Yellow Jackets Gig ‘em

An early morning visit to Texas A&M University led by Baldwin Wallace Sport Management alum and Assistant Director, Media Relations Thomas Dick (’95) opened plenty of eyes for the BW students who are on the Super Bowl LI Experiential Learning Trip.

The day began at the visit to theHildebrand Equine Complex where Equestrian Director of Operations Kimmy Saul took the students on a tour of the $42 million facility that houses the 11-time National Champion Aggie Equestrian team and is home to over 50 athletes and their horses.

Saul, an Aggie equestrian alum, explained the various disciplines (Equitation, Horsemanship, Over Fences, and Reining) and the breakdown of the facility into the Hunter Seat & Western styles of equestrian competitions.

Following the breakdown of the disciplines and facility alignment, Saul showed the students the barn, vet pen, warm-up and competition arenas, schedule for the horses, the judges lounge, and the visitor and Aggie locker rooms. Many of the students who were unfamiliar with equestrian were impressed with the size and scope of the facility, especially the monitoring of the horses that takes place to ensure that all horses are in peak physical condition.

We would also be remiss, if we didn't mention that the students had the opportunity to meet the Aggie mini-pony, Sully. 

After horsing around for a bit, the students headed over to Reed Arena to visit the home of the Aggies Men’s & Women’s basketball and volleyball programs. Led by Assistant Directors, Media Relations Dan Quisenberry and David Waxman the students entered the Arena’s Grand Lobby and were greeted by the 2011 Women’s National Championship trophy won by the Aggie Women’s Basketball team.

The next stops on the tour of Reed Arena were the practice courts and weight room, with Quisenberry and Waxman explaining that the practice courts are also used for NCAA Selection Show events and pre-game entertainment for fans. The students were also able to visit the film room, players’ lounge, locker room, and stand on the court.

BW alum Thomas Dick, who arranged the day’s events led the next tour, as he is the Sports Information Director for the baseball team and the students were about to head to Blue Bell Park, home of Aggie baseball. A $26 million renovation of Blue Bell Park in 2011 turned an older stadium into one of the best collegiate baseball stadiums in the nation featuring what was, at the time, the largest, and is now the 3^rd largest, collegiate baseball videoboard.

On the tour, the students visited the weight room, locker room, Diamond Club, and field. When on the field, the students were greeted by Cleveland Indians outfielder and Texas A&M alum Tyler Naquin. It was a nice way to top the Blue Bell tour, as many of the students are Indians fans.

While the videoboard at Blue Bell may be only the 3^rd largest in the nation, the staff that supports A&M athletics in 12^th Man Productions is without comparison, as is their 12^th Man Productions Studio. Escorted by Director of 12^th Man Productions Buddy Kimberlin the students saw a studio with four fully functioning controls rooms, several editing bays, a radio set, and a fully functioning A&M television studio set. Covering every Aggie athletic events, the 12^th Man Productions staff consists of 12 full-time employees and 70 student workers.

To conclude the A&M visit, the students met with Senior Associate Athletics Director for Facilities and Construction Kevin Hurley and Assistant Director of Special Events Kaitlyn Schindler and toured the Davis Player Development Center and the newly renovated Kyle Field. Exploring the weight room, which doubles as a recruiting center on game days, the football offices, and the locker room, complete with pool tables, Golden Tee, and a ping-pong table, the students saw some of the major differences between Division I and Division III athletics.

Hurley and Schindler shared their stories of working at A&M and provided extensive information on all of the recent construction projects and the role they played in making the plans and renovations happen. The duo also addressed the importance of all the newer renovations, including the $456 million Kyle Field project, in the “recruiting walk” that prospective student and student-athletes take when arriving on-campus. Additionally, they mentioned the various events that are hosted at Kyle Field outside of football games (252 in 2016), the stadium renovation financing, and the new premium space additions.

At all venues, the students and tour guides entered into constant Q&A throughout the tours and extended A&A opportunities at the end of each visit. All of these opportunities to engage with Sport Management professionals in meaningful and direct dialogue provide the student insight into potential career options and the challenges and opportunities that await them.

Finally, after wrapping up at 1:00 p.m. at Texas A&M, the students headed back to Houston to spend their evening working the NFL Experience at the Houston Convention Center. The NFL Experience is an interactive theme park that offers participatory games, youth football clinics, merchandise, and autograph sessions from NFL players and Legends.

For more information on the Baldwin Wallace University Sport Management program, please contact Asst. Professor Dr. Charles Campisi at ccampisi@bw.edu or visit https://www.bw.edu/academics/undergraduate/sport-management/.

Baldwin Wallace University Sport Management: Experiential Learning from Day One!