Get to Know Our New Majors for Spring 2020
For the third straight spring, we welcomed our largest group of incoming Sport Management majors. The students come from a wide range of backgrounds, hometowns, and career interests. Masters student Sam Klein was able to chat with five of the incoming majors as they begin their first semester as a Sport Management Jayhawk.
Carly Rich
Originally from St. Louis, Missouri Carly Rich didn’t have far to travel to attend KU. Rich wanted to go to a bigger state school with good sports teams and one where she could meet new people while still being relatively close to home. Now, as a sophomore, Rich knows she made a good decision. “Once I got (to KU), I fell in love with the campus and the sports teams… basketball especially drew me in even more.” Sports have always been in Rich’s life, whether it’s watching, working, or playing. Since middle school, Rich says, she knew she wanted to do something related to sports. “It takes so much more than the eye can see to put on a sporting event and that is something I want to be a part of. Having a job in sports is also interesting because your job can change so much year to year and even day to day depending on the team’s status and how they are performing.”
Since coming to KU, Rich has kept herself busy by immersing herself in a handful of clubs and experiences. She plays on the KU Women’s Lacrosse club team, is an active member of the Sport Management Club, and even holds a role on the executive board of the Kansas Hockey Club that we highlighted in an article back in November of 2019. One of Rich’s favorite experiences since she’s been at KU was the networking trip she took with the Sport Management club to St. Louis. On the trip, she described how they were able to connect and listen to a variety of individuals within the sports industry and hear about their journeys and how they got to where they are now. “It was a great experience and something that I would not have been able to do without KU’s Sport Management Club.”
Introduction to Sport Management (HSES 289) has been Rich’s favorite class so far at KU. “Each day we talk about something that I felt like I could relate to or connect to my own life. We also had many guest speakers come in and talk about their work in sports. This was cool because I was able to see how many KU grads got to be where they are now and the steps they took to get there.” Rich cites that one aspect that has made her experience with the Sport Management program so special is the relationships that she has built with the professors and GTAs and how much effort and care they show their students. Rich looks forward to pursuing a career in sports after graduation with a focus on event planning. “As a fan, I see teams going into the community and being active and I believe that builds a loyal fan base. This is something I would like to be a part of because I would get to see another side of the players and be able to give fans a cool experience.”
Payton Enzbrenner
Payton Enzbrenner, a sophomore from Topeka, KS, describes her decision to come to KU as somewhat of a no-brainer. “I was raised a die-hard Jayhawk and I’ve been visiting campus as long as I can remember. My birth announcement even says ‘Rock Chalk Jayhawk!’” Enzbrenner has been involved in sports as long as she can remember, either from a fans perspective or as an athlete by playing volleyball, basketball and softball year-round. “Playing sports brought out the best in me and taught me some important life lessons that I don’t think I would’ve understood without (them).” Some of her fondest memories of being a fan were attending KU Men’s Basketball games. “You’re with 16,299 other people that you get to bond with over a shared interest, which is pretty cool to me.”
Enzbrenner decided to major in Sport Management for a multitude of reasons. Not only did she already have a passion for sports, but the major also fit her work style and she could envision herself working in the industry. Much like she described with her KU Basketball experiences as a fan, Enzbrenner appreciates the various ways that sports can bring people together, and she wants to be a part of that. “People remember sporting events for their entire lives, and I want to be a part of making that experience great.” HSES 289, Introduction to Sport Management, is one of the classes that inspired Enzbrenner to pursue a degree in Sport Management by exciting her about the industry and to learn and network with various professionals already in the field. One aspect of the Sport Management program that Enzbrenner particularly enjoys is the sense of the community and how personal it felt. “(The faculty) truly care about each and every student and to me, it doesn’t feel like I am just another number passing through the program. It reassures me that I know the faculty want me to succeed and use my degree to do something great.”
One of the “coolest” experiences for Enzbrenner at KU was working the Bill Self Fantasy Basketball camp this past May. “(Getting) to spend all week in Allen Fieldhouse watching games take place, handing out with the alum and coaches, and learning the ins and outs of putting on a really cool camp is something that I will never forget.” She intends on working it again this year. With her Sport Management degree, Enzbrenner is hoping to one day work for a professional basketball team, preferably in the marketing department.
Henry Kline
Henry Kline, a sophomore from Littleton, Colorado, came to KU with an open mind about his major. Growing up, he had always played sports — whether it was club soccer, swimming, or any of the various outdoor activities Colorado had to offer him. Kline credits part of his decision to come to KU to the scholarships he was offered, but he also wanted to go out of state, get new experiences, and liked the Midwest feel that Lawrence offers. Since coming to KU, Kline has had the great opportunity of being a student manager with KU Athletics and has loved the position so far. “It has been a really cool opportunity to see all the work that goes in behind the scenes in Division 1 athletics. The athletes and coaches are great here and I’ve made a bunch of great friends through this experience.”
The Sport Management major was attractive to Kline because of the wide range of career paths he could pursue post-graduation. “The best part of the Sport Management program are the professors. They really care about you as a student and as a person. They are super helpful and make the program a lot of fun.” Kline’s favorite class so far at KU has been his “Dual and Individual Sports.” While it isn’t a Sport Management course, he says the content was a lot of fun and was still able to connect with his interests in teaching sports. A dream job for Kline where he could use his Sport Management degree would be a golf course superintendent, ideally in Colorado. Having grown up outside of Denver, one particular course that he names is the prestigious Cherry Hills Country Club. “(That) would be a dream come true.”
Mackenzie Van Valey
From Normal, IL, and a sophomore at KU, Mackenzie Van Valey has always had a passion for sports. As a child, Van Valey played a plethora of sports, but as she got older she narrowed her focus to volleyball and softball and ultimately ended her playing career for both in high school due to an injury. With playing competitive sports no longer an option, Van Valey continued to stay engaged with sports through watching them, seemingly whenever she had free time, and found that she had a strong interest for the business side of sports, specifically marketing and sponsorship. When Van Valey visited KU for the first time, she instantly fell in love with not only the campus but the city of Lawrence. One program that caught her eye was Sport Management. “I was very impressed with how the Sport Management program (at KU) was set up. They told me about all of the opportunities they provide within the major to give you hands-on learning experience as well as in-class learning.”
Two of Van Valey’s favorite classes at KU have been HSES 289 (Introduction to Sport Management) and 486 (Sport Marketing). “Intro to Sport Management was my first exposure to sport management here at KU and it will forever be one of my favorite classes… this class assured me that I was on the right path and that this is what I wanted to do with my life.” Outside the classroom, Van Valey has had the opportunity to gain experience through a handful of positions. She worked the Bill Self Fantasy Camp and intends to do it again this year, and was a gameday intern for the Chiefs this past season. While working for the Chiefs, Van Valey helped with a variety of activities including but not limited to pass check-in, running the Touchdown Club, and assisting with promotional activities throughout the games.
Van Valey’s favorite part of the Sport Management program follows a common theme among students: the close relationship between the students, alumni and the faculty members. “The professors and staff are also always available for advice, connections, or if you just need someone to talk to. The program also gives you so many chances to go out and get real-world experience. Through my time at KU so far, I have been able to do some very cool internships as well as volunteer opportunities that either an alumnus or a sport management professor shared with me.” Looking ahead, Van Valey already has an idea as to what she wants to do post-graduation. “As of right now, I am looking to go into either a marketing or corporate partnerships position. I am hoping to work for either a professional sports organization for the Olympics.” She already has a head start by looking into internship opportunities for her senior year.
Waide Brummer
Waide Brummer, a sophomore from Santa Clarita, CA, had a difficult time deciding where he would attend college. While still in high school, he decided he wanted to major in Sport Management. “I researched the best Sport Management programs in the country, and KU was consistently one of the schools on lists. Then, after my visit over spring break of my senior year, I decided that KU was the right fit for me, and I have not looked back on that decision since.” Brummer’s decision to pursue a degree in Sport Management, as he describes, was linked to his “horrific” experience of high school engineering courses. “In (those classes), the main thing I learned was that I did not want to be an engineer for my occupation. Around my sophomore year for a class project, we had to research and perform a presentation on a future career we were interested in. That’s when I decided the sports industry was for me, and that Sport Management was my ticket to working in the industry.”
From a young age, Brummer played basketball and soccer, but he wound up playing football through high school. The coolest experience for Brummer, so far, at KU was Late Night in the Phog when he attended it as a freshman. The various events that hyped up the students for the upcoming basketball season especially stood out to Brummer, and the 2 Chainz performance was a bonus in which he describes the performance as “pure electricity.”
Brummer’s favorite part about the Sport Management program is the faculty. “Every single one of them cares for us so much and wants us all to be successful.” Currently, he is enrolled in Sport Ethics, which is taught by Dr. Bernie Kish, and Brummer is fascinated with the various ethical issues that they cover; one case that drew his attention was the West Point Cheating Scandal. After he graduates, Brummer plans to attend law school. After law school, he hopes to pursue a career as a sports agent, and one day maybe go into sports radio or podcasts.
