Brandon Harrison Of Alfred State College Prepares Students For A Career In Sport

My role at Alfred State is a little different from that of a Professor at many colleges across the nation. Where many Assistant Professors are focusing on research, my primary responsibility is to focus on our students.

My typical day starts with teaching in-person in various classes. I have taught everything from Sport Finance to Sport Marketing and event some computer classes on campus – I can’t deny being a bit of a nerd.

After classes, I spend a little time catching up on grading or prepping for my classes for the next day. However, I spend the majority of my “free time” networking. Whether it is through LinkedIn, Twitter, email, phone, etc. I am putting my “boots on the ground” so to speak in order to facilitate connections for our students.

My goal is to open the door for our students to sprint through for their first sport industry experience. That is a primary part of my secondary role as Internship Coordinator.

2You are also an Internship Coordinator at Alfred State College. Tell us about this role and how do you find balance between this role and your other role as an Assistant Professor of Sport Management. What are some of the hardest parts of balancing two roles? Discuss some of the benefits of having multiple roles.

Don’t tell anyone – but I have to say this is likely my favorite part of my job. I love being in the classroom, but this role gives me the opportunity to truly collaborate with my students.

I spend a ton of time outside of class meeting with our Sport Management students here at Alfred State. The goal is to ensure the student and I are on the same page while working toward that final internship.

Our internship course is a major part of our curriculum at 12 credit hours (480 working onsite), so we put a lot of emphasis on preparing for that. By the time my students are sophomores I know almost everything about them from their hometown and career aspirations to their ability to travel across the country for an internship. That makes this partnership seamless and the process a lot easier.

Another major part of this role is networking on my end. As I said before, I need to help open the doors for students. The first step is brand development and recognition of our program.

A key feature of an education at Alfred State is applied learning – meaning we focus on “hands-on” training. My job is to ensure our prospective employers know that so when an Alfred State resume is sitting on the table, they grab it.

In terms of balancing the two, it really is not too difficult. It’s truly a blessing to have both roles because I talk about concepts and theory in the classroom and my students use that in our conversations.

They may come to me after a Sport Communication course and say, “Public relations is a topic that is particularly interesting to me,” and that translates into our conversation for internships. I doubt a lecture goes by where I don’t reference the internship and the skills we learn that day that will impact their chances of getting an internship. So really, the integration is ideal.

3How did the Sport Management program at Saint John Fisher College prepare you for a career in sport?

The Sport Management program at St. John Fisher was fantastic for me. It was the wake-up call I needed after high school. I was a big fish in a small pond coming out of high school, and SJFC put me in my place.

I had the intention of going on to be a professional baseball player after college, but I quickly found out once I stepped on the field with the Cardinals that, that was likely a pipe dream.

Additionally, I can think back to my Intro to Sport Management course where Professor Scott Bryson brought me into reality. I failed my first exam and he pulled me aside and said something to the effect of “college isn’t for everyone.” After being a top student in high school, it brought me to my senses, and I took academics much more seriously after that.

Overall, I would not trade anything from my time there. The academic and real-world experiences were beautifully blended to ensure I walked into the sport industry a consummate professional. I use that today in every single one of my classes because I know that is the greatest gift I received during my time at SJFC.

4The competition in the sports industry is intense. What characteristics does a person need to be successful in the sports industry?

Recent graduates need to understand that the sport industry is coveted by everyone. Who doesn’t want to work for their favorite team? Recent graduates from law school are willing to take a lower salary just for the opportunity to work with the Boston Celtics. Therefore, the competition is tough – so a person needs to persevere since it can get discouraging while applying for jobs.

Networking is a major reason why anyone will get a job in the sport industry. And that first step towards networking is scary. Students frequently think that people who work for the “big-time” sports franchises don’t have time to speak with them. However, that’s the beauty of the sport industry. People are more than willing to help. Taking that first leap takes some courage, but it will pay handsomely in the future.

As many students have likely experienced in their Fall 2020 semester, adaptability is key to any position, including a student role. However, in the sport industry, you truly have to think on your feet because you never know what to expect. Having a story prepped for an interview about how you adapted to a difficult situation is always a good idea.

This is paramount in the sport industry. If you don’t love working in the sport industry, it is going to be hard. We work long hours with little recognition for mediocre pay. That is the reality of things in sport.

However, if you love what you do and have a passion for it, it will be worth it. My passion while I worked directly in the sport industry was seeing the student-athletes succeed or simply the smile on their face when they saw a graphic that my office had developed for them.

Everything I did, the long hours, the rainy days, the missed birthdays and weddings – it was all for them and that moment. Never underestimate the impact passion can have on you and your career.