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 3rd 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 3rd
largest in the nation, the staff that supports A&M athletics in 12th
Man Productions is without comparison, as is their 12th Man Productions
Studio. Escorted by Director of 12th 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 12th 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.
Baldwin Wallace University Sport Management: Experiential
Learning from Day One!
