How did you get your start in sports? It's a common question from college students looking to “get a foot in the door” in the sports industry. I love telling people how I got my start. Mainly because I use the same technique daily, even now that I work in the industry. Creating, building and growing relationships has been the key to my success.
I live in Reno and there are only a few sports related job opportunities, so it took me 18+ months to get my first chance. The last couple years of college, and the extra time that I held out for my sports opportunity, consisted of meeting new people and growing my network. Connecting with people not only helped me get my start but helped me succeed in my role. To this day, networking is my “One thing”, and I believe it can separate you from the pack.
In December 2012, there was an opening on the sales team with the Reno Bighorns, the NBA G-League Affiliate of the Sacramento Kings. I had two friends that had contacts within the organization. One of my roommates was just months into an internship with the team and helped get my resume in front of the Bighorns President. The other friend happened to work at a school that one of the owner’s daughters attended. Owner and president, two great connections with the team. Once I had the “in”, it was on me to follow up, schedule an interview, make a great impression and land the job.
The relationship-based approach I took to get an interview helped me sell myself and show how I could help the team. My interview became more of a conversation as I hit it off with the President. Within a couple weeks, I was a rookie in the NBA family selling tickets and marketing partnerships.
My advice to getting your start: Meet new people and take a genuine interest in getting to know them. Learn about them, their businesses, their families and find ways to add value to the relationship. If you focus on helping people, most will return the favor in one way or another. It's the law of reciprocity.
As I have grown throughout my career, I've met hundreds if not thousands of people. Many have become clients, colleagues and most importantly friends. Keep this in mind. You never know who you are going to meet, and you never know who they know. Good luck!
-Keenan
Keenan Polan is the Director of Sales at the Barracuda Championship on the PGA Tour. In his role he oversees ticket sales and hospitality. Prior to his role there he spent four and a half years at the Reno Bighorns (NBA G-League), most recently serving as their team President. He graduated in 11' from the University of Nevada-Reno. He's a clubhouse mentor as well, you can become a clubhouse pro and set up a call with Keenan here.