.”
Mr Crampton added: “We deeply value and appreciate the perspectives of these up-and-coming professionals as we strive to ensure the survival of our beloved ballpark. Our partnership with USM Sports Management and Athletics is one we value. We look forward to continued cooperation and the opportunity to welcome more talented students to our team in the future.”
Mr Croft said: “This was a great opportunity for the class to translate the concepts from the sports marketing course into the real world by working directly with the Shuckers and applying the concepts to support their needs.” Additionally, in addition to incorporating career transition and professional development elements into the project for the students, working on the project in collaboration with Crampton's recent CBED graduates was extremely beneficial for the students. This is his 4th time my class has had the opportunity to work with the Biloxi Shuckers, and General Manager Mr. Hunter Reed and the Biloxi Shuckers' Front Office Sports Management Continuation to his program I am very grateful for your support. ”
