Jayhawks with New Jobs in Sport — New Decade Edition
All of us at KU Sport Management hope you have had an enjoyable 2020 thus far. We started the spring semester this week and are excited to share another edition of Jayhawks with New Jobs in Sport. There is no better way to kick off a new decade than celebrating the amazing accomplishments of our alumni! Masters student Sam Klein caught up with seven Jayhawks for this post. Rock Chalk!
Robert Jeffries (G 2019)
Operations Coordinator — Kansas Athletics
In his new position, Jeffries is the event manager for KU Rowing and Swimming/Diving as well as all other special events for KAI, which includes being the secondary event manager for KU Football and the facility manager of the KU Rowing Boathouse and swimming areas. In addition to those responsibilities, Jeffries is also tasked with overseeing all the keys and access systems for the entire department. Prior to becoming the operations coordinator, Jeffries worked for two years as a graduate assistant in the Facilities and Events department at Kansas Athletics.
“Your Purpose with a Plan leads to Progress” is the motto Jeffries lives by. “In essence, find out WHAT you want to do. What do you like to do? Do you have any hobbies? Develop HOW you can do that for a career. Find internships, volunteer within the industry, network for future jobs. That will lead to finding a job or industry that you consistently will progress in as you move along in your career.”
Alex Blue (G 2019)
Director of Operations — Sporting Kaw Valley
VP of Operations — Kaw Valley FC
Blue currently serves two different positions within the Sporting Kaw Valley system. She serves as the Director of Operations for Sporting Kaw Valley, the youth operation, as well as the Vice President of Operations for the United Soccer League (USL) League Two team Kaw Valley FC. “My responsibilities for Sporting Kaw Valley include assisting with the registration, rostering, and scheduling of over 2500 players across the Lawrence, Topeka, and Manhattan, KS markets. This also includes managing equipment and coaches for each of our programs,” said Blue. “For the Kaw Valley FC side, I oversee our student staff, organize and manage sponsorship fulfillment, and create and implement all areas of the game day scripts. Because it is a small organization, I have the ability to wear many hats and be involved with all areas of the organization.”
Blue had nothing but positive things to say about her time at KU. “I loved my time at KU! Being in the Master’s program for two years, I had countless opportunities to get hands-on experience in all different realms of sport. I am very grateful for the professors, my peers, and the outstanding network that I gained at KU. I know that the experiences I had and the people I met have set me up for success in my current position and in the positions to come.”
Caleb Feist (G 2018)
Assistant Director of Men’s Basketball Operations — Stanford University
In his current role, Feist has to manage many different types of tasks. “Right now, a majority of my duties shuffle between business operations and alumni relations. I process the program’s daily expenses as well as handle expense reports for recruiting trips. We have a men’s basketball alumni reunion coming up at the end of January so that is a project I’m currently working on. Additionally, I will be assisting with all operational aspects of our Stanford Basketball Camps that take place over the summer months.”
While at KU, Feist was able to gain experience in multiple facets of the sports industry. Not only did he gain valuable lessons in the classroom, but he also worked for Kaw Valley FC during their inaugural season and worked for the Kansas City Chiefs as part of their game day experience staff. When asked about his experience with the Sport Management department, Feist highlighted a few people who impacted him. “I think I learned different things from everyone in the department and all of those things impacted me in a significant way. Dr. Bass gave me my first and only opportunity to attend graduate school at a school I coveted in a field of study I desired. Dr. Gordon made me a better writer, thinker, and presenter. Dr. Clopton took really complex ideas about human behavior and made them digestible. Dr. Kish showed me, through his actions, the kind of impact that loving what you do can have on your life.”
“I’ll be forever grateful for the opportunities given to me by KU, the Sport Management department, and the HSES at-large. I met, worked with, and taught incredible people during my two and a half years in Lawrence and it is a place that I’ll always consider a home away from home.”
Kelli Elmore (UG 2012)
Sport Event Manager — Visit Wichita
“In my role, I help organize and operate sporting events hosted by Visit Wichita and contribute to the team’s efforts of bringing sporting events to the city. I will be in charge of creating a local organizing committee (LOC) and hold regular meetings leading up to the event with vendors, sponsors, venue, etc. I am also responsible for bringing in volunteers, and finalizing all of the details in order to run the event smoothly,” Elmore said. “Hosting sporting events and promoting the city as a Midwest sports destination is important to Visit Wichita and the team works together to bring more and new, transformational sporting events, sports conventions and sports meetings to Wichita — all of which increase local economic impact.”
Born and raised in Wichita, Elmore has a high level of pride not only for the city, but also for its growth over the years. She is grateful that she has this opportunity to work for Visit Wichita and that she is able to bring sporting events to the city. “I love that I get to be a part of a team who shares my desire to make Wichita an outstanding sports city.”
“I absolutely loved my experience at KU and the Sport Management program,” Elmore added. “The professors truly cared about every student in their classes, and made sure everyone had the tools and knowledge they needed to succeed after graduation. The number of friendships and connections I made while at KU have been invaluable. I definitely would not be in the position I’m in now had it not been for everything I learned and everyone I met in the Sport Management program.”
Allison Thomas (UG 2019)
Inside Sales Representative — Colorado Rapids (Kroenke Sports and Entertainment)
After graduating from KU in May, this is Thomas’s first full-time job. During her time as an undergrad, she worked as an intern for the communications department and had a part-time job in the Events and Facilities department in Kansas Athletics. In her new job with the Colorado Rapids, Thomas has a variety of responsibilities that range from attending prospect events to generating sales.. “My role is to work with potential and current ticket holders with the Rapids and create solutions to ensure they have an overall personalized experience. I am able to sell and work with anyone from a single game promotion to partial memberships, full season memberships, groups, premium groups, and group experiences. My role is to be the expert when it comes to the Rapids and to lead customers to the most ideal fit for them. I am able to communicate over the phone, via email, or in person through meetings. Customer retention and follow-up is needed before and after a sale is made which involves having high attention to detail as well as quality time management skills. All of this involves the ability to communicate with anyone and work through obstacles while at the same time staying motivated.”
“The University of Kansas Sport Management program provided me the opportunity to not only study a topic that I was very passionate about but was also able to apply it first-hand. I was able to have many different experiences as well as grow my passion for sport even more when working with Kansas Athletics. Although the position I am in today is different from my first-hand experiences at Kansas, I am able to use the skills and translate them into another part of the sport industry. I start to realize more and more how large this industry really is and how everybody in it is in it to support each other. It has truly been a unique experience to this point and there is no one path to get to where you want to be. The passion and knowledge the faculty and instructors from the program shared had a big impact and was something that would become a major part of my starting career.”
Cali Cox (G 2019)
Service and Ticket Coordinator — Phoenix Rising FC
Cox currently works as the Service and Ticket Sales Coordinator at Phoenix Rising FC, located in Scottsdale, Arizona. Phoenix Rising FC are currently a United Soccer League Championship team with an active bid to join the MLS. “I help coordinate season ticket membership (STM) correspondence regarding upcoming member events, update game information and important ticketing changes. In addition, I work closely with the sales team to ensure all STM and single game sales are processed.
Prior to joining the team at Phoenix Rising FC, Cox worked with Sporting KC and the Kansas City Chiefs, citing that neither of those opportunities would’ve been possible without the connections she made through the Sport Management department. “I’m so fortunate to have been part of such an excellent program. I thoroughly enjoyed all of my classes and the professors care so deeply about their students. I’ve made lifelong friends through this program, too. If you’re considering working in sports, make this program your top option.”
Beth Brittain (UG 2011)
Senior Director of Partner Success — FEVO
Brittain is a relatively new member to the Fevo team. “Fevo’s purpose is to drive new revenue and fan data to teams and events via the first ever three clicks to buy flow in event ticketing, promoting social selling and group sales growth,” describes Brittain. “My role entails visiting teams to enable both sales and marketing on the self-service platform as well as share best practices and what’s working with other teams and leagues.”
“Since graduating, I’ve realized my decision to become a Jayhawk, although easy to make, was one of the most pivotal moments in my life. I always knew there was a flock of people who bled crimson and blue, and sure we all love a good basketball game — I’ll never forget the last KU versus Missouri game at Allen — what I didn’t know is when I walked down the hill, the Jayhawk family I’d just joined would somehow be a part of every aspect of my life. Birds of crimson and blue feather flock together! #RCJH”
