NASHVILLE – Tusculum University students gained insight into the operation of a professional sports franchise as they interacted with employees during a recent visit to the home of the Nashville Predators.
Tusculum University students take a photo with alumna Cassie Born, who is wearing the black shirt in the back. She works for the Nashville Predators.
Nearly 20 participants in the Student Support Services program, which serves students whose parents or guardians do not have a bachelor’s degree, who come from lower-income households and/or who have a disability, headed to Bridgestone Arena. They spoke with a group of employees and received a tour of the building before enjoying a Predators game. Giving the tour was Cassie Born, who began working for the team after she earned two degrees from Tusculum.
“We wanted the students to get firsthand experience with individuals who work in the sports industry and see what kinds of careers are possible,” said Laura Carr, administrative assistant for the Tusculum’s Center for Academic Success and Tutoring and one of the Tusculum staff members who attended. “Additionally, we wanted the students to get a chance to see how much goes into making a professional sports team run and what the behind-the-scenes operation was like.”
During the tour, the students saw various fan experience locations, including regular seating, lounge areas and luxury options. The tour guides shared experiences available in different customer tiers and price points. The students had access to see the sales floor and other office spaces and saw the team and player trophies and awards the franchise has on display.
Tour staff members also detailed the periodic modification of the building to handle other events, such as shows and concerts. Panelists who spoke with the students talked about their experiences working for arena, describing their jobs and the way they landed them.
This trip was also designed to allow students to have conversations with people who work in fields that interest them so they could receive real-world tips and knowledge.
The panelists were:
- Laith Yasiri, vice president of business strategy and analytics
- Nigel Schnarr, director of ice operations
- Brooke Franklin, manager of guest experience
- Caroline Cooke, senior manager of corporate partnerships
“I believe the students got a lot out of the staff panel,” Carr said. “The students liked that they had the ability to ask specific questions about their interests and subjects that pertained to their own majors. I think the students were particularly engaged by the discussions about how technology and artificial intelligence affect the panelists’ jobs and how they are using these tools to expand what they are able to do within their specific roles.
“The students also seemed to appreciate the guidance given by the panelists regarding how to stand out as an internship candidate and how to handle and learn from experiencing rejection while applying for internships.”
Participants and staff of Student Support Services at Tusculum tour Bridgestone Arena.
Participants and staff of Student Support Services tour the rink.
Ryan Drysch, a senior who is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in sport management, said he took the trip because it aligns with his major and because he is a hockey fan. He was also interested because he had never been to Nashville.
“I liked getting to see an inside look at their stadium and seeing what it is like working for an NHL team,” he said. “This trip helped me with my career preparation by getting advice from current employees and hearing about their different roles within the organization. The game was a good atmosphere and competitive with the Preds getting the win.”
The Predators defeated the Buffalo Sabres 6-4.
Levi Cason, a freshman, is pursuing a degree in biology with plans for a career in occupational therapy as well as orthotics and prosthetics.
“The tour was very fun, and learning about the history and everyone’s input into the organization was helpful,” Carson said. “The game was incredible in competitiveness, but the highlight was when both teams were going goal for goal in the final period. To see how every athlete could use therapy to recover from any injury and how time consuming it would be would probably help me and my career field the most.”
Janelle Zirger, a junior seeking a degree in criminal justice, also benefited from the trip.
”Although I’m not a sport science or sport management major, having the information session with some of the employees of the Nashville Predators and the stadium gave me a lot of insight about the general sense of finding your career path and how you want to take it,” she said. “They talked about their education and the interview process, which was helpful for any of us students.”
Tusculum graduate Cassie Born speaks with the students.
Tusculum students and staff take a photo with Nashville Predators employees.
The parts of the tour that were particularly meaningful for Zirger were learning the history behind the team and its players and seeing the views from all angles of the stadium. She was not a hockey fan before the trip but fell in love with the sport after the visit. She enjoyed the spirit exhibited by the fans and the aggressiveness of the players during the game.
The goal for Born, a senior account executive for the Predators, is that the students discovered what employment in pro sports entails across all departments.
“Working in sports can be fun but can also be a lot of long hours depending on your job,” she said. “I also hope the students learned that working in sports does not have to be a direct path. A lot of us have degrees in areas outside of sports but still ended up working in sports. You just need to get your foot in the door to start building the career you want.”
Born, who earned her bachelor’s degree in biology in 2019 and her master’s in sport administration in 2021, enjoyed watching the students throughout the tour.
“What meant the most to me were the students who were fully engaged asking questions to everyone and asking for advice on how to get to where they want to be,” she said. “I had a lot of people in my corner to reach out to for help when I was in the students’ shoes, and it means a lot that I can now be that person for them.”
Additional information about the university is available at www.tusculum.edu. To learn more about the Predators, please visit https://www.nhl.com/predators/.