Network Connects Students to Sports Professionals

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Author: Mirin Fader

The Occidental Sports Business and Law Network (OSBLN), a broad-based organization devoted to linking students interested in a sports career with alumni employed in various spheres of professional sports, is one of the fastest growing networks on Occidental’s campus.

Though many students share a passion for sports, their specific career interests within sports differ. OSBLN welcomes students interested in all avenues of professional sports, including management, training, development, coaching, journalism, broadcasting, physical therapy, law, business, education and more.

This October, the OSBLN will host a unique event in Thorne Hall featuring a panel of Occidental’s most prominent sports alumni, most of whom are or were involved with the National Football League (NFL): Jim Mora Sr. ’57 (former NFL Head Coach of the New Orleans Saints and the Indianapolis Colts), Sam Farmer ’88 (Los Angeles Times NFL Columnist), Vance Mueller ’86 (former NFL running back for the now defunct Los Angeles Raiders), Trevor Moawad ’95 (Director of the International Management Group Performance Institute in Florida) and Mike Libby ’06 (San Francisco 49ers Contract Research Analyst). The panelists will discuss their experiences in the NFL, the sports industry and their undergraduate years at Occidental.

Travis Brody (senior), President of the OSBLN and Recruiting Assistant for Occidental’s football team, will serve as moderator for the event.

“We have an incredible group of alumni for such a small school,” Brody said, “and we want to continue to build connections.”

Brody anticipates the OSBLN to grow by expanding membership and cultivating professional contacts. “My main goal is to push the Network’s exposure,” he said.

The OSBLN hosts similar engagements for members throughout the course of the year, such as a tour of Los Angeles Live by the Farmer’s Field group, which is currently discussing building a new NFL stadium in Los Angeles. Other events include sending members to sports business and law conferences.

In addition, Brody launched the OSBLN’s website, a necessary interface to showcase members to outside sources such as sports outlets and agencies. On the website, each member has a profile that acts as both a networking device and an experience portfolio. Members have access to an online discussion forum where they can make posts about prominent sports issues and internship opportunities outside of normal meeting hours.

The OSBLN assists members in gaining a thorough knowledge of the sports business and law industries. A principal goal of the OSBLN is to help students discover possible internship opportunities with alumni, while simultaneously teaching students how to network rather than simply offering them connections.

Vice President of the OSBLN and former member of Occidental’s soccer team Ryan Trujillo (senior) has benefited immensely from his connections with alumni. Trujillo was introduced to Trevor Moawad ‘95, the director of the International Management Group (IMG) Performance Institute, through the OSBLN and later interned at IMG Academies, a state of the art performance institute for athletes.

Although the OSBLN principally benefits undergraduates, it also assists alumni in establishing connections with other alumni in a single network.

Todd Mark ’11 founded the organization, formerly known as the Occidental Sports Business and Law Club, and served as its first President. Other key members in the establishment of the organization included Dillon Tucker ’11 and Nick Danielson ’11.

Brody succeeded Mark as President in April 2011. A former member of Occidental’s football team, Brody left Occidental to play professional football in Europe in 2008 for the Brussels Bulls for three seasons. He returned to Occidental in 2010 to complete his B.A. in History and is expected to graduate this December.

Brody’s primary achievement thus far as President is his modification of the name and focus of the organization from “club” to “network.” This was an important change because it shifted the mantra of the organization from one who merely discusses sports topics to a more proactive and career-oriented social network.

“The OSBLN aims to exert professionalism in every way,” he said. “I wanted the organization to be more than just a place to talk about sports. It needed to be a network, a professional place to branch out and promote our members to alumni.”

Trujillo echoes Brody’s emphasis on gaining contacts in the professional sector, as he has learned through the OSBLN the importance of making contacts. “In the sports business it is very much not the case what you know, but who you know,” Trujillo said.

A member of OSBLN and Occidental’s rugby team, Andrew Bariahtaris (sophomore) is excited about the growth and future of the organization, which currently totals 70 members (students and alumni). The OSBLN has enjoyed a substantial increase in membership since its inaugural year in which there were only 12 members. “It was such a small group last year, and now to see it increase to over thirty students, with more joining, is exciting. This could be huge,” he said.

Since the OSBLN is student-run, members have the opportunity to form connections among themselves in addition to networking with alumni.

Treasurer of OSBLN and member of Occidental’s football team Parker Ainsworth (junior) discussed how the OSBLN also provides students a unique camaraderie that will prepare them for the future.

“The OSBLN has opened my eyes to a whole new group of students on campus,” Ainsworth said. “Students from all kinds of sports, and even students who don’t play, but simply enjoy sports, are in the organization. It’s great to meet people with similar goals, I’m hoping to use and build these connections for the rest of my life.”

Members must attend an hour-long weekly meeting where they discuss current sports news and opportunities in an open forum or debate style for all to participate in.

The NFL panel event will take place on Oct. 4 from 8:30-10 p.m in Thorne Hall. The those who are interested in joining the OSBLN are welcome to attend Sunday night meetings in Rangeview 242 from 8:30-9:30 p.m.

 

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