Sports MBA Q&A: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Buccaneers Senior Coordinator of Community Impact Zak Zumbiel (left) and SMBA student Annika Meurer (right) 

Q: What is your current role with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers?

I am the Senior Coordinator of Community Impact. My primary focus is on youth outreach, specifically youth football, flag football, and women in sports. I primarily work on initiatives that involve being on the field, but I also assist with various holiday events and getting alumni to attend our events. I also work on our Glazer Vision Foundation events from time to time.

Q: What are the advantages on the organizational side of being defending Super Bowl Champions?

First and foremost, the goal of any organization is for more people to attend games. 

We went from 13 seasons of not making the playoffs to Super Bowl Champions. With that in mind, we have more people taking an interest in us. We can capitalize on a bigger audience and expand our events with heightened interest. We can also bring more awareness to all of our initiatives on and off the field. Our team and organization have a mentality to not just do things to get it done but to improve our events every year and every season.

Q: What is your team looking forward to implementing this year with the bigger audience in mind?

We are most proud of our women's inclusion in sports both on and off the field. 

Girls flag football is a mandated sport in the state of Florida, and we pride ourselves in developing the sport.  There is a massive opportunity for girls to participate in flag football, and we want to help expand said opportunity for girls to be players themselves or have a career in sports afterward. We are creating initiatives to connect females to the front office on the football and business side, which is opening up a lot of doors for these young women.

Annika wears a Tampa Bay Buccaneers Super Bowl LV Championship ring 

Q: You have personally worked for numerous organizations. What is your favorite about working for the Buccaneers?

Top to bottom, the Buccaneers are the most organized organization I’ve ever worked for. We have numerous policies that are in place for us to succeed and also be really creative. 

We have a very talented staff, and I am always amazed by the ideas that come out of our meetings. In addition, our content team does a fantastic job of promoting our events on the big stage. As we develop as a society, content is so important, and it’s cool to see how creative the Buccaneers can get with their platforms, and it gives me something to look forward to, even if I have just a small part in it.

Q: What is your favorite part of your job?

This sounds cliché, but every day is exciting and different. You never know what’s going to happen. You tackle new challenges and conquer the unexpected things that come your way. 

Things are ever-changing, and you have to adapt to keep up.  I love how this job keeps me on my toes and really motivates me every day to get up and go to work.

Q: What advice do you have for current Sports MBA students or any students who want to get involved in sports?

Don’t give up; if it’s something you truly want to do, you will find a way.  The only people I have ever known to not make it in the sports world are the people who gave up. With that being said, you are going to have to make sacrifices along to road somewhere, but that will only help you get to where you want to be and reach your goals. Not giving up shows hard work, and it only takes one ‘yes’ out of all your opportunities to say you have made it. So, in summary, take a leap of faith, don’t give up, and don’t be afraid to take a risk.