Athletic Sales & Entrepreneurship
Crosby Fay
By choosing the Interdisciplinary Study Program at Plymouth State University I give myself the opportunity to create a major about the two topics I am most interested in: Business, Entrepreneurship and Sales in Athletics. I will name my program Athletic Sales and Entrepreneurship because I want to learn how to incorporate my coaching skills into a sustainable business of my own. I also intend to keep up with new developments in the sports and sales world.
I decided to create my major because my interests lie in several areas. Think of it as a smoothie. I didn’t want to take a major and minor where things are set in stone, but rather a blend of the courses that will best suit my personal career goals. I chose courses that are practical, hands-on, and directly address my goals as a learner and an athlete. I wanted the business courses to support my athletics work and introduce me to entrepreneurship opportunities. As a leader, I will need good communication, business sense, and marketing skills. I wanted to understand the nuts and bolts of running a business while staying connected to the athletic world.
The major I have designed includes courses from 10 different areas of study. However, in order to explain how the program will work to meet my goals, I have grouped the course by topic areas. The first three courses are the bookends of my program. The IP course Foundation of Interdisciplinary Studies has given me the time and guidance to put this independent major together. I further honed my plan with IP 2500 The Cluster Learning Springboard in the second half of this semester. In that course, I explored the way clusters of courses can inform each other. The other bookend IP course is the Senior Seminar IP 4500 which I am presently attending. This has helped me create my final project and brought all the different courses together.
The first section of courses included courses in Allied Health, Physical Education, Health, and Exercise and Sport Physiology and Health. These courses prepared me to get my certificate to be an entrepreneur. In the Allied Health courses AHS 2000 and 2001, I learned the basics of the health professions. I combined them with PE 2850 Wellness Choices for a Healthy, Active Lifestyle, I gained an overview of wellness, general health and fitness. The course selections contributed to my training and my future profession, guiding my personal health and those of my clients. This was also true of the Physical Activity and Health HE 2400 Physical Activity and Health course. The health and activity guidelines and the fitness assessments prepared me both as an athlete and a coach. HE 3220 Applied Nutrition for Healthy Living was an obvious choice because it is the foundation of all good training. Iām not only interested in staying on top of my diet. HE 3110 Eating Disorders/Disordered Eating taught me the challenges athletes face when balancing sports performance with image and well-being.
First, I took the general prerequisite course for Exercise and Physiology courses, EX 2755 Intro To Exercise Science. This course gave me the foundation for taking more advanced courses in the field that prepared me to be a racquet coach and entrepreneur. CC 2540 Coaching Effectiveness helped me to understand how best to motivate and direct my athletes’ training, particularly the young athletes, and to supervise other coaches.
Next, I move to my math courses. BU 1152 Financial Accounting was necessary for anyone running a business. This course gave me the practical knowledge to know what I need in an accountant and helped me think about numbers.
MA 2300 Statistics I helped me read both research on exercise and market research and understand the implications and whether the research is sound. This informed my ability to think about what makes a study sound and how to read basic statistics in studies.
Next SAL 3280 Professional Selling I introduced the basic foundations of selling for any commercial or private company. It also strengthened my professional social abilities. SAL 3290 Professional Selling II gave me the confidence to practice and improve on the skills I already have. It also expanded my knowledge of sales philosophy and how to build yourself as a product.
Next, I want to explain the two entrepreneurship classes in my plan. The courses were part of a minor I intended to take, but I have included them here as part of my major because they are critical to starting a business. ENT 2460 Business Startup Planning and ENT 3030 Social Entrepreneurship helped me to understand some of the challenges to starting and maintaining a business, and how to develop and maintain a business that is solid and stable in its growth.
Finally, I took a course in SM 3350 Sports Facility & Event Management. This was a great course for me to take because it bettered my understanding of the facility that I already take care of and work for. I also host many events and tournaments at the resort, and it reinforced my skill and knowledge in this specific field.
To develop this plan of study, I consulted with several people. First was Dr. Christina Bradbury, Associate Professor of Finance here at Plymouth. She looked at my contract and immediately thought I should involve the Entrepreneurship courses while also preparing myself to get certified for fitness training. I chose the two classes she advised to set me on the path to understanding what it means to be an entrepreneur. I got a lot of advice from my expert advice advisor Dr. Matt Cheney. Luckily, he is in the IDS department, and he was very helpful at guiding me through the process of developing a balanced curriculum. I continued my relationship with Matt Cheney and got further guidance from the people in the Entrepreneurship minor on how to get a business plan and funding together. Finally, I talked to Dr. Julie Bernier, a professor of athletic training, who gave me the idea to include coaching so that I better understood the motivational and social aspects of training. She was inspiring because she gave me a whole new perspective on what I needed for this major and how I needed to change it.
One of the bigger reasons I want to go into this field of work is that I have so many friends and family who own their own businesses or work in the fitness world. I know that I will continue asking people in the field what the best practices are for running a sports-related business or managing a coaching program.
I plan on completing an IDS major called Athletic Sales and Entrepreneurship. This major includes business and entrepreneur courses to enable me to start and run a sports-related business effectively, and it has already impacted my present job positively. From accounting to marketing, I understood the financial side of success in sports-related businesses. My coaching class supported my exploration of positive athletic training. This interdisciplinary program touches on the areas that will enable me to continue in sports and training and be a successful businessman. The program has given me a wide range of business sales and athletics skills. Moreover, it has given me the confidence to head out as a graduate of Plymouth State, knowing I have the best personally tailored program supporting my future efforts.
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