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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.

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There are conferences. And then there are rooms where careers actually change.

On Sunday, July 12th, 2026, Sports Management Worldwide is bringing one of those rooms to Las Vegas — and the lineup of people sitting on those panels might be the strongest SMWW has ever assembled for a single day of basketball.

An NBA General Manager who just built one of the league's best teams. A Dallas Mavericks executive who sits at the intersection of basketball operations and organizational leadership. An Indiana Pacers GM. A Lakers analytics director. An LA Clippers sideline reporter. NBA agents. NBA scouts. NIL executives. Broadcasters. A former NBA scout turned international basketball CEO.

All of them. One day. One hotel. And then eight NBA Summer League games on the same campus that evening.

Here is what you need to know.

Where and When

The 2026 SMWW Basketball Career Conference takes place on Sunday, July 12th at The Westin Las Vegas Hotel & Spa, 160 E Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, Nevada.

Registration opens Saturday, July 11th from 2:00–4:00 PM, followed by the SMWW Welcome Reception that evening at Virgil's BBQ in the Linq Promenade — the kind of first-night gathering where handshakes happen before the real agenda even begins.

The conference itself runs from 8:00 AM through 4:00 PM on Sunday, with a networking lunch built in at 11:45 AM. After closing remarks, the day transitions directly to NBA Summer League action at UNLV's Thomas & Mack Center and Cox Pavilion — four games starting at 4:30 PM, including the Clippers, Lakers, Pacers, Spurs, and five other franchises represented on the court the same day their executives were in the room with you.

Summer League tickets are not included with conference registration and are purchased separately.

The Sessions. The Speakers. The Access.

8:15 AM — Inside Basketball Scouting: How NBA Teams Find Future Stars

Brian Pauga, Utah Jazz Director of College Scouting, opens the day alongside Rick Sund, one of the most experienced general managers in NBA history and a longtime SMWW mentor, and Carl Berman, Managing Partner of Netscouts Basketball. Moderated by Dr. Lynn Lashbrook, this is the session that breaks down how NBA teams actually find, evaluate, and project talent — the film, the frameworks, and the judgment calls that separate the players who get drafted from the ones who don't.

If you want to work in scouting — at any level — this is the conversation you have been trying to get into.

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9:00 AM — Inside Basketball Representation: How Agents Build Careers Around the World

Bret Kanis, NBA and FIBA agent and SMWW mentor, joins Joel Corry, CBS Sports "Agents Take" writer, and Matt Bollero, CEO of ProMondo Sports and former NBA scout, for a session that covers the full landscape of basketball representation — domestic and international, rookie contracts and veteran deals, the recruitment, the negotiation, and the long-term career management that defines what great agents actually do.

The global basketball market is bigger than it has ever been. The agents who understand both the NBA and the international game are the ones building the most interesting client books right now.

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10:00 AM — 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, sit down to talk about one of the fastest-evolving areas in the entire sports business — NIL. How athlete brands are built, how deals get structured, how college programs are navigating the new landscape, and where the career opportunities are for people who want to work inside this space.

NIL has created an entirely new category of sports business professionals. This session is about what that actually looks like from the inside.

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11:00 AM — Leadership in the NBA: A Conversation with Dallas Mavericks Executive Khalia Collier

Khalia Collier, VP and Chief of Staff for Basketball Operations with the Dallas Mavericks, sits down with Dei Lynam — NBA, G-League, and Ivy League broadcaster — for one of the most anticipated conversations of the day.

Khalia's role puts her at the center of how a modern NBA franchise actually operates — from basketball decisions to organizational strategy to the leadership culture that shapes everything underneath it. This is not a panel. It is a direct, candid conversation with someone doing one of the most interesting jobs in basketball.

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12:50 PM — GM Power Hour: How NBA General Managers Build Winning Teams

Chad Buchanan, General Manager of the Indiana Pacers, sits down with Dr. Lynn Lashbrook for a session that does exactly what its title says — goes inside how an NBA GM actually thinks, builds, and operates.

Buchanan has guided the Pacers through one of the more exciting organizational transformations in recent NBA history. This conversation covers roster construction, front office culture, what GMs actually look for when they hire, and what it takes to build a team capable of competing at the highest level.

One speaker. One moderator. No filter.

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1:30 PM — Inside NBA Team Business Operations: Marketing, Partnerships & Growth

Jon White, NBA Team Marketing and Business Operations Senior Director, walks through the business infrastructure that keeps NBA franchises running — marketing strategy, partnership development, revenue growth, and the operational side of professional basketball that most people outside the industry never see.

For anyone who wants to work on the business side of an NBA organization — this is the session that maps what that career actually looks like.

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2:00 PM — Courtside Careers: Inside NBA Broadcasting, Reporting & Media

Dei Lynam, Lauren Rosen (LA Clippers Sideline Reporter), and Stephen Gillaspie (No Ceilings NBA Reporter) break down the media side of basketball careers — how to build a voice in the industry, what it takes to work courtside, how reporting and broadcasting paths are built in a media landscape that looks nothing like it did ten years ago. Moderated by Ike Worth, SMWW Business Operations Manager.

The audience for basketball content has never been larger. The people who know how to create and deliver it are still a relatively small group.

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3:00 PM — Beyond the Box Score: Analytics & Player Development in Modern Basketball

Phil Chang, LA Lakers Basketball Data Strategy Director, Brad Kanis, CEO of EuroProBasket International Academy, and Irv Roland, NBA assistant coach and SMWW mentor, close the session lineup with a look at how data and player development are reshaping the way basketball organizations operate at every level.

Analytics is no longer a department in the corner. It is embedded in how coaches make decisions, how scouts evaluate players, and how teams build development programs for their rosters. This session shows what that integration looks like from the inside — and where the career opportunities live within it.

Why This Weekend. Why Las Vegas. Why Now.

The NBA Summer League draws every front office in the league to Las Vegas at the same time every July. That concentration of basketball decision-makers in one city is unlike anything else on the sports calendar — and the SMWW Basketball Career Conference is specifically timed to sit inside that window.

The people on these panels are not flying in from somewhere else just to speak. Many of them are already in Las Vegas for Summer League. The conference is where you get in the room with them before they are surrounded by the rest of the basketball world.

Past SMWW basketball conference alumni have gone on to work with the Brooklyn Nets, the Boston Celtics, the Los Angeles Clippers, and programs across the NBA, G League, WNBA, and international basketball. The pattern is consistent: people who attend walk away with relationships that the rest of the applicant pool simply does not have.

Who Should Be There

There is no single profile of person this conference is built for — because basketball careers do not look like one thing:

The aspiring scout who wants to learn how NBA evaluations actually work and build the credibility to get in front of the right people. The agent or agent-in-training who needs to understand the full landscape of representation, domestic and international. The NIL professional or marketer who sees where athlete branding is going and wants to be ahead of it. The broadcaster or media professional building a voice in basketball. The analytics candidate who wants to understand how data is actually applied inside a front office. The executive or administrator who wants to know what leadership at the NBA level actually demands.

One day. Every lane. All in the same room.

Registration Is Open Now

The 2026 SMWW Basketball Career Conference is capped, and the Summer League window fills Las Vegas fast. This is not the kind of event where spots sit open until the week before.

Register for the 2026 SMWW Basketball Career Conference here.

Las Vegas. July 12th. The room is 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. Speakers and agenda times are subject to change.

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Not long ago, flag football was considered a participation sport. A backyard game. A lower-stakes alternative for athletes who weren't ready — or weren't willing — to play tackle.

That version of the story is over.

Flag football is now one of the fastest-growing sports in the world, backed by the NFL, embraced by the Olympics, added to high school varsity schedules across the country, and launching at colleges that have never had a football program of any kind. The momentum behind it is not a trend. It is a structural shift in how the sport of football is being built, distributed, and played globally.

And the people who will lead that shift — the coaches, athletic directors, administrators, and sports leaders who build these programs — are being identified and developed right now.

How Fast Is This Actually Moving?

The 2028 Los Angeles Olympics will mark flag football's debut on the world's biggest sporting stage. That is not a distant milestone. It is two summers away — and the infrastructure needed to support it, from national programs to collegiate pipelines to youth development leagues, is being assembled in real time.

The NFL has been one of the primary drivers behind that growth. The league has invested heavily in flag football initiatives across youth development, international expansion, and broadcast exposure — including bringing NFL legends like Tom Brady onto the field to help showcase what the sport has become. When the NFL puts its brand and its stars behind something, the rest of the sports world pays attention.

High schools across the country are adding varsity flag football teams. Colleges are launching programs at every level. Athletic directors who have never had to think about flag football are now being asked to build it, staff it, and win with it.

The demand for qualified, trained leaders is ahead of the supply. That gap is exactly where careers are built.

What Does It Actually Take to Build a Flag Football Program?

This is the question that most coaches and administrators are sitting with right now — because flag football, while rooted in football, requires a distinct set of organizational and leadership skills that the traditional coaching pipeline has not prepared people for.

Building a program from scratch means understanding flag football's specific rules, strategies, and player development frameworks. It means recruiting in a landscape where the sport is still new to many athletes and families. It means managing relationships with athletic departments, school boards, and community stakeholders who may still be learning what flag football actually is. It means developing a culture and a competitive identity before there are trophies on the shelf.

These are not skills that come from watching games on television or playing in a recreational league. They come from structured, expert-guided preparation — the kind that most aspiring flag football leaders have not had access to until now.

The Course That Was Built for This Moment

Sports Management Worldwide has launched Flag Football Leadership: How to Build a Successful Flag Football Program — one of the first comprehensive online programs designed specifically for coaches, athletic directors, administrators, and sports leaders who want to build flag football programs that actually compete.

This is not a general coaching course that happens to mention flag football. It was built from the ground up for this sport, at this moment, with an instructor who has lived exactly the challenge these leaders are about to face.

The course is fully online, accessible from anywhere in the world, and begins September 7, 2026. Learn more and reserve your spot here.

The Instructor: Amanda Ruller

The person leading this course is not a bystander to flag football's growth. She has been inside it, building it, and winning with it.

In just two seasons, Amanda Ruller took Eastern University's flag football program from a standing start to a nationally ranked contender. Along the way, she earned Atlantic East Coach of the Year honors, coached USA Flag Football, represented Team Canada on the international stage, and completed coaching fellowships with two NFL organizations — the Seattle Seahawks and the Cincinnati Bengals.

That combination of program-building experience, national team representation, and NFL-level exposure is not something you find in many instructors teaching any sport. For flag football, it is genuinely rare — and it is exactly the kind of perspective that people building programs need to learn from.

Amanda knows what works, what breaks down, and what the sport is going to demand from its leaders as it scales to the Olympic stage and beyond.

Who This Is For

The Flag Football Leadership course is built for anyone who wants to be part of building this sport — at any level:

Coaches who want to make the move into flag football and establish themselves before the market fills up. Whether you're coming from tackle football, another sport entirely, or building your first program, this course gives you the framework to do it right.

Athletic Directors and Administrators who are being asked to launch flag football programs and need a clear picture of how successful programs are actually structured — from operations to culture to competitive philosophy.

Sports Leaders and Career Changers who see flag football's trajectory and want to position themselves inside a growth market before the obvious opportunities are already taken.

Current Flag Football Coaches who are already in the sport and want to sharpen the leadership and organizational skills that will separate their programs from the rest.

The Biggest Opportunities Go to the People Who Move First

Every sport that has scaled rapidly — women's soccer, esports, three-on-three basketball — created a window where the people who got in early built careers that the latecomers are still chasing. Flag football is in that window right now.

The NFL has committed to it. The Olympics have embraced it. Schools and colleges are building programs and looking for people to run them. That demand is not going to slow down before September. It is going to accelerate.

The people who complete this course by the time programs start hiring will be among the most credentialed flag football leaders in the country — because right now, that bar has not been set yet. This course is part of setting it.

Reserve your spot in the Flag Football Leadership course — starts September 7

Flag football is building its next generation of leaders. Be one of them.

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Earn College Credit While Building Your Sports Career

What if you could take Sports Management Worldwide courses, earn college credit, and potentially use financial aid or military education benefits to help pay for it?

Thanks to a partnership between Sports Management Worldwide (SMWW) and Fort Hays State University (FHSU), students can do exactly that.

Whether you're a college student, working professional, military service member, veteran, or sports industry career changer, this unique program allows you to gain practical sports business education while earning transferable college credit.

Study Sports Business From Anywhere in the World

Unlike traditional degree programs that require you to relocate or attend classes on campus, SMWW courses can be completed from anywhere in the world.

Students from more than 160 countries have participated in SMWW programs, learning directly from professional sports executives, agents, scouts, coaches, broadcasters, and industry leaders.

All you need is an internet connection.

Financial Aid and Military Benefits May Be Available

One of the most exciting advantages of the FHSU Credit Overlay Program is that qualified students may be eligible to utilize:

• Federal Financial Aid

• Military Tuition Assistance

• GI Bill Benefits

• Veteran Education Benefits

• Other University Funding Programs

This creates opportunities for students to pursue sports business education while reducing out-of-pocket expenses.

Earn College Credit for SMWW Courses

Students can earn:

• 2 college credits for each eligible SMWW course

• Up to 6 transferable college credits

• Credit through an accredited university with more than 120 years of educational excellence

Many students use these credits toward degree requirements or transfer them to their home institution, subject to approval by their academic advisor.

Learn From Sports Industry Leaders

SMWW mentors include current and former:

• General Managers

• Sports Agents

• Scouts

• Coaches

• Team Executives

• Broadcasters

• Analytics Professionals

• Media Personalities

Students gain practical knowledge and valuable industry connections while building a professional network that can help open doors throughout their careers.

A Powerful Combination: Education + Networking

Dr. Lynn Lashbrook, President and Founder of Sports Management Worldwide and an FHSU alumnus, believes success in sports comes from both "what you know" and "who you know."

Through the FHSU partnership, students receive both.

You'll gain practical sports business education, college credit, resume assistance, networking opportunities, and access to more than 30,000 SMWW alumni around the world.

Ready to Learn More?

If you've ever wanted to work in sports while earning college credit and potentially utilizing financial aid or military education benefits, now is the perfect time to explore the FHSU and SMWW partnership.

Your sports career may be closer than you think.

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This past weekend, Buffalo, New York was the center of the hockey universe.

The 2026 NHL Draft brought general managers, scouts, agents, and front office executives into one city. And for the 19th year in a row, Sports Management Worldwide put a group of career-driven hockey hopefuls right in the middle of it — not watching from the outside, but in the room, at the table, and on a first-name basis with the people who run the sport.

Here's how the weekend actually went.

A Weekend That Started With a Bar Next to the Sabres' Home Ice

The conference kicked off Thursday with check-in at The Westin Downtown Buffalo, followed by a welcome reception at The Draft Room — a bar sitting in the shadow of KeyBank Center, home of the Buffalo Sabres. It was the kind of first night where strangers who'd flown in from across the world struck up conversations that, by Saturday, had turned into real industry contacts.

That is the entire idea behind this conference. Not panels you watch passively. Relationships you walk away with.

Friday: A Full Day in the Room With the People Who Run the NHL

Friday is where the conference earned every bit of its reputation.

The day opened with Dr. Lynn Lashbrook, SMWW's President and Founder, welcoming the room before sitting down with Bill Daly, NHL Deputy Commissioner, for a conversation that pulled back the curtain on how the league actually operates at the highest level. Not a press conference. A real, candid exchange in front of a room full of people trying to build careers in the sport.

From there, the day moved fast:

Doug MacLean, former NHL general manager and head coach, joined NHLPA agent Mike Curran to break down how agents and GMs actually shape contracts and trades — the business side of hockey that almost never gets explained this directly.

Right after that session, the room got an unscheduled kind of magic: Miragh Bitove, Keeper of the Stanley Cup, stopped by with the Cup itself — and the photo line that followed turned into one of the more talked-about moments of the entire weekend.

Mike Johnston (Portland Winterhawks GM), Dave Brown (Erie Otters GM), and Mike Oke (Peterborough Petes GM and VP of Hockey Operations) — moderated by Dino Caputo (Penticton Vees Regional Scout) walked through how junior and amateur hockey actually develops the players who end up in the draft.

Brian Burke, longtime NHL executive, and Chris Burkett, PWHL Vice President, tackled the growth of women's hockey and the career doors the PWHL is opening right now — one of the most forward-looking sessions of the entire weekend.

EJ Hradek of NHL Network, Jason Bukala of SportsNet and founder of the Pro Hockey Group, and Buffalo News writer Michael Harrington sat down for "Telling the Stories!" — an honest look at the role media plays in the hockey industry, how coverage shapes the sport, and what it actually looks like to build a career telling hockey's stories at the highest level.

And in a session that consistently pulls the most notes and follow-up questions, Allie Anneheim, Buffalo Sabres VP of Ticket Sales, was joined by Tim Quinn, Erie Otters Social Media and Color Commentary Manager, and Mark Million, Peterborough Petes Director of Merchandise and Community Growth — moderated by Ike Worth, SMWW Business Operations Manager — to break down the side of hockey operations most people never think to target: ticket sales, fan engagement, marketing, and community roles that are very much hiring, right now. Three different organizations. Three different entry points. One clear message: there is more than one door into a hockey career.

Before the final session of the day, Chase Rochon, Director of Hockey Operations at St. Andrew's College, and Jon Christiano, former Buffalo Sabres Director of Pro Scouting, walked the room through the inside of hockey operations — how teams scout, evaluate, analyze, and ultimately build rosters. Moderated by Mike Oke, it was one of the more granular sessions of the weekend, going deep into the actual decision-making processes that determine which players make organizations and which ones don't.

The day closed with a Draft Day Playbook session — Dr. Lashbrook, Doug MacLean, Mike Oke, and scout Dino Caputo walking attendees through exactly how to make the most of draft night.

By 6 PM, the group headed straight to KeyBank Center. Doors opened at 6:50. And at 7:00, the first pick of the 2026 NHL Draft was made — live, in person, with the SMWW group seated in the building as it happened.

Saturday: Rounds 2 Through 7, and the Networking Never Stopped

Saturday was intentionally left open. Doors at KeyBank Center opened at 10:30 AM, with Rounds 2 through 7 running through the morning and into the afternoon. No structured agenda — just badges on, handshakes happening, and a hockey-obsessed group spending one more day building the kind of relationships that, for past attendees, have turned into actual jobs.

This Isn't a New Story. It's a Pattern.

Sheryar Abdullah attended a previous SMWW Hockey Draft Conference and is now working as a video scout in Calgary — and has said directly that the conference changed both his mindset and the opportunities that followed.

Justin Shemie said the conference is where he found his first job in hockey. Today, he's Head Scout for a university hockey program and a scout for the Moncton Wildcats — and credits the contacts made at the conference for getting him there.

Even NHL decision-makers vouch for it. Brian Burke, who has hired SMWW graduates directly, has said the program gives attendees the training, network, and mentoring needed to break into or move up in professional hockey — and that hundreds of graduates are now working at every level of the game.

What stands out across all three stories is the same thread: the people running NHL franchises already know this room. They've hired out of it before.

Buffalo was this year's draft city. Next year, it'll be somewhere else — and the room will fill the same way it always does.