Program Alumni Lead First-Ever Professional Development Course
With the return to in-person classes this Fall after a year of virtual instruction, San Diego State’s Sports MBA program looked to meet the needs of its students and implemented a first-of-its-kind course prioritizing wellness, mindfulness, and professional development. Two Sports MBA alumni, alumnus Chris Clark (SMBA ’12) and alumna Lisa Jenkins (SMBA ‘06) served as professors for the 2-unit module. Clark and Jenkins led students through a series of professional development lectures and workshops, paired with experiential learning through sports industry site visits and outdoor activities.
“There has never been a greater demand for human connection,” says Clark. “What a perfect opportunity to deliver a course that prioritizes and facilitates the personal, interpersonal, and professional development of our students.”
SMBA ‘22 at Monday morning Mindfulness and Movement
The course featured three sections, each with the goal of aiding students’ professional development while keeping mindfulness at the core of the process: Leading Self, Leading Others, and Leading Organizations. Each module featured distinct experiential components, ranging from guest lecturers, field trips, brand partnerships, and a weekly invitation to participate in a “movement & mindfulness” yoga practice.
The tools provided in the “Leading Self” module focused on preparing students for their entrance into the sports business industry. This included building résumés, learning how to job hunt, conducting informational interviews, and preparing for job interviews. The primary goal of this was to refine students' skills to prepare them for a competitive industry.
For his section of the course, Clark focused on “Leading Self” through a thorough examination of personal core values and an exploration of corporate values for organizations within the sports industry. Students were tasked with determining which organizations in sports business align with their personal values.
For the “Mindfulness and Movement” portion of the course, yoga instructor and corporate wellness expert Sophia Da Silva led yoga practice on campus every Monday morning at 8:00 a.m. The sessions, which included a mix of yoga practice, meditation, and breathing exercises, began each week of classes with intention and heightened awareness through yoga.
The Sports MBA program partnered with apparel brand Lululemon and its Community Foundations Lead, Brenden Webb, who provided Sports MBA-branded Lululemon yoga mats for all students. Webb, a former collegiate and minor league baseball player who has been with Lululemon for four years, gave two guest lectures, one on Lululemon’s company culture and another about the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace.
Instructor Chris Clark (SMBA '12), left, along with Brandon Lowery, middle, and Donny Starkins, right, discuss entrepreneurship and vision
In the “Leading Self” portion of the course, students spent time thinking about their own uniqueness and sought to find their purpose. To assist them in discovering their “superpowers,” students completed the Red Bull Wingfinder assessment.
The journey of self-discovery also included a seminar with Amanda Flisher, a San Diego-based self-leadership coach, who led SMBA ’22 through the Clifton Strengths assessment. Under Flisher’s guidance, Sports MBA students assessed their strengths and abilities to ascertain the unique qualities each will bring to an organization upon graduation.
After identifying and refining their strengths, students moved on to finding their purpose in a broader context in the “Leading Others” section of the course. The primary goal of this section was to focus on each student finding their “why,” achieved through the construction of a purpose statement that clearly outlined how they will contribute past experience, develop others, and make meaningful contributions.
The final section, “Leading Organizations,” focused on finding vision and goal setting. This section of the course was created to help students develop a clear vision and defined goals for any organization that they will eventually lead. These lessons were reinforced with visits from San Diego based entrepreneurs Donny Starkins and Brandon Lowery, who both stressed the importance of creating a vision for their lives and their desired goals.
The first iteration of the Sports MBA Professional Development course provided students with the tools to lead themselves, others, and organizations. The students were introduced to the benefits of prioritizing wellness, fostering diversity and inclusion, making meaningful career contributions, and exploring their own purpose. These seeds were planted in an effort to integrate their academic work with an opportunity to grow and develop professionally within the sports business industry.
Professional sports teams, leagues, college programs, brands, and companies throughout sports and entertainment continue to create diverse corporate cultures focused on work-life balance, health, and mindfulness. To better prepare its students to eventually lead these types of forward-thinking organizations, the SDSU Sports MBA program has adapted its curriculum to include offerings including the Professional Development course. SDSU Sports MBA wishes to thank alumni Chris Clark (SMBA ‘12) and Lisa Jenkins (SMBA ‘06) for their efforts to make this course a reality.
