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Take your football career connections beyond the conference room.

Join Sports Management Worldwide in Nashville for an exclusive evening of college football networking, recruiting insight and career-focused conversation during the Personnel and Recruiting Symposium.

SMWW will hold a special Meet & Greet that brings together college football personnel professionals, recruiters, scouts, coaches, athletic department staff, sports agents, SMWW faculty, alumni, students and aspiring football executives.

Whether you already work in football or are trying to break into the industry, this is your opportunity to meet people who understand recruiting, scouting, NIL, roster management, player personnel and football operations.

Featured Football Industry Guests

• Eric Galko — Executive Director, East-West Shrine Bowl
• Geroy Simon — Executive Director of Revenue Share Management and General Manager, University of Maryland Athletics
• Lance Zeno — Advanced Scout, Offense, Vanderbilt Football

Meet the SMWW Team

• Dr. Lynn Lashbrook — SMWW President and Founder
• Liz Lashbrook — SMWW Executive Director
• Ric Serritella — SMWW Mentor, NFL Draft Bible and All Access Football
• Russ Lande — SMWW Mentor and NFL Scout

Build Your Football Network

The SMWW Meet & Greet gives attendees the opportunity to speak directly with professionals working throughout college and professional football.

Conversations may cover:

• College football recruiting
• NFL and college scouting
• Player evaluation
• NIL
• Roster management
• Player personnel
• Football operations
• Revenue-share management
• Athlete representation
• The NFL Draft process
• Breaking into the football industry

This is an opportunity to ask questions, discuss your career goals and build relationships with people who understand how football organizations operate.

Who Should Attend?

The Meet & Greet is ideal for:

• College football personnel professionals
• Recruiters and scouts
• Coaches and athletic department staff
• Aspiring football executives
• Future athlete agents
• Current SMWW students and alumni
• College students and recent graduates
• Former players
• Anyone interested in building a career in football

Join SMWW in Nashville

Do not miss the opportunity to attend the Personnel and Recruiting Symposium and join SMWW for a special evening of football networking and career-focused conversation.

Come ready to meet industry professionals, expand your network and learn more about the careers shaping college and professional football.

Register for the SMWW Nashville Meet & Greet

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When an athlete reaches the professional level, few decisions are more important than choosing an agent.

The agent may negotiate the athlete’s contract, help select training facilities, communicate with teams, manage endorsement opportunities and guide a career that could last only a few years.

For some athletes, the person they trust most is already sitting at the family dinner table.

Parents have represented—or played major advisory roles for—some of the biggest names in sports, including Lamar Jackson, Jayden Daniels, Marvin Harrison Jr., Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé and Neymar. Love, loyalty and trust, however, do not automatically qualify someone to negotiate a professional sports contract.

The real question is not simply, “Can a parent represent an athlete?”

It is: Does the parent understand the work, the regulations and the responsibility involved?

Parent Representation Is Growing

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels brought new attention to the trend when his mother, Regina Jackson, became an NFLPA-certified contract adviser in 2024. Although Daniels entered the NFL represented by Agency 1 Sports, Jackson pursued certification so she could better understand and help protect her son’s professional interests.

Odell Beckham Jr.’s mother, Heather Van Norman, also became an NFLPA-certified agent and joined his representation team.

Other parents have acted as managers, advisers or negotiators without serving as their child’s certified contract agent.

Lamar Jackson famously entered the NFL without a traditional agent. His mother, Felicia Jones, became his closest business adviser while Jackson represented himself in contract matters.

Marvin Harrison Jr. also entered the NFL without a conventional agent. His father, Pro Football Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison Sr., helped guide important business discussions, including matters surrounding his son’s licensing relationship with Fanatics.

These arrangements can work—but the title matters. A parent who provides advice is not automatically authorized to negotiate an NFL contract. NFL contract advisers must satisfy NFLPA certification requirements and pass an extensive examination covering the collective bargaining agreement, salary cap, player benefits, contract-adviser regulations and other league policies.

Dr. Lynn Lashbrook Has Represented Football Families Across Generations

Sports Management Worldwide founder Dr. Lynn Lashbrook understands the relationship between professional football and family better than most.

During more than two decades as a registered NFL agent, Dr. Lashbrook has represented over 200 NFL clients, including first-round selections and Pro Bowl players. His client list has included Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame safety Brian Dawkins, Brian’s brother Ralph Dawkins and advised Ralph on his son—giving Dr. Lashbrook the uncommon experience of representing brothers and the next generation of the same football family.

Dr. Lashbrook also represented former NFL wide receiver Alex Van Dyke. A decade later, when Van Dyke’s son entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent, father and former agent worked together: Alex helped co-represent his son alongside Dr. Lashbrook.

That experience taught Lashbrook that parents can be tremendous assets—but only when they understand where parental advocacy ends and professional representation begins.

Parents often possess qualities that every athlete should want in an adviser: loyalty, honesty, personal knowledge and long-term commitment. They are less likely to disappear following an injury, a disappointing season or an unsuccessful draft.

Professional representation also requires technical expertise, industry relationships and the ability to make difficult decisions without allowing emotion to take over.

Some Parents Take the SMWW Athlete Management Course Before Deciding

Over the years, parents have enrolled in Sports Management Worldwide’s Athlete Management Course for several different reasons.

Some wanted to determine whether they were capable of representing their own son or daughter.

Others wanted to prepare for a players-association certification exam.

Many had no intention of becoming an agent. They simply wanted enough knowledge to evaluate the people recruiting their child and ask better questions before signing a representation agreement.

That education can help a family understand:

• What services an agent will actually provide
• How the agent is compensated
• Who will handle daily communication
• How many other athletes the agent represents
• What happens if the player is injured, released or goes undrafted
• Who pays for training, travel and pre-draft expenses
• Whether the agent is properly certified and registered
• How marketing, NIL and endorsement opportunities will be handled
• How the athlete can terminate the representation agreement

The goal is not to convince every parent to become an agent. It is to give families the knowledge to decide what role they should play.

Students who complete the Athlete Management Course frequently say the experience gives them greater confidence in their ability to represent and advise athletes.

Preparing to Become an NFL Agent

Parents who decide they are capable of doing the work face another challenge: becoming certified.

The NFLPA certification examination is demanding and historically has had a low passage rate. Candidates must understand the collective bargaining agreement, rookie compensation, salary-cap calculations, free agency, grievances, benefits and NFLPA regulations governing contract advisers.

SMWW offers a Football Agent Certification Prep Course led by former NFL agent and CBS Sports contract analyst Joel Corry, together with Dr. Lashbrook. The course uses practice questions, live instruction and detailed examination of NFL contract and salary-cap rules. SMWW reports that 85 percent of participating students have passed the NFLPA examination.

Other graduates have used SMWW’s Athlete Management Course to first determine whether becoming an agent was the right fit before investing the time and money required to pursue certification.

That step is particularly important for parents. Becoming certified solely because a son is approaching the NFL Draft may not be enough. A parent must be prepared to recruit, negotiate, remain certified, build relationships and operate a professional representation business.

What Should a Family Look for in an Agent?

A good agent should offer more than a sales presentation, a list of contacts or promises about where the athlete will be drafted.

Families should ask:

Is the agent properly certified?

Verify the agent’s status directly with the applicable players association. Never rely solely on a website, business card or social-media biography.

Who has the agent represented?

Ask for a complete client history—not merely the agent’s most recognizable client.

How many current clients does the agent have?

A large client list can indicate experience, but families should determine how much attention their athlete will receive.

What happens if the athlete goes undrafted?

This may be the most revealing question. An agent should have a specific strategy for undrafted free agency, rookie minicamps, workouts and alternative leagues.

Who pays the expenses?

Families should understand who is responsible for training, housing, travel, marketing, equipment and other pre-draft costs—and whether any money must be repaid.

Who will communicate with the family?

The person recruiting the athlete may not be the person handling the athlete after the agreement is signed.

Does the agent tell the truth?

An agent should be able to deliver difficult information. Families should be cautious when every prediction sounds optimistic.

What is the long-term plan?

The best representatives prepare athletes for contract negotiations, roster changes, injuries, financial decisions and life after playing.

Free NFL Draft Education for Athletes and Families

SMWW has also begun offering free NFL Player Educational Seminars to help draft-eligible players and their families prepare before making representation and training decisions.

The SMWW NFL Draft Educational Seminar, featuring Dr. Lashbrook and Ric Serritella of All Access Football and NFL Draft Bible, is open to the public.

The NFL Draft process can be difficult to navigate when an athlete and family are unprepared. The seminar addresses:

• Selecting and evaluating an agent
• Choosing a training facility
• Understanding the all-star game process
• Navigating NIL opportunities
• Preparing for the NFL Draft
• Understanding what happens if a player goes undrafted
• Recognizing unrealistic promises and potential warning signs

SMWW’s free DOC Talks and educational seminars provide live access to sports-industry professionals, practical career information and opportunities for participants to ask questions.

Learn about upcoming free SMWW DOC Talks and NFL educational seminars:

Parent-Agents Across Professional Sports

The family-representation model extends well beyond football.

NBA

Trey Burke selected his father, Benji Burke, and cousin Alonzo Shavers to represent him entering the 2013 NBA Draft.

Cassius Stanley was represented by his father, experienced sports agent Jerome Stanley, working alongside veteran NBA representative David Bauman.

Ja Morant’s family later formed an advisory company to assist with his business interests and off-court career, while certified professionals remained available for contract work.

MLB

Parent-agents are less frequently publicized in baseball, although parents often participate heavily in draft and signing decisions. Longtime Yankees executive Ray Negron served as an adviser and agent for his son, Ricky Negron, after the Atlanta Braves drafted him.

NHL

Former NHL player Dave Gagner became a professional hockey agent while his son, Sam Gagner, built a lengthy NHL career.

Hockey also has a well-established “family adviser” system, in which prospects and their parents begin consulting professional representatives before the athlete becomes eligible to sign an NHL contract.

MLS and International Soccer

Family representation is particularly visible in global soccer.

Lionel Messi’s father, Jorge Messi, has long been central to his son’s contract and career decisions.

Neymar’s father has managed major elements of Neymar’s business and professional career.

Kylian Mbappé’s parents have played significant roles in negotiations and career planning.

Erling Haaland’s father, former professional player Alf-Inge Haaland, has worked alongside professional representatives in guiding his son’s moves between clubs.

Jude and Jobe Bellingham have also relied heavily on their father, Mark Bellingham, in directing their careers.

These arrangements often use a hybrid structure: the parent maintains control and protects the athlete’s interests while attorneys, licensed agents, tax professionals and marketing specialists provide technical expertise.

Parent or Professional Agent? It Does Not Have to Be One or the Other

The best solution may not require a family to choose between a parent and a professional agent.

A modern athlete’s team might include:

• A parent overseeing the athlete’s long-term interests
• A certified agent negotiating the playing contract
• An attorney reviewing agreements
• A financial adviser protecting the athlete’s money
• A marketing specialist managing NIL and endorsements
• A public-relations professional protecting the athlete’s reputation

Alex Van Dyke’s experience co-representing his son with Dr. Lashbrook is an example of how the model can work. The parent contributes trust, knowledge of the athlete and personal commitment. The experienced agent contributes certification, contacts, negotiating experience and familiarity with professional football.

Each side fills a different role.

Education Is the Best Protection

Parents should never be told to remain uninvolved in their child’s career. They also should not assume that being a devoted parent automatically prepares them to become a professional agent.

The smartest first step is education.

A course cannot replace integrity, experience or relationships. It can, however, help parents understand the work, identify their limitations and decide whether they should become the agent, work alongside an agent or simply become a better-informed advocate for their child.

Whether the parent ultimately becomes the agent or hires one, the objective should remain the same: protect the athlete, prepare for every possible outcome and make decisions based on knowledge rather than promises.

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“I only want to work in the NFL.”

“I’ll only work in the NBA.”

“My dream is the English Premier League.”

There is nothing wrong with having a dream league or team.

The mistake is believing that your sports career only counts when that particular organization hires you.

Your first job in sports should not be about the logo on your business card. It should be about learning how the industry works, developing marketable skills, producing results and building a résumé that makes the next organization want to hire you.

The sports industry is much larger than the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL and Premier League. Opportunities exist throughout women’s sports, cricket, rugby, motorsports, esports, golf, tennis, volleyball, pickleball, minor-league organizations, developmental programs and emerging professional leagues.

Every one of those organizations needs talented people.

Your first sports job does not have to be your final destination.

It needs to become your launch pad.

One of the Biggest Sports-Career Mistakes

Aspiring sports professionals often become so focused on one league that they ignore opportunities capable of moving their careers forward.

They apply repeatedly to the same group of NFL, NBA or Premier League organizations while overlooking teams, events and leagues where they may have a more realistic opportunity to contribute.

The dream becomes so specific that it begins limiting their progress.

A hiring manager is usually more interested in the work you have completed than the popularity of the organization that employed you.

Can you build relationships with sponsors?

Can you create content that attracts attention?

Can you help run an event?

Can you work with a customer relationship management system?

Can you improve the fan experience?

Can you communicate with athletes, coaches, executives and customers?

Can you solve problems when a live event does not go according to plan?

Those abilities are valuable throughout sports.

Experience gained with a rugby organization does not stop being useful when you apply to a basketball team. Sponsorship work in motorsports can prepare you for a partnership role in baseball. Ticket-sales experience with a minor-league club can help you qualify for a position with a major professional franchise.

Sports experience is sports experience—provided you can explain what you learned and what you accomplished.

The Sports Industry Is Larger Than the Biggest Leagues

The traditional North American leagues and major European soccer competitions remain highly desirable employers.

They are not the only places where meaningful sports careers are being built.

Sports organizations across the world are competing for fans, sponsors, media attention and commercial growth. That creates work in areas such as:

• Ticket sales
• Corporate partnerships
• Sponsorship activation
• Digital marketing
• Communications
• Social media
• Content production
• Event operations
• Community relations
• Fan engagement
• Data and analytics
• Broadcasting
• Venue management
• Athlete services
• League operations

Growing and emerging leagues can be particularly valuable for early-career professionals because smaller organizations often need employees who can handle several responsibilities.

A marketing coordinator may also help with game-day operations. A ticket-sales employee may assist with sponsorship fulfillment. A communications professional may create social content, prepare media materials and support community events.

That breadth of responsibility can accelerate learning.

Look Beyond the Familiar Logos

Women’s Professional Sports

Women’s professional sports continue to create teams, media products, sponsorship inventory and business operations.

The launch of the Women’s Pro Baseball League provides a current example. The league is beginning with teams representing New York, Boston, Los Angeles and San Francisco and has secured U.S. distribution through ESPN and Scripps Sports Network.

New teams and leagues need more than athletes and coaches.

They need people who can:

• Sell tickets
• Attract partners
• Produce broadcasts
• Tell athlete stories
• Build communities
• Manage events
• Develop young fan bases
• Create digital content
• Operate venues
• Measure audience growth

Professionals who enter during an early growth phase may have the opportunity to take on significant responsibilities sooner than they would at a larger, more established organization.

Cricket

Cricket is a global sports business with opportunities extending far beyond traditional markets.

Professional competitions need commercial, media, analytics, marketing, event and sponsorship professionals. The continued business growth of competitions such as the Indian Premier League demonstrates that cricket franchises are not simply athletic teams. They are year-round media and entertainment brands competing for global audiences and commercial partners.

Major League Cricket has also created another professional sports platform in the United States.

Someone who gains experience selling partnerships, supporting events or developing audiences in cricket can build abilities that transfer to other professional sports.

Rugby

Rugby organizations need professionals in ticketing, sponsorship, marketing, communications, operations and community development.

Major international tournaments can also create work connected to tourism, events, media, facilities and fan engagement. Australia has announced major investment connected to upcoming men’s and women’s Rugby World Cups, with job creation and long-term participation growth among the expected benefits.

Motorsports

Motorsports includes much more than race teams and drivers.

Formula 1, NASCAR, IndyCar, Formula E, MotoGP, tracks, racing series, sponsors, manufacturers and event promoters all need business professionals.

Career areas can include:

• Sponsorship sales and activation
• Driver marketing
• Public relations
• Event operations
• Hospitality
• Track management
• Media production
• Digital content
• Community programs
• Foundation management
• Partner services

SMWW’s Motorsports Management Course teaches the business of racing, including sponsorship, marketing, ticket sales, operations and driver management.

Minor-League and Developmental Sports

Minor-league teams, academies and developmental organizations can provide some of the best early-career experience in sports.

Employees at these organizations often work closer to the daily business.

You may gain direct experience with:

• Selling ticket packages
• Contacting sponsors
• Preparing the venue
• Supporting promotions
• Coordinating community appearances
• Producing social content
• Helping customers
• Managing game-day problems

A large organization may assign an entry-level employee to one narrow responsibility. A smaller organization may give that employee exposure to the entire operation.

That experience can become a major advantage later.

Your First Sports Job Is About Skill Development

The name of the organization may attract attention.

The work you perform is what builds a career.

Your first sports position should help you develop skills that other employers need.

Sales

Sales is one of the most transferable and consistently needed skills in sports.

Teams and events need revenue. That revenue may come from:

• Season tickets
• Group sales
• Premium seating
• Hospitality
• Sponsorships
• Partnerships
• Memberships
• Events
• Merchandise

Someone who can prospect, communicate value, handle objections, maintain relationships and close business can contribute across almost any sport.

SMWW’s Sports Sales and Marketing Course focuses on ticket sales, marketing, customer relationship management, fan retention, sponsorship and sports-industry hiring practices.

Marketing and Fan Engagement

Every sports organization must give people a reason to care.

Marketing professionals help turn games, athletes and events into experiences that attract and retain fans.

They may work on:

• Promotional campaigns
• Email marketing
• Social media
• Brand development
• Community initiatives
• Theme nights
• Fan loyalty
• Audience research
• Digital advertising
• Game-day entertainment

The sport may change, but the core challenge remains the same: understand the audience and create a meaningful connection.

Sponsorship and Partnerships

Sponsors do not invest only in the largest leagues.

Brands partner with local teams, individual athletes, tournaments, racing organizations, emerging leagues and community sports properties.

Partnership professionals must understand how to identify prospects, build proposals, communicate audience value and deliver the benefits promised in an agreement.

Two years of strong sponsorship work for a rugby, cricket or minor-league organization can be more valuable than two years spent waiting for an NFL team to respond to applications.

Communications and Content

Every organization has stories to tell.

Content professionals produce:

• Social posts
• Videos
• Interviews
• Articles
• Press releases
• Email campaigns
• Broadcast segments
• Sponsor content
• Athlete profiles
• Behind-the-scenes coverage

A smaller league may give an early-career professional the opportunity to build a much larger portfolio than a highly specialized role at a major organization.

SMWW’s Sports Media & Content Strategy focuses on how to create unique content across all channels and advance your career in sports media.

Event Operations

Live sports require people who can plan, coordinate and react.

Event professionals may work with:

• Facilities
• Vendors
• Security
• Ticketing
• Sponsors
• Hospitality
• Team personnel
• Media
• Fans
• Transportation
• Volunteers

The ability to stay organized and solve problems under pressure travels well across leagues and sports.

Transferable Experience Is What Moves Careers Forward

Imagine two candidates applying for a partnership position with an NBA team.

One candidate has spent two years waiting for a job in basketball while working outside sports.

The other has spent two years selling and activating sponsorships for a professional rugby organization.

The second candidate may not have NBA experience, but that person has:

• Prospected potential partners
• Prepared sponsorship proposals
• Communicated with business owners
• Managed account relationships
• Delivered contractual assets
• Supported game-day activations
• Solved client problems
• Produced measurable revenue

That is relevant experience.

The employer does not have to wonder whether the candidate can work in a sports environment. The candidate has already done it.

Your responsibility is to explain how your work transfers.

Do not simply write:

Worked in sponsorship for a rugby club.

Explain the impact:

Managed sponsor relationships, supported game-day activations and helped deliver partnership assets across digital, venue and community channels.

The league name provides context.

The accomplishments provide value.

Smaller Organizations Can Offer Bigger Responsibilities

Aspiring professionals sometimes assume that working for a smaller league is a lesser opportunity.

That is not always true.

Smaller organizations may offer:

• More access to executives
• Greater responsibility
• Exposure to several departments
• Faster decision-making
• More opportunities to lead
• A broader professional network
• Visible examples of your work
• Direct interaction with fans and partners

You may learn more by helping a growing organization solve real problems than by completing limited tasks within a famous organization.

The goal is not to collect the most recognizable logo.

The goal is to become more capable.

Do Not Confuse Being Flexible With Abandoning Your Dream

Broadening your job search does not mean giving up on the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL or Premier League.

It means building a credible route toward that goal.

Suppose your long-term goal is to work in marketing for an NFL team.

A practical path might look like this:

1. Begin in ticket sales with a minor-league baseball team.
2. Learn customer relationship management and fan retention.
3. Move into partnership activation for a rugby or soccer organization.
4. Build experience managing sponsors and live events.
5. Develop measurable results and strong references.
6. Apply to NFL marketing and partnership positions with a proven sports résumé.

That path may be less direct than you imagined.

It is far stronger than spending several years submitting the same résumé to the same teams without adding relevant experience.

How to Evaluate Your First Sports Opportunity

You should not accept every job simply because it involves sports.

Evaluate whether the opportunity will help you grow.

Ask these questions:

Will I Develop a Marketable Skill?

The position should teach you something employers value, such as sales, content creation, analytics, operations, sponsorship or customer service.

Will I Produce Measurable Results?

Look for opportunities where you can point to revenue, audience growth, attendance, retention, content performance, events completed or partners supported.

Will I Work With Experienced Professionals?

A good manager or mentor can shape your career more than a recognizable logo.

Will I Meet People Across the Industry?

Relationships with colleagues, sponsors, media members, executives and vendors can lead to future opportunities.

Will I Gain Real Responsibility?

Look for work that requires judgment, accountability and problem-solving.

Can This Experience Move Me Toward My Long-Term Goal?

Your first position does not have to be perfect. It should make the next step more realistic.

Build Skills Before You Target Titles

Many aspiring sports professionals begin by searching for titles.

They search for:

• Sports marketing manager
• Director of partnerships
• Football operations executive
• General manager
• Team content director

Those positions require evidence of prior performance.

A better starting question is:

What useful skill can I offer a sports organization today?

For many people, sales and marketing provide one of the clearest entry points.

Sports organizations constantly need people who can help generate revenue, retain fans, support partners and promote events. SMWW’s Sports Sales and Marketing Course is designed to help students build those practical skills while learning directly from experienced executives.

The eight-week online course includes instruction in:

• Ticket sales
• Sports marketing
• Fan retention
• CRM systems
• Prospecting
• Sales conversations
• Handling objections
• Sponsorship
• Events
• Community relations
• Job targeting

Students learn from Jim Van Dam, Vice President of Ticket Sales and Service for the Indianapolis Colts, and Alexa Klein, Executive Director of Partnership Activation for the New York Yankees.

Your Network Should Cross Sports, Too

Do not limit your networking to people working in your dream league.

A sports executive may change teams, sports or industries several times during a career.

The person you meet while working in minor-league baseball could later join an NHL franchise. A sponsorship contact from motorsports may eventually work for a soccer club. A colleague from cricket could move into a sports marketing agency representing clients across several leagues.

Build relationships with people doing work that interests you.

Ask them:

• How did you get your first opportunity?
• Which skills helped you advance?
• What do entry-level candidates misunderstand?
• What experience does your organization value?
• What would make someone useful on your team?

Strong networks are built through curiosity, credibility and continued contact—not by immediately asking everyone for a job.

Stop Chasing a Logo

Your first sports job is your foundation.

It is where you learn how a front office operates.

It is where you discover how game days really work.

It is where you learn to communicate with fans, sponsors, athletes, coaches, media members and executives.

It is where you make mistakes, solve problems, earn trust and begin building a professional reputation.

Those lessons travel with you.

The professionals who build the strongest careers are rarely the ones who refuse every opportunity outside one league.

They are the people who recognize value, say yes to meaningful experience, build relationships and keep developing.

Dream about the NFL.

Aim for the NBA.

Picture yourself in the Premier League.

Just do not sit still while waiting for one logo to choose you.

Do not chase a logo.

Chase experience.

Your first job is not your destination.

It is your launch pad.

Start Building a Career That Can Travel Across Sports

SMWW’s Sports Sales and Marketing Course teaches practical skills that teams and sports organizations need across leagues, countries and levels of competition.

Students receive live online instruction from experienced sports executives, complete career-focused assignments, build professional relationships and receive support positioning their experience for sports employers.

The league may change.

The skills remain valuable.

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The MLB Trade Deadline creates some of the most exciting and unpredictable days of the baseball season.

Fans follow rumors, debate potential trade packages and wait to see which teams will make the move that changes the postseason race. Inside each organization, however, the process is far more complex.

Every potential transaction must be evaluated from multiple angles. Teams study current performance, projected production, injury risk, contract status, positional need, prospect development and the likelihood that a player will succeed in a new environment.

That is where baseball analytics becomes essential.

The 2026 MLB Trade Deadline is Monday, August 3, at 6 p.m. ET. It is the final point during the season when players on 40-man rosters can be traded between organizations. MLB moved to a single Trade Deadline in 2019, eliminating the previous August waiver-trade period.

Before the deadline arrives, front offices must turn millions of data points into decisions that could shape their organizations for years.

Every Trade Begins With a Bigger Question

Before an MLB team evaluates individual players, it must decide what it is trying to accomplish.The MLB Trade Deadline creates some of the most exciting and unpredictable days of the baseball season.

Fans follow rumors, debate potential trade packages and wait to see which teams will make the move that changes the postseason race. Inside each organization, however, the process is far more complex.

Is the organization close enough to postseason contention to acquire immediate help? Should it trade current players for prospects and focus on future seasons? Can it improve the major-league roster without sacrificing too much of its farm system?

Those questions become especially difficult when much of the league remains within reach of a playoff position. A few victories can turn a possible seller into a buyer, while a losing streak can change an organization’s strategy just as quickly.

Current MLB Trade Deadline coverage reflects that uncertainty, with clubs considering traditional buying, selling and hybrid approaches based on their standings, roster needs and long-term plans.

Analytics departments help decision-makers evaluate those possibilities.

They may examine:

• The team’s probability of reaching the postseason
• Projected performance over the remaining schedule
• The strength of the current roster
• Injuries and expected return dates
• Positional weaknesses
• Minor-league depth
• Contract commitments
• The potential value of available players
• The cost of improving the roster
• The long-term effect of surrendering prospects

A general manager does not simply ask, “Can this player help us?”

The more important question is:

How much can this player improve our chances, and what should we be willing to give up for that improvement?

How MLB Teams Measure Player Value

Traditional statistics still matter, but they rarely tell the entire story.

Batting average, home runs, wins and earned run average describe certain outcomes. Modern baseball analysts examine the underlying skills and conditions that produced those results.

When studying a hitter, analysts may evaluate:

• Quality of contact
• Exit velocity
• Launch angle
• Plate discipline
• Swing-and-miss rate
• Performance against different pitch types
• Defensive value
• Baserunning
• Expected production
• Platoon advantages
• Historical performance in similar environments

A pitcher’s evaluation may include:

• Pitch velocity
• Movement
• Spin characteristics
• Release point
• Location
• Strikeout and walk rates
• Batted-ball quality
• Pitch usage
• Performance against right- and left-handed hitters
• Workload
• Injury indicators

The objective is not to find one statistic that provides the answer.

Analytics professionals combine different measurements to create a more complete picture of what a player has done, what skills are driving that performance and what the player could reasonably produce in the future.

Recent Performance Is Not the Same as Future Value

One of the hardest parts of the Trade Deadline is separating sustainable performance from a temporary hot streak.

A player may have outstanding numbers over several weeks because he is making better decisions, improving his mechanics or using a more effective approach. Another player may be benefiting from favorable matchups, defensive luck or a small sample of unusually strong results.

Analytics can help teams ask better questions:

• Has the player’s underlying skill level changed?
• Are his results supported by the quality of his contact?
• Has his pitch movement or velocity improved?
• Is his current production likely to continue?
• Does his injury history increase future risk?
• How might a different ballpark affect his performance?
• Would the player fit the acquiring team’s strategy and roster?

A strong analyst does not merely describe what happened.

The analyst attempts to explain why it happened and what is likely to happen next.

That ability becomes especially valuable at the Trade Deadline, when teams must make expensive decisions with limited time and incomplete information.

Projecting Performance in a New Environment

Acquiring a productive player does not guarantee that the player will produce the same results for a new team.

An analyst must consider how performance could change under different conditions.

A hitter moving to a new organization may face:

• A different home ballpark
• New hitting coaches
• A different lineup position
• More or fewer platoon matchups
• Different defensive expectations
• Increased postseason pressure

A pitcher may be affected by:

• Ballpark dimensions
• Team defense
• Catcher preparation
• Pitch-calling strategy
• Bullpen usage
• Workload expectations
• Organizational philosophy

Teams may also identify players whose abilities could improve through a change in pitch selection, swing decisions, defensive positioning or role.

This creates opportunities for analytics departments to find value that may not be obvious from surface-level statistics.

The best transaction is not always the one involving the most recognizable player. It may be the one involving a player whose skills are especially well suited to the acquiring organization.

Why Contracts and Player Control Matter

A player’s trade value is not based solely on performance.

Contract status can dramatically affect what a team is willing to surrender.

A productive player approaching free agency may provide only a few months of value. A younger player under team control for several seasons can influence the organization for much longer.

Front offices must consider:

• Current salary
• Remaining contract years
• Arbitration eligibility
• Free-agency timeline
• Club or player options
• No-trade protection
• Luxury-tax implications
• The possibility of a contract extension
• The expected cost of replacing the player

An analyst may compare projected production with the financial commitment required to acquire and retain the player.

This is sometimes described as surplus value: the difference between the value a player is expected to create and what the team must pay for that production.

A player with a lower salary and several years of team control can be extremely valuable, even when a more famous veteran is currently producing better statistics.

How Teams Evaluate Prospects in a Trade

For selling teams, the Trade Deadline can be an opportunity to strengthen the future of the organization.

That makes prospect evaluation one of the most important and difficult parts of the entire process.

Minor-league players are still developing. Their current statistics must be interpreted within the context of their age, competition level, ballpark, physical development and experience.

Teams may analyze:

• Age relative to competition
• Strikeout and walk rates
• Quality of contact
• Pitch characteristics
• Defensive projection
• Positional value
• Physical development
• Injury history
• Performance trends
• Estimated major-league readiness
• Range of potential outcomes

Scouts contribute observations about tools, mechanics, makeup and development. Analysts provide statistical context, comparisons and projections.

The strongest organizations do not treat scouting and analytics as opposing approaches.

They combine them.

A scouting report may identify a mechanical adjustment or physical trait that explains the data. Analytics may reveal a trend that leads a scout to review a player more closely.

SMWW’s Baseball Analytics Course teaches students how data-driven evaluation can support scouting, roster construction, player development and front-office decision-making.

Analytics Helps Teams Compare Trade Packages

A team may receive several different offers for the same player.

One proposal could include a highly regarded prospect with significant upside. Another might contain several lower-level players who provide greater organizational depth. A third could include a major-league-ready player who fills an immediate need.

The front office must compare packages that are not directly alike.

Analytics can help decision-makers estimate:

• Each player’s projected future production
• The probability of reaching the major leagues
• Expected time until MLB readiness
• Positional scarcity
• Injury and development risk
• Contract value
• Organizational fit
• The range between the best- and worst-case outcomes

No model can predict a player’s career perfectly.

The purpose of analytics is not to eliminate uncertainty. It is to measure uncertainty, organize available information and help leaders make more informed decisions.

Analytics Does Not Make the Decision Alone

Baseball analytics is a decision-support function.

Analysts produce information, identify patterns, test assumptions and communicate possible outcomes. General managers, assistant general managers, scouting directors, coaches, medical personnel and ownership may all contribute to the final decision.

A successful baseball analyst must therefore do more than work with numbers.

The analyst must communicate findings in a way that other departments can understand and use.

A technically impressive model has limited value when the analyst cannot explain:

• What the model measures
• Why the result matters
• Which assumptions were used
• Where uncertainty remains
• How the insight could influence a decision

The ability to turn complex data into a clear baseball recommendation is one of the most important skills an aspiring analyst can develop.

The Baseball Careers Behind Trade Deadline Decisions

The Trade Deadline highlights several career paths within professional baseball.

These may include:

• Baseball operations analyst
• Research and development analyst
• Player evaluation analyst
• Quantitative analyst
• Scouting analyst
• Player development analyst
• Performance analyst
• Data engineer
• Sports scientist
• Professional scout
• Assistant general manager
• Director of baseball operations
• Roster and contract analyst

Some analysts concentrate primarily on statistical modeling. Others work closely with scouts, coaches, medical departments or player-development staff.

Entry-level responsibilities may involve collecting data, validating information, building reports, maintaining databases, creating visualizations or answering specific questions from decision-makers.

Over time, analysts may take on greater responsibility in forecasting, player evaluation, roster strategy and organizational planning.

What Skills Do Baseball Analysts Need?

Baseball organizations need people who understand both the data and the game.

Important skills can include:

Understanding Baseball Statistics

Aspiring analysts should understand traditional statistics, advanced metrics, park effects, sample size and the limitations of different measurements.

Data Organization

Real data is rarely perfectly organized. Analysts must be able to collect, clean, join and validate information before using it.

Statistical Analysis

Analysts use statistical methods to identify relationships, compare players, forecast performance and test whether conclusions are supported by evidence.

Data Visualization

Charts and dashboards help decision-makers recognize patterns quickly. A clear visual can be more valuable than a long technical explanation.

Baseball Communication

The analyst must explain how the findings affect player evaluation, strategy or development.

Critical Thinking

Good analysts question assumptions, look for missing context and recognize when the available information does not support a confident conclusion.

Learn From a Baseball Analytics Pioneer

SMWW’s Baseball Analytics Course is led by Ari Kaplan, a pioneer in sports analytics who has worked with more than half of MLB’s organizations and helped build analytics operations in professional baseball.

Over eight weeks, students explore how analytics supports player evaluation, scouting, player development, game preparation and front-office decisions.

The course covers areas such as:

• Advanced baseball statistics
• Data-driven player evaluation
• Statistical models and forecasting
• Scouting analytics
• Performance data
• Data interpretation
• Visualization
• Baseball operations decision-making

Students also participate in interactive sessions, complete practical work and learn how to present analytical information to baseball professionals.

One SMWW graduate, longtime scout Carl Moesche, credited the Baseball Analytics Course with helping him understand both traditional scouting and analytical player evaluation before accepting a position with the Boston Red Sox.

The Trade Deadline Is a Test of Decision-Making

Every Trade Deadline deal creates debate.

Fans will argue over which team won. Analysts will compare the players involved. Executives will explain why the transaction made sense for their organization.

The true result may not be known for years.

That is what makes baseball decision-making so challenging.

Teams must evaluate present needs, future value, financial considerations and uncertain player development—all before the clock reaches 6 p.m. ET on August 3.

Analytics does not guarantee that every decision will be correct.

It gives baseball organizations a better process for understanding the risks, comparing the possibilities and making decisions they can defend.

The same lesson applies to anyone pursuing a baseball career.

Watching the Trade Deadline is entertaining.

Learning how to evaluate the decisions behind it can become a profession.

Turn Your Interest in Baseball Data Into a Career Skill

Learn how baseball organizations use data to evaluate players, project performance and support front-office decisions through SMWW’s Baseball Analytics Course.

The eight-week online course gives students the opportunity to learn directly from Ari Kaplan, develop practical analytical knowledge and build stronger connections within the baseball industry.

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NFL training camp is where optimism meets evaluation.

Every summer, established veterans, highly drafted rookies, undrafted free agents and players fighting to extend their careers arrive with the same goal: earn a place on an NFL roster.

The public sees the practices, position battles and preseason games. Behind the scenes, scouts, coaches, video analysts, data specialists, salary-cap professionals and player-development staff are collecting information that will shape the team.

All 32 NFL clubs are scheduled to have begun training camp by July 28, 2026. Over the following weeks, teams must turn expanded offseason rosters into the 53-player groups they will carry into the regular season.

That process provides more than compelling football drama. It offers an inside look at the careers, skills and technology that drive a professional football organization.

How Many Players Make an NFL Roster?

NFL teams can carry 53 players on their active/inactive regular-season roster.

On game day, teams may generally dress as many as 48 players when at least eight offensive linemen are active. Teams also use practice squads to retain and develop additional players who are not on the 53-man roster. In 2026, the standard NFL practice squad consists of 16 players, with an additional place available under the International Player Pathway rules.

Before the season begins, each organization must make difficult decisions involving far more than a simple ranking of its most talented players.

Teams must consider:

• Positional needs
• Scheme compatibility
• Special-teams ability
• Player development
• Injury status
• Contract implications
• Practice-squad eligibility
• Roster flexibility
• Short-term performance
• Long-term potential

The final roster is not always composed of the 53 most individually talented players in camp. It must function as a complete team.

What Are NFL Teams Evaluating During Training Camp?

Every practice rep can provide information.

A receiver may create separation against a starting defensive back. An offensive lineman may struggle to recognize a pressure package. A linebacker may demonstrate the communication skills needed to organize a defense. A reserve defensive back may improve his chances by performing well on kickoff coverage.

Evaluators are studying whether players can execute their responsibilities consistently, not merely whether they can produce one impressive highlight.

Physical Ability

Teams examine each player’s movement, speed, strength, balance, body control and position-specific athletic traits.

The most important traits depend on the position. A team may emphasize a cornerback’s change of direction, an offensive tackle’s balance and recovery ability, or a quarterback’s accuracy while moving outside the pocket.

Knowledge of the System

Physical talent will only take a player so far.

Players must understand formations, assignments, terminology, adjustments and situational responsibilities. Coaches want to know whether a player can learn the system, retain information and execute correctly when the pace accelerates.

Mental mistakes can be particularly damaging when a player is competing for a backup role.

Consistency

One outstanding practice can create attention. Consistent performance creates trust.

Teams monitor whether a player’s technique, effort and decision-making remain dependable from one practice to another. A backup may be called into action with little warning, so coaches need confidence that the player can execute without disrupting the rest of the unit.

Position Versatility

Roster limits reward players who can perform multiple jobs.

An offensive lineman who can play guard and center may be more valuable than a player limited to one position. A defensive back who can line up at safety, nickel and on special teams gives coaches more flexibility.

Versatility becomes especially important when teams decide how to use their final roster spots.

Special-Teams Value

Many young players make their first NFL roster through special teams.

A reserve receiver or defensive back may receive limited opportunities with the starting offense or defense. That same player can separate himself by covering kicks, blocking on returns or contributing to multiple special-teams units.

Evaluators must project not only what a player could eventually become, but how that player can help the team immediately.

The Scouts Watching Every Position Battle

NFL scouting does not end when the draft concludes.

Professional scouts evaluate players already in the league, including their own team’s roster, upcoming opponents, free agents and potential waiver claims. During training camp, scouts compare players competing for the same jobs and identify possible replacements who may become available when other teams reduce their rosters.

A professional scout may study:

• Athletic traits
• Technical ability
• Playing speed
• Competitive effort
• Scheme fit
• Positional versatility
• Special-teams potential
• Injury history
• Developmental upside
• Projected roster role

The evaluator must then communicate those observations through a clear, concise scouting report.

Saying a player “looked good” is not enough. A useful evaluation explains what the player did, whether it can be repeated and how it could translate into a specific role.

That is the difference between watching football as a fan and evaluating football as a professional.

Aspiring evaluators can learn the fundamentals of player grading, film analysis, report writing and roster construction through SMWW’s Football GM and Scouting Course.

How Video Analysts Help Coaches Make Decisions

NFL teams generate an enormous amount of practice and game footage during training camp.

Video personnel organize that footage so coaches, scouts and players can quickly study the exact situations they need to review. Their responsibilities may include filming practice, labeling plays, organizing cutups and making footage accessible across the football operation.

A coach might request every pass-rush rep from a particular defensive end. A scout may want all of a rookie cornerback’s one-on-one snaps. A quarterback coach could review every third-down decision made during practice.

Without a well-organized video operation, retrieving those moments would take far longer.

Video analysis can help a team identify:

• Assignment errors
• Technique breakdowns
• Route timing
• Coverage recognition
• Communication issues
• Effort away from the ball
• Improvements between practices
• Tendencies that are difficult to see live

Video roles can also provide an entry point into professional and collegiate football. The work requires attention to detail, technical confidence, football knowledge and the ability to deliver accurate material under tight deadlines.

SMWW’s Football Video Performance Analysis Course introduces students to the workflows and skills used to break down football film and support coaches and decision-makers.

How Analytics Adds Context to Training Camp Performance

Football decisions are not made from spreadsheets alone. Data can, however, help teams add context to what coaches and scouts observe.

An analyst might evaluate how frequently a receiver creates separation, how efficiently a quarterback performs under pressure or how an offensive lineman fares across different blocking situations.

Teams can use analytics to examine:

• Player workload
• Practice and game efficiency
• Situational performance
• Matchup results
• Movement and tracking data
• Injury-risk indicators
• Historical player comparisons
• Roster and contract value

Analytics can also help teams avoid overreacting to small samples. One successful preseason drive may look impressive, but broader data could reveal issues that still need to be addressed.

The strongest football departments combine multiple forms of evidence. Film explains how a result occurred. Data helps determine how frequently it occurred and whether the result may be sustainable.

People interested in the technical side of roster construction can develop skills in data analysis, visualization and performance evaluation through SMWW’s Football Analytics Course or Sports Analytics and AI Course.

The Role of Coaches and Player-Development Staff

Training camp is not only an evaluation period. It is also an intensive development period.

Position coaches teach technique, correct mistakes and determine whether a player can improve quickly enough to help the team. Coordinators evaluate how each player fits within the offensive, defensive or special-teams system.

Player-development professionals support athletes through the demands of professional football. Young players may be adapting to a more complex playbook, higher expectations, increased media attention and the personal responsibilities that accompany an NFL career.

Development staff can help players navigate:

• Professional expectations
• Time management
• Life skills
• Financial education
• Community responsibilities
• Career development
• The transition into or out of professional football

A player who responds well to coaching and steadily improves can change how the organization views his long-term potential.

Readers interested in coaching, leadership and helping athletes develop can explore SMWW’s Football Player Development Course.

Contracts and the Salary Cap Affect Roster Decisions

Talent is central to roster construction, but it is not the only consideration.

Every player occupies financial space and holds a contract containing specific terms. Personnel executives and salary-cap specialists must understand what happens financially when a player is retained, traded, waived, released or moved to an injury designation.

Teams may consider:

• Base salary
• Signing-bonus allocation
• Guaranteed compensation
• Dead-money consequences
• Remaining contract years
• Incentives
• Injury protections
• Veteran salary rules
• Practice-squad compensation
• The cost of a potential replacement

A younger player may offer developmental upside and a lower contract cost. A veteran may provide more proven performance, leadership and reliability. The correct choice depends on the team’s competitive goals and overall roster.

Salary-cap professionals turn complicated contract language into information that general managers and personnel executives can use.

SMWW’s Salary Cap and Contract Negotiation Course helps students understand professional sports contracts, cap management and the financial considerations behind roster decisions.

Where Athlete Agents Fit Into Training Camp

Training camp is stressful for players whose careers and livelihoods are at stake.

Athlete agents and advisors communicate with team personnel, help players understand their contracts and prepare for what may happen if they are released, waived or offered a practice-squad position.

An agent’s work can include:

• Reviewing contract language
• Communicating with team executives
• Monitoring possible roster opportunities
• Assessing practice-squad options
• Helping a player respond to a transaction
• Contacting teams that may need the player’s position
• Advising the athlete on career decisions
• Managing the practical consequences of relocation

The job does not stop after a contract is signed. Representation continues throughout the uncertainty of a professional sports career.

People interested in representing football players can explore SMWW’s Athlete Management Course and NFL Agent Certification Preparation Course.

The Careers Behind an NFL Roster

The final roster reflects the work of professionals across the entire organization.

Career possibilities connected to training camp and roster construction include:

• General manager
• Assistant general manager
• Director of player personnel
• Director of pro scouting
• Professional scout
• College scout
• Scouting assistant
• Football research analyst
• Salary-cap analyst
• Contract administrator
• Video director
• Video assistant
• Coaching assistant
• Quality-control coach
• Player-development director
• Football operations coordinator
• Strength and conditioning professional
• Athlete agent or advisor

Not everyone begins with an executive title. Many football professionals start in video, operations, recruiting, analytics, coaching support or scouting-assistant roles.

The first goal is to become useful.

Organizations value people who can complete detailed work, communicate clearly, learn from feedback and consistently help the football operation make better decisions.

How to Prepare for a Career in Football Operations

Watching training camp coverage can help you understand the storylines. Preparing for a football career requires active practice.

Learn One Area in Depth

Choose an initial area such as scouting, analytics, video, coaching, contracts or player development.

You can expand your knowledge over time, but an identifiable skill gives a team a clearer reason to consider you.

Create Work Samples

A résumé tells an employer what you say you can do. A portfolio provides evidence.

Depending on your desired role, your portfolio could include:

• Player scouting reports
• Film breakdowns
• Position rankings
• Data visualizations
• Opponent reports
• Roster projections
• Salary-cap exercises
• Player-development plans

Do not publish confidential or copyrighted team material. Use information and footage you are legally permitted to analyze.

Understand the Entire Operation

A scout should understand why contract status affects player value. An analyst should understand the football context behind the data. A video professional should understand what coaches and scouts need to see.

The more you understand how departments support one another, the more valuable your work becomes.

Seek Professional Feedback

Producing an assignment is only the beginning.

Ask someone with football experience to challenge your observations, terminology and conclusions. Strong candidates demonstrate that they can accept feedback and improve their next piece of work.

Build Genuine Relationships

Football is a relationship-driven industry, but networking is not the same as asking strangers for jobs.

Attend events, participate in professional conversations, conduct informational interviews and show interest in how people perform their work. Bring informed questions and remain in contact as your own skills develop.

SMWW’s Football Career Conference gives aspiring professionals opportunities to learn from and connect with executives, scouts, agents and other members of the football industry.

Training Camp Is a Job Interview for More Than the Players

Every player in NFL training camp is being evaluated.

So are many of the people working behind the scenes.

Scouts must provide accurate assessments. Video staff must deliver the correct footage. Analysts must turn data into usable information. Coaches must teach effectively. Contract professionals must explain the financial consequences of every possible move.

Training camp shows what it takes to work in football: preparation, specialized knowledge, attention to detail and the ability to perform when decisions carry real consequences.

You do not need to wait for an NFL team to hire you before developing those qualities.

Start learning the work. Build examples that demonstrate your ability. Seek feedback from professionals who understand the industry. Create a reason for someone in football to believe you can help their organization.

The competition for NFL roster spots is fierce.

The competition for jobs behind the roster is no different.

Start Building Your Football Career

Sports Management Worldwide offers specialized online programs for people who want to work in scouting, analytics, video, athlete representation, player development, contract negotiation and football operations.

Students learn from experienced sports professionals, complete practical assignments and build relationships that can help transform their interest in football into a credible career direction.

Explore SMWW’s football courses and find the path that matches the work you want to do.

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The 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games will bring the world’s greatest athletes to Los Angeles. They will also create an enormous need for talented professionals who can help organize, promote, operate and deliver one of the largest sporting events in the world.

For aspiring sports professionals, LA 2028 represents much more than a competition. It could become one of the biggest sports career opportunities in the United States.

The opportunities will not be limited to athletes, coaches or people who already have years of experience working for professional teams. The Games will require professionals across event operations, marketing, communications, hospitality, technology, transportation, administration and many other fields.

The opportunity is coming. The question is whether you will be prepared for it.

How Will the LA 2028 Olympics Affect the Sports Job Market?

Producing the Olympic and Paralympic Games requires an immense workforce.

LA28 is currently assembling a team of professionals with different backgrounds, experience levels and areas of expertise to help deliver the Games and create an unforgettable experience for athletes and fans. Anyone interested in directly joining the organizing committee should regularly review the official LA28 careers page.

However, the employment impact will extend far beyond positions posted directly by LA28.

Sports organizations, venues, sponsors, media companies, hospitality providers, technology firms, transportation partners, local businesses and event contractors will all need qualified people.

LA28 has announced a goal of directing 75% of its addressable procurement spending toward the Greater Los Angeles region and 25% toward small businesses. That strategy could create opportunities with a large network of companies supporting the Games—not just the organizing committee itself.

This means someone hoping to work around the Olympics should not search only for positions containing the word “Olympics.” Opportunities may appear with:

• Sports organizations and governing bodies
• Stadiums, arenas and competition venues
• Event-management companies
• Corporate sponsors and brand partners
• Television, streaming and media companies
• Marketing and public-relations agencies
• Hospitality and tourism organizations
• Technology and data providers
• Transportation and logistics companies
• Local vendors and Games suppliers

The LA28 careers page is an important place to follow, but it should be only one part of a broader sports career strategy.

What Types of Jobs Will the LA 2028 Olympics Create?

The Olympic and Paralympic Games are not produced by one department. They require people with a wide variety of professional skills.

Event and Venue Operations

Every competition needs trained personnel managing schedules, credentials, equipment, facilities, workforce assignments and the movement of athletes and spectators.

Possible career areas include:

• Event operations
• Venue management
• Game-day operations
• Credentialing
• Equipment management
• Workforce coordination
• Facility operations
• Guest services

These jobs are ideal for organized professionals who can solve problems, communicate clearly and remain composed in a fast-moving environment.

Aspiring professionals who want to understand how large sports organizations and events operate can develop relevant business and leadership skills through the SMWW Sports Administration Course.

Sports Marketing and Sponsorship

The Olympic Games are one of the most valuable sports-marketing platforms in the world. Sponsors will need professionals who can create campaigns, manage partnerships and connect brands with fans.

Potential opportunities may involve:

• Sponsorship sales
• Partnership activation
• Brand marketing
• Digital marketing
• Community relations
• Fan engagement
• Ticket sales
• Corporate hospitality

Employers will look for people who understand both the business of sports and the expectations of major corporate partners.

The SMWW Sports Sales and Marketing Course helps aspiring sports professionals develop practical skills in sales, partnership activation, marketing and revenue generation—the same areas that support teams, venues and international sporting events.

Media, Broadcasting and Content Creation

The stories surrounding the Olympics extend far beyond the final scores.

Media organizations and digital platforms will need people who can interview athletes, produce videos, manage social media, write stories, coordinate press operations and communicate with audiences around the world.

Opportunities may include:

• Sports broadcasting
• Video production
• Social media
• Digital content strategy
• Public relations
• Media relations
• Photography
• Communications
• Broadcast operations

Professionals who understand how to create compelling sports content and communicate with fans across multiple platforms will be increasingly valuable as the Games approach.

SMWW offers online sports career courses covering broadcasting, media, content strategy and other areas of the sports industry.

Technology, Data and Analytics

Modern sporting events depend on technology.

Technology professionals may support ticketing platforms, venue systems, cybersecurity, broadcast infrastructure, data management, digital products and the overall fan experience.

Relevant fields could include:

• Sports technology
• Data analytics
• Information technology
• Cybersecurity
• Digital product management
• Venue technology
• Technical support
• Performance data

Candidates who combine technical knowledge with an understanding of sports may have a valuable competitive advantage.

Administration and Project Management

Behind every event is a team managing budgets, contracts, deadlines, personnel and partnerships.

Administrative opportunities may include:

• Project management
• Sports administration
• Finance
• Human resources
• Legal and compliance
• Procurement
• Vendor management
• Business operations

These professionals may not appear on camera, but they are essential to delivering an event of this size.

The Olympics Will Create Opportunities Beyond Los Angeles

The impact of LA 2028 will not necessarily end with the Closing Ceremony.

Working on an Olympic or Paralympic project can help professionals develop transferable experience in event operations, sponsorship, media, communications, hospitality and sports administration.

Those skills may lead to future opportunities with:

• Professional sports teams
• College athletic departments
• National governing bodies
• Sports agencies
• Stadiums and arenas
• Corporate sponsors
• International federations
• Future global sporting events

Los Angeles will host the Olympics for the third time and the Paralympics for the first time. LA28 also plans to use existing infrastructure rather than build new permanent venues, while emphasizing employment opportunities, workforce development and broader economic benefits for the region.

The real career impact could therefore last well beyond 2028.

Why You Should Start Preparing for LA 2028 Jobs Now

Waiting until the summer of 2028 to begin thinking about an Olympic career would be a mistake.

Major sporting events require years of planning. Organizations build teams, hire contractors, develop partnerships and prepare venues long before the first athlete arrives.

Candidates who begin preparing now have time to:

• Learn how the sports business operates
• Develop specialized, job-relevant skills
• Build a stronger sports resume
• Meet professionals already working in the industry
• Attend sports career conferences and networking events
• Complete informational interviews
• Gain experience through local sporting events
• Follow LA28 employment and supplier announcements
• Build examples of work to show prospective employers

Passion for the Olympics may get you interested. Skills, experience and relationships are what can help get you hired.

One of the best ways to begin developing genuine industry relationships is by attending SMWW Sports Career Conferences, where aspiring professionals can learn from and network with executives, agents, scouts, broadcasters and other sports industry leaders.

How Sports Management Worldwide Can Help You Break Into Sports

Breaking into the sports industry can be difficult because employers frequently want candidates who understand the business, possess relevant skills and already have some connection to the industry.

Sports Management Worldwide helps aspiring professionals develop both what they know and who they know.

SMWW offers online sports career training in areas connected to the types of work required by major sporting events, including:

• Sports management and administration
• Sports sales and marketing
• Media and content strategy
• Broadcasting
• Analytics and technology
• Athlete management
• Public and community relations
• Front-office operations
• Event and game-day operations

SMWW’s eight-week online courses are designed to help students build practical knowledge while learning directly from experienced sports executives.

Students can participate in live interactive video chats with mentors, strengthen their resumes, develop industry relationships and join a worldwide alumni network of more than 30,000 graduates from over 164 countries.

That combination matters because a certificate alone does not guarantee a sports job. Candidates must be able to demonstrate what they know, communicate their value and develop authentic relationships within the industry.

SMWW helps students begin building that foundation.

How to Position Yourself for an Olympic Sports Career

Start by identifying where your existing abilities overlap with the needs of the sports industry.

Someone with a marketing background might pursue sponsorship activation or fan engagement. A logistics professional could target venue operations. A video editor might prepare for sports-content or broadcast opportunities. A data analyst could explore event technology, ticketing or performance analytics.

You do not necessarily have to abandon your current experience and start over. You need to learn how to apply that experience within sports.

A strong preparation plan should include four steps.

1. Choose a Career Direction

“Working in sports” is too broad to be an effective job-search goal.

Identify the department, function or type of work that interests you most. Focus your education, networking and applications around that direction.

2. Develop Industry-Specific Skills

Learn how your chosen area operates within a sports organization.

Study the terminology, technology, processes and expectations employers use. The full directory of SMWW sports career training programs can help you identify a course connected to your intended career path.

3. Build Your Sports Network

Connect with professionals, attend events and conduct informational interviews.

Sports remains a relationship-driven industry. A thoughtful conversation with someone already working in your target field can help you learn more than sending dozens of generic applications.

4. Gain Relevant Experience

Look for opportunities with local teams, tournaments, athletic departments, community organizations and sporting events.

Experience does not have to begin with the Olympics to help you eventually reach the Olympics.

SMWW alumni can also continue refining their job-search strategy through the Sports Career Strategies Course, which focuses on resumes, networking, informational interviews, applications and interview preparation.

The Race for LA 2028 Olympics Jobs Has Already Started

The Olympic flame will not arrive in Los Angeles until 2028, but the work required to stage the Games is already underway.

For aspiring sports professionals, this is the time to prepare—not the time to wait.

Thousands of people could contribute to the Olympic and Paralympic Games through jobs in operations, marketing, media, technology, administration, hospitality and countless supporting industries.

Competition for the most desirable positions will be intense, and enthusiasm alone will not separate one applicant from another.

Relevant knowledge, practical skills, a professional resume and meaningful industry relationships can.

Are you ready to turn your passion for sports into a career?

Explore Sports Management Worldwide’s online sports career courses and begin preparing for the opportunities leading to Los Angeles 2028.

The Games are coming.

Your sports career can start now.

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Southern California is the most sports-saturated region in North America.

The Rams. The Chargers. The Lakers. The Clippers. The Dodgers. The Angels. The Kings. The Ducks. Two MLS clubs. Two NWSL clubs. Two of the most powerful university athletic programs in the country. The agencies that represent the biggest names in professional sports. And in two years, the center of the entire global sports world — the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic and Paralympic Games.

For someone serious about building a career in sports, there is no better city to be in right now. And for qualified SMWW students who are ready to make the move, there is now a direct path to being in the middle of all of it.

Sports Management Worldwide has partnered with Concordia University Irvine to offer qualified SMWW students access to an on-campus MBA in Sports Business — one of the most strategically positioned graduate programs in the country.

The Program

The Concordia University Irvine MBA in Sports Business is an 18-month, on-campus program located in Irvine, California — with classes held in the evenings, leaving days open for students to work, intern, or volunteer in sports organizations throughout the region.

Program Details:

• On-campus MBA in Sports Business at Concordia University Irvine
• Location: Irvine, California (Anaheim offers more affordable apartment options nearby)
• Start dates: August 24, 2026 or mid-October 2026
• Length: Approximately 18 months
• Tuition: Approximately $40,000 before books, fees, and living expenses
• Evening classes — freeing up days for work, internships, or volunteering in sports
• No GMAT required
• GI Bill benefits and student loans/financial aid may be available

Five spots are currently being held specifically for qualified SMWW students. This is not a general application pool — it is a reserved pathway for the SMWW community.

Students must relocate to Southern California and attend classes on campus.

Where Students Could Work or Intern

The evening class structure is not a small detail. It is the entire strategic advantage of this program.

While enrolled, students have their days free to pursue real work experience inside the Southern California sports market — one of the deepest concentrations of professional teams, agencies, venues, and sports organizations anywhere in the world.

Professional teams and organizations within reach include:

Los Angeles Rams, Los Angeles Chargers, Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Kings, Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Sparks, LA Galaxy, Los Angeles FC, Angel City FC, Orange County Soccer Club, San Diego Padres, San Diego FC, San Diego Wave FC, Ontario Reign, Coachella Valley Firebirds, UCLA Athletics, USC Athletics, UC Irvine Athletics, Long Beach State Athletics, Concordia University Irvine Athletics, Honda Center, OCVIBE, and organizations connected to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Sports agencies and management firms in Southern California include:

Athletes First, Wasserman, Creative Artists Agency, Excel Sports Management, Octagon, WME Sports, Steinberg Sports & Entertainment, boutique athlete-representation firms, NIL agencies, and sports marketing companies throughout the region.

Selected students may also gain direct experience working with Dr. Lynn Lashbrook and SMWW on agency recruiting, athlete research, conferences, scouting, and sports industry networking.

That is not a typical graduate school opportunity. That is a two-year immersion inside the most active sports market in the country, while earning an MBA at the same time.

Why Southern California. Why Now.

The 2028 Los Angeles Olympics are not just a sporting event. They are an economic and organizational phenomenon that is already reshaping the Southern California sports industry — creating new roles, new organizations, new partnerships, and new career opportunities that will not exist anywhere else in the world for the next several years.

The sports professionals who will be positioned to benefit from that wave are the ones who are already in the region, already building relationships, and already established inside the LA sports ecosystem before the Games arrive.

This program puts qualified SMWW students exactly there.

Is This the Right Move for You?

This is an in-person program. It requires a real commitment — relocating to Southern California, attending evening classes on campus, and investing approximately $40,000 in tuition before living expenses and fees. It is not the right fit for everyone.

But for the right person — someone who is serious about a career in sports, ready to make a geographic commitment, and looking for a graduate credential that is backed by real-world industry access in the best possible market — this is a rare opportunity.

Five spots are reserved for qualified SMWW students. Those conversations are happening now.

If you want to find out whether this is the right path for you, the best first step is a direct conversation.

Talk to Dr. Lynn Lashbrook at SMWW.com

Southern California is where the sports world is heading. The question is whether you will be there when it arrives.

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If you want to work on a professional sports coaching staff, in the scouting department, or as a front office member, you need to understand the nerve center of modern game preparation and review: the video room.

For years, breaking into sports video analysis meant learning a few standard software platforms like Catapult Thunder (formerly XOS) and spending countless late nights cutting up game tape.

Just like the athletes on the field or ice, the technology behind the scenes is evolving at breakneck speed. Today, the conversation in elite video rooms across the NHL, AHL, PWHL, Major Junior Leagues and NCAA isn't just about capturing video — it's about seamless, real-time video and data integration.

Enter Catapult Focus (part of the Catapult Pro Video suite), the platform that is rapidly replacing legacy heavyweights. But what exactly is Focus, who is using it, and why are teams abandoning the tools they've used for a decade? Let's dive in — and look at how understanding this shift could be your big break into the industry.

What Is Catapult Focus?

Catapult Focus is a modern, cross-platform video analysis application designed for live and post-game workflows, as well as for pregame opponent scouting purposes. While older software acts simply as a digital archive for tagging clips and entering data, Focus operates as a flexible video analysis software that allows any coach anywhere with internet to collaborate with their team on shared sessions and presentations. Focus allows analysts to capture multi-angle video, tag events live, and instantly stream those insights to iPads on the bench or in the locker room.

More importantly, it bridges the gap between video and data. By natively integrating with wearable tech (like Catapult Vector) and other third party data providers (like SportLogiq), Focus ties physical exertion metrics and advanced tactical data directly to the video clip.

Who Is Using Catapult Focus?

The adoption of Focus is happening globally across multiple sports, especially ice hockey in the North American market. Elite teams in the NHL, AHL, PWHL, Professional Soccer, NCAA Football, hockey and basketball, as well as International Rugby have adopted the Catapult Pro Video suite — bringing an importance to the knowledge of the Focus program as much as knowledge of any given sport.

Catapult's Pro Video suite of Focus and Hub, in conjunction with the wearable data from Catapult's elite sensors, is particularly popular among progressive coaching staffs who value in-game adjustments over post-game reactions. Whenever you see a coach on the sidelines or the bench swiping through a tablet immediately after a play, there is a high chance they are utilizing Focus to review live, multi-angle feeds synced with tactical tags.

The Shift: Why Are Teams Switching from Thunder and Sportscode?

For the last 15 years, the industry standard was largely split in two: Hudl Sportscode (heavily dominant in global soccer, basketball, and field hockey) and Thunder/XOS (the traditional powerhouse in American Football and ice hockey). So, why the mass exodus to Focus?

1. Cross-Platform Flexibility vs. OS Lock-In

Legacy software has historically forced teams into a corner. Sportscode is famously Mac-only, forcing teams into expensive Apple ecosystems. Thunder is traditionally a heavy, Windows-based software that relies on rigid, localized servers. Catapult Focus is completely device-agnostic and doesn't rely on a traditional client-server approach to a shared database. Analysts can use a high-powered PC, coaches can use MacBooks or tablets on the plane, and players can review custom playlists on their iPads or mobile devices.

2. Seamless Data Integration

Legacy products were built in an era before wearables and AI analytics. Getting third-party data into Sportscode or Thunder often requires clunky XML imports or complex workarounds. Focus was built for the modern data era. For example, through Focus's integration with SportLogiq, a team can bring in an entire collection of tags and data from a source or provider and apply over a full game or session.

3. True Live Collaboration on the Bench

While older systems can do live capture, pushing that video out to the bench in real-time often requires complicated networking, extra hardware, or third-party apps (like Hudl Replay). Focus simplifies the live workflow. Using a localized router, the capture machine instantly mirrors its timeline to any connected iPad. Coaches can make crucial tactical adjustments mid-game and also create their own tags that can be a part of the final session file of the game.

4. A Modern, Intuitive Interface

Let's face it: legacy systems like Thunder look and feel like they were built in the early 2000s. They are bulky and take months to master. Focus provides a sleek, app-like, and highly intuitive user experience. This allows younger coaches and players to interact with the software naturally, reducing the learning curve and making film sessions much more engaging.

How to Turn This Into Your Big Break

In the sports industry, your technical skillset is your currency. As teams transition away from Sportscode and Thunder, they are actively looking for a new generation of video coordinators, data analysts, and scouts who understand modern workflows.

If you want to fast-track your sports career, don't just learn the legacy tools of the past — learn the tools of the future. Understanding how platforms like Catapult Focus combine video and data will make your resume jump off the desk of any General Manager or Head Coach hiring for their staff. Stay ahead of the technology curve, and you might just find yourself inside the video room of your favorite franchise.

Looking to build your skillset for a career in the front office? SMWW's Hockey Video Performance Analysis with Catapult course trains you on the exact platform that NHL, AHL, and PWHL organizations rely on — at a professional level — before you ever walk through the door. Check out our full range of professional sports career courses in Video Performance Analysis, Scouting, and Analytics at SMWW.com.

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Every World Cup has a list of names that the world knows — the players, the coaches, the managers whose faces fill the broadcasts and whose names trend across social media for a month straight.

And then there are the names the world does not see.

The agents. The people who built the career infrastructure, navigated the contracts, managed the relationships with clubs and national teams, and did the years of unglamorous essential work that allowed an athlete to arrive at the biggest stage in soccer ready to compete.

Mario Iveljic is one of those names.

A licensed FIFA Football Agent, contract lawyer, graduate of Sports Management Worldwide's Soccer Agent course, and founder of Chicago-based Mag Mile Sport — Iveljic has spent more than two decades doing the work that most people never see. This summer, that work put one of his clients on a United States Men's National Team World Cup roster.

Two Decades of Closing Deals and Solving Problems

Mario Iveljic did not stumble into sports representation. He built toward it deliberately, combining a legal career with a deep understanding of the international soccer landscape to create a profile that is genuinely rare in the agent world.

Yale-educated and trained as a contract lawyer, Iveljic brought to soccer representation something that many agents lack — the legal fluency to understand exactly what a contract says, what it does not say, and where the leverage lives. Over more than 20 years of closing deals and solving problems for athletes, that combination of legal expertise and soccer knowledge has been his foundation.

His agency, Mag Mile Sport, operates out of Chicago — fitting for an agent whose most prominent client came up through the city's own professional soccer ecosystem. The agency represents players across MLS and international soccer, with a philosophy built around long-term career development rather than transactional deal-making.

Iveljic's description of his own work says it cleanly: closing deals and solving problems. That is the actual job. Not the highlight packages. Not the draft night moments. The contracts, the negotiations, the calls at 6 AM when something needs to be fixed, and the strategic thinking about where a player's career should go next and why.

The SMWW Connection

Among the credentials Mario Iveljic carries is one that connects him directly to the Sports Management Worldwide community — he is not just a graduate of one SMWW course, but two.

Iveljic completed the Soccer Agent Course through SMWW — building a dual foundation that covers the full landscape of professional athlete representation. The Soccer Agent course covers FIFA and domestic agent regulations, transfer mechanics, player assessment, recruitment, contract negotiation, endorsements, and post-career planning. 

Iveljic has also appeared on SMWW's Doc Talk series as a featured speaker — walking aspiring soccer agents through the realities of the career with the kind of operational detail that only comes from someone who has been inside the work for decades. Watch Mario's Doc Talk on the SMWW Doc Talk page — he covers the FIFA transfer window, the agent-club relationship, networking strategy, and the long game of building a client roster in language that is direct, practical, and completely free of the romanticized version of what agents do.

That combination — two SMWW certifications, a law degree from Chicago-Kent (Cum Laude), a Yale education where he played varsity soccer, and two-plus decades of real-world experience — is what produced the agent who could navigate a FIFA World Cup moment on behalf of his client.

What the Work Actually Looks Like

For aspiring sports agents, the career often gets romanticized into its highest moments. The signing. The announcement. The roster reveal.

What Iveljic's career represents is everything in between.

When Chris Brady signed his first professional Homegrown contract at 16 years old with the Chicago Fire, someone had to understand what that contract meant — not just what it said today, but what it set up for the years ahead. When Brady went on loan to develop at the lower levels, someone was tracking the progress and thinking about the timing of the next step. When it came time to negotiate the long-term deal that tied Brady to the Fire through at least 2029, someone was across the table making sure the terms reflected what a goalkeeper of Brady's trajectory was worth.

That someone was Mario Iveljic.

Beyond Brady, Iveljic's client work spans the breadth of what a working soccer agency actually handles — players in MLS, in USL, in international competitions, at various stages of their careers. He has celebrated a USL Championship with client Eddie Munjoma and Phoenix Rising. He has seen youth players like Gio Villa called into US youth national team camps. He has built his agency one relationship, one contract, one solved problem at a time.

That is the real shape of a soccer agent career. Not one signature moment. A long accumulation of work done well.

The World Cup Moment

When the USMNT roster was announced in May 2026 and Chris Brady's name appeared among the three goalkeepers selected, it was the highest-profile moment Mag Mile Sport had experienced as an agency.

Brady's inclusion was historic on multiple levels — the first Chicago Fire Homegrown player ever named to a World Cup roster, and the youngest goalkeeper on a US squad since 1990. Those headlines belonged to Brady. The work that made them possible belonged in large part to the agent who has been beside him since the beginning.

For Iveljic, it was the kind of validation that does not come from one deal or one moment. It comes from years of consistent, serious, professional work on behalf of a client the agent believed in when the rest of the world was still catching up.

That is what long-term representation looks like when it is done right.

What Mario Iveljic's Career Tells Us About the Agent Path

There is a version of the sports agent story that gets told over and over — the shortcut, the connection, the right-place-right-time narrative that makes the career sound more like luck than craft.

Iveljic's career is not that story.

It is a Yale law degree applied to an industry that rewards legal fluency. It is structured education through SMWW layered onto two decades of real experience. It is an agency built in Chicago, representing players across multiple levels and leagues, doing the daily work of a profession that does not offer many shortcuts.

And it is a client on a World Cup roster — not because of a moment of good fortune, but because the agent knew his job and did it well for long enough that the moment arrived naturally.

Sports Management Worldwide is proud to count Mario Iveljic among its alumni — and to watch what he has built with Mag Mile Sport continue to grow on the biggest stages in the game.

Mario is also a familiar face at SMWW's annual presence at the Coachella Valley Invitational Soccer Career Conference — the largest MLS and NWSL preseason event in North American soccer history, held every February in Indio, California. It is one of the rare moments each year where clubs, players, agents, scouts, and executives all converge in one place — and where SMWW brings aspiring professionals into direct contact with the people running the sport. Mario shows up every year. That consistency is not an accident. It is part of how serious agents stay connected, stay visible, and stay relevant in an industry built on relationships.

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Las Vegas has a way of making things feel bigger than they are.

But what happened inside The Westin Las Vegas on July 12th, 2026 was not a production. It was not a performance. It was a room full of people — from across the country and around the world — sitting across from some of the most accomplished professionals in the basketball industry, having real conversations about real careers.

And for a lot of the people in that room, it was a day that changed something.

This is a thank you. To every speaker who gave their time, their knowledge, and their honesty. To every attendee who showed up — some nervous, some uncertain, all of them willing. And to the SMWW family that made it happen for another year.

Here is what the day looked like from the inside.

The Night Before: Virgil's BBQ and the Conversations That Start Everything

Before a single panel began, the weekend was already doing what SMWW conferences do best.

Saturday evening's welcome reception at Virgil's BBQ in the Linq Promenade brought together attendees, staff, and speakers in the kind of informal setting where the real introductions happen. No stage. No agenda. Just people with a shared passion for basketball finding each other over dinner in Las Vegas.

One attendee put it simply: "From the dinner at Virgil's to the conference itself, I met many people with like-minded goals to my own, and learned a tremendous amount from leaders in the industry who are very generous with their knowledge."

That generosity defined the entire weekend.

Sunday Morning: Dr. Lashbrook Opens the Room

At 8:00 AM on Sunday, Dr. Lynn Lashbrook, President and Founder of Sports Management Worldwide, welcomed the room with the same conviction he has brought to every conference for over thirty years — that the sports industry is not a closed door, and that the people sitting in that room belonged there.

What followed was eight hours of proof.

Inside Basketball Scouting: How NBA Teams Find Future Stars

Brian Pauga, Utah Jazz Director of College Scouting, Rick Sund, one of the most decorated former NBA General Managers in the history of the league and a longtime SMWW mentor, and Carl Berman, Managing Partner of Netscouts Basketball and SMWW mentor, opened the conference with a session that went exactly where the title promised — inside the room where NBA talent evaluation actually happens.

The frameworks. The film. The judgment calls. The difference between a player who gets drafted and a player who doesn't. This was not a surface-level overview. It was three people who have spent careers building those systems walking an audience of aspiring scouts and executives through how it all works.

For anyone who has ever wanted to know how the NBA finds its future stars — this was that conversation.

Inside Basketball Representation: How Agents Build Careers Around the World

Bret Kanis, NBA and FIBA agent and SMWW mentor, Joel Corry, CBS Sports "Agents Take" writer and SMWW mentor, and Matt Bollero, CEO of ProMondo Sports and former NBA scout, brought three completely different windows into what basketball representation actually looks like in 2026 — from domestic contract negotiation to international player placement to the media analysis that shapes how the entire industry is understood from the outside.

The global basketball market is not a future opportunity. It is a present one. And this session made clear just how wide the professional landscape has become for agents willing to operate across borders.

NIL in Basketball: Building Athlete Brands and Maximizing Opportunities

Greg Glynn, CEO of Pliable Marketing and SMWW mentor, Larry Lundy, President of LMG and SMWW mentor, and DeShawn Henry, UNLV Men's Basketball Director of Basketball Operations, tackled one of the most consequential shifts in the history of college sports — NIL — from three different angles: marketing, management, and the view from inside a Division I program that is living the change in real time.

NIL has not just changed what college athletes can earn. It has created an entirely new category of sports business professional. This session was a map of what that career actually looks like — and where the opportunities are for people who move into this space with the right knowledge.

Leadership in the NBA: A Conversation with Khalia Collier

Khalia Collier, Vice President and Chief of Staff for Basketball Operations with the Dallas Mavericks, sat down with Dei Lynam, NBA, G-League, and Ivy League broadcaster and SMWW mentor, for one of the most talked-about conversations of the day.

Khalia's role inside one of the NBA's most prominent organizations puts her at the intersection of basketball decisions and organizational leadership in a way that very few people in the industry can speak to. What she shared — about how teams function, how leadership is built, and what it actually takes to earn and hold a role at that level — was the kind of candor that does not come from a press release.

The room felt it. This was one of those sessions people were still talking about over lunch.

Networking Lunch

At 11:45 AM, the conference paused — and the hallways, the tables, and the corners of the room filled with exactly what SMWW conferences are built around.

"The conference emphasizes meeting every person in the room, which is something I appreciate," one attendee noted. "Also, who wouldn't want to be in Vegas during the summer league!"

Networking is not a break from the conference. At SMWW, it is the conference.

Inside NBA Team Business Operations: Jon White and the Business of Basketball

Jon White, NBA Team Marketing and Business Operations Senior Director, pulled back the curtain on the side of professional basketball that most fans and aspiring professionals underestimate — the business infrastructure that makes NBA franchises function.

Marketing strategy. Partnership development. Revenue growth. Fan engagement at scale. For anyone who wants to build a career on the business side of a professional basketball organization, this session was a blueprint.

GM Power Hour: Chad Buchanan and the Indiana Pacers

Chad Buchanan, General Manager of the Indiana Pacers, sat down with Dr. Lashbrook for what became one of the most direct and honest conversations of the day.

How do you build a winning team? How do you make decisions with imperfect information under time pressure? What does a GM actually look for when they hire? What does it take to build an organizational culture that sustains success?

Buchanan answered all of it — without the filter of a press conference and without the distance of a prepared speech. Just a GM talking about his work with the kind of specificity that most people in this industry spend years trying to get access to.

Courtside Careers: NBA Broadcasting, Reporting and Media

Dei Lynam, Lauren Rosen, LA Clippers Sideline Reporter, and Stephen Gillaspie, No Ceilings NBA Reporter, covered the media side of basketball with the same ground-level honesty that defined every session of the day. Moderated by Ike Worth, SMWW Business Operations Manager, the conversation covered how careers in basketball media are actually built — from developing a voice to building a beat to landing courtside in an industry that is more competitive and more dynamic than it has ever been.

The audience for basketball content is enormous. The people who create it with real knowledge and real access are still a relatively small and very intentional group.

Beyond the Box Score: Analytics and Player Development in Modern Basketball

Brad Kanis, CEO of EuroProBasket International Academy, closed the session lineup by exploring how data and player development have become inseparable from how modern basketball organizations operate — moderated by Ike Worth, SMWW Business Operations Manager.

From statistical modeling to international development pipelines to the way coaches and front offices are integrating data into daily decision-making, this session showed what the next generation of basketball operations actually looks like — and where the career paths run through it.

After the Conference: Eight NBA Teams. One Campus. One Evening.

When Dr. Lashbrook gave closing remarks at 4:00 PM, the day was technically over.

But for most of the people in that room, it was nowhere close to finished. By 4:30 PM, the group had moved to UNLV's Thomas & Mack Center and Cox Pavilion for NBA Summer League basketball — Orlando versus Portland, Sacramento versus Washington, San Antonio versus Milwaukee, and the LA Clippers versus Utah — eight franchises whose executives had been on panels earlier that same day, now represented on the court.

The combination of a full day inside a conference room with the world's best basketball professionals, followed by a night watching their teams compete, is something that simply does not exist in any other format anywhere in the sports business education world.

What the People in the Room Said

The measure of a conference is not the names on the panels. It is what the people who attended walk away carrying.

"This conference has been so life changing. I came in wanting to do one thing and learn about one thing, but I came out wanting to learn more. It was a great opportunity to meet and connect with people who have similar interests — or different. I am so inspired."

"The conference changed my life for the better. I came here with no idea what I was doing and left with a purpose to better my life. This conference was the start to a new life."

"I came to this conference not knowing what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised. The speakers and staff were all very open and personable. It reminded me that everyone is human and that we need each other to thrive. I am glad I exposed myself to the ecosystem."

"I was nervous — being far from home, not knowing anybody, and being young and inexperienced — but it was worth the risk. You will meet somebody and hear something that is beneficial for your growth."

"SMWW Basketball Conference allowed me to feel confident that I was better equipped to turn my dream into a reality."

"This conference is awesome. I will be back."

These are not success stories from people who already had connections inside the NBA. They are from people who showed up without certainty, took the chance, and left with something they did not have before — clarity, confidence, relationships, and a direction.

That is the point of all of it.

A Thank You That Is Long Overdue

To every speaker who came to Las Vegas and gave this conference everything they had — Brian Pauga, Rick Sund, Carl Berman, Bret Kanis, Joel Corry, Matt Bollero, Greg Glynn, Larry Lundy, DeShawn Henry, Khalia Collier, Dei Lynam, Chad Buchanan, Jon White, Lauren Rosen, Stephen Gillaspie, and Brad Kanis — thank you. You did not have to be as open, as honest, or as generous as you were. You were all of those things anyway. That is not lost on the people in that room, and it will not be lost on their careers.

To Ike Worth, whose work behind the scenes and on the stage makes days like this one actually happen — thank you.

To Dr. Lynn Lashbrook, who has believed for over thirty years that the sports industry should have more open doors than it does, and who has spent every one of those years proving it — thank you.

And to every attendee who bought a flight to Las Vegas, walked into a room full of strangers, and decided to bet on their own future — the conference was yours. It always is.

See You Next Year

If you were in Las Vegas this July, you already know what this weekend was. Keep the connections you made. Follow up. Stay in touch with the people you met.

If you were not there, this is what the room looked like.

Learn more about the SMWW Basketball Career Conference

The 2027 conference is already being built.

Note: The SMWW Basketball Career Conference is not affiliated with or connected to the NBA, NBA Summer League, or NBA G-League. Summer League tickets are not included with conference registration and are purchased separately.