On Day 3, the NE Immersion crew
woke up at dawn and slowly gathered for breakfast before driving to Athletic
Evolution in Woburn, MA where we meet President and Managing Partner Erik
Kaloyanides. Kaloyanides is an SU alum class of 2002 where he play on the
football team as a guard on the offensive line and double majored in Finance
and Marketing in Whitman. He claims it is this business background that has
keep him around in such a competitive market.
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| Athletic Evolution |
Athletic Evolution is a 30,000
square foot athletic training facility fitted with a Crossfit box, training
equipment, a turf field, a synthetic ice rink, basketball courts, and a therapy
room. While Kaloyanides had to become certified to use the “Crossfit” name, he
rents out the space in the adjoining room that is currently being used as a
basketball courts. Crossfit is a relatively new training program that includes
Workouts Of The Day, workouts named after notable athletes, and its own cultural
attire. Kalonyanides also shared how renting out space can cause more stress
than expected. There is a trust that the people who rents the space will pay
it; however, when they don’t, they must be taken to court. As a personal
trainer who dedicates 77 hours a week solely to training time, Kaloyanides
would prefer to not have to deal with renting out space and hopes to downsize
in the near future.
Other major projects Kaloyanides is
currently working on include his own personal brand EK Performance, 5 Star
Academy camps, and the With Us Foundation. He believes that these organizations
all tie in well together and fit into his goals as he hopes to move away from managing
people and move towards building on his own brands.
As he builds his own brands he
notes the importance of WOM and how his name is represented to the public. He has
started a new program called Custom Performance Training where instead of “football”
training regimens, Kalonyanides will develop and create specific training
programs for each of his clients specific to their own needs. He also mentioned
the E Coach app which would allow his to train clients no matter how far they are
from his facility in Woburn. With WOM spreading his name around he is growing a
client base that is well beyond the 45 mile radius he is currently working out
of.
A major takeaway from Kaloyanides
is working with a balance. He explains the importance of balancing work and
life while emphasizing the necessary need to decompress once and a while in
order to not go crazy.
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| Eric Kalonyanides |
In the afternoon we had the
opportunity to visit Syracuse University Alumna, Ashley Robbins, the Associate
Director of Communications at University of Massachusetts Lowell, and a panel
of representatives from the UMass Lowell Athletic Department. During the first
presentation, Bob Ellis, the head sports broadcaster who often provides the
play-by-play updates during hockey games spoke to us about his journey into
sports journalism and how he acquired his job at UMass Lowell. The Bronx native
explained to the group that in the process of discovering his career he tried
to “figure out what he wanted to and if people would pay” him for it. With a
background in radio, Ellis graduated from Emerson College with a degree in Mass
Communications. He went into further detail explainied on ng that fresh out of
college he wanted to familiarize himself with various aspects of radio to
provide him with a stronger understanding of the communications industry and
strengthen his skills in broadcasting. Ellis has been broadcasting for UMass
Lowell hockey for 32, almost 33 years and has formerly held a position as a
writer for the UMass Lowell athletic website.
When
asked about his career in journalism and what he has noticed as the largest
change since he begun 32 years ago, Ellis explained that no one in this
industry has focused in on the specific aspects of journalism and going out to
get the real story. He said that a lot of aspects of the communications
industry are now targeted towards marketing and public relations, while also
emphasizing that “the truth is 1st and foremost.” In his brief pieces of advice
towards the end of the discussion, Ellis told the group that it’s okay to make
mistakes and once you have made them it is imperative that you come clean and
move on, as oppose to attempting to cover them up and pretend they never
happened. He also explained told us that a large part of sports broadcasting is
translating the feeling of the game in the building into your commentary.
Making your listeners feel as though they are at the game makes you 10 times
better at your job. And lastly he told us to “be excited over something that is
exciting,” which means to live in the moment at sporting events and live out
the excitement that surrounds you during those events.
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| UMass Lowell Panel Setup |
After
our discussion with Bob Ellis, we were introduced to a panel of UMass Lowell
Athletic Representatives including Dana Skinner the Director of Athletics. He
informed the group that the sports industry is a “great business” and
highlighted the team effort that goes into to running and producing for a
college athletic business. This team environment, he explained, is what makes
his job extremely enjoyable. Everyone in the office is working towards a common
goal and that is the type of environment that makes him the most productive.
Throughout the entirety of his discussion he really emphasize the importance of
building with others. He showed us a quote by Booker T. Washington, which says,
“If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else.” He followed the quote
by telling a story of his former coaching days; the fundamentals of basketball
that came so easily to him due to years of practice were often difficult to
those who had never played the game before. He explained that we often forget
how much work it takes to get to point Z when we’ve been there for so long that
now it is time to teach someone at point B. He complimented this lesson with
another quote, “just because it’s easy for you doesn’t mean its easy.” In
addition to the other business advice Skinner provided us with he explained
that being good at the job that is in front of you is extremely important,
regardless if you believe the position is beneath you. Working hard at what is
given to you is a strong reflection of work ethic and dedication.
The rest
of the panel included Sandra Niedergall, the Senior Associate Athletic
Director/SWA who is charge of solving problems within Division 1 athletics,
including NCAA regulations and eligibility requirements. Her role is extremely
important, as the Riverhawks have just transitioned from D2 to D1 three years
ago. John Boswell, the Assistance Athletic Director for Marketing and
Promotions is responsible for creating events and creating an experience for
their fans. Christine Smith, the Associate Athletic Director for Academics and
Student-Athlete Services is responsible for academic support and overseeing
compliance. She explained that at one point she was unsure of what she wanted
to do but took a chance in the sports industry and found her passion. Alan
Zebrak, the Associate Athletic Director for Facilities and Events is a James
Madison University graduate who is responsible for handling the logistics of
the athletic team as it relates to game day operations and managing Riverhawks
events that occur on campus. Pete Souris, the Associate Athletic Director for
Communications works in close quarters with Ashley Robins and handles all
things related to media and video operations including statistics,
relationships with clients, media packages for visiting media representatives
and finds pleasure in being a part of something that is in the process of
further development.
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| The 1975 Stage Setup |
After
our detailed panel discussion we were able to take a brief tour of the Tsongas
Center and met with Keith Vaske the building GM, from the Spectra Company and
Tracy Martino the catering GM, from Aramark Corporation and get a deeper
understanding for how these two individuals work hand in hand on ensuring that
everything in the building runs smoothly from drinks and food to how many mops are
needed for clean up afterwards. Breaking down the demographics of those in
attendance is necessary to both individuals jobs as they each are responsible
for catering you fans needs and their overall experience. After our meeting
with Vaske and Martino we got to tour the press box and view the top of the
stadium and watch as the building was preparing for the 1975 concert that
night. After lunch we got to briefly watch the UMass Lowell baseball game and
speak to Justin Williams a representative of the Lowell Spinners who currently
works in sponsorship sales and got his start as an intern in the promotions
department. The Edward A. LeLacheur Park is home to both the Lowell Spinners
the Short Season minor league baseball affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, and the
UMass Lowell Riverhawks baseball team. The stadium seats up to 4800 and has
approximately 200 standing room spaces around the stadium. When asked about
possible renovations, Justin explained that because the surrounding area is
part lake and part land that is not owned by the Spinners, the only way to
expand would be to build up as oppose to out. However the stadium still
provided a pleasant atmosphere and was extremely inviting.
Overall
the experience was great, we had the opportunity to speak with individuals in
various functions of the sports industry and got lots of different perspectives
on a similar entity. It was beneficial to hear from those who have been in the
industry for years and those who are just getting started. Being exposed to
that wide spectrum of time allowed us to see the beginning stages but also the
end stages of a career in the sports industry as well. Furthermore, making a
connection with another SU- Falk College Alum is an experience in itself.
Seeing how successful Ashley has been in her career just two years after
graduation is inspiring but also reminds us that this program is one to take
full advantage of.
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| Lowell Spinners Game |
Our last stop of the day was with
David Gross, the commissioner of the Major League Lacrosse. The MLL works out
of a 29,000 square foot office with a staff of 29 people. It is a 16 year brand
and just like any other organization, they struggled in the past and has had to
learn and overcome their past mistakes. One of the largest problems was budgeting
and in 2003 Gross came in and helped slowly dissolved the problem of bankruptcy
over the years.
Gross really emphasized the
importance of sales and reiterated that sales is really problem solving. If we
go into a sale with the goal and mentality to solve a client’s problem, the
sale will come much simpler and naturally. Revenue is extremely important in
all businesses but especially important in an organization such as MLL where is
there is not as much support especially compared to other sports. Gross claims
that the MLL is essentially a minor league and while major leagues spend money,
the minor leagues have to think creatively to make money without spending a
dime.
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| Lax Sports Network |
We also talked about the Lax Sports
Network, the first network to feature 24 hours of lacrosse news. While this
didn’t grow over night, Gross worked tirelessly to make this idea a reality and
after two years the LSN was airing live 24 hours a day. He claims that one of
the reasons the LSN is doing so well currently is because they were the first
to give a real opinion. Sharing real opinions generates interest and that is
what makes a business grow. Gross explains how you cannot be “vanilla” in the
sports world for that will get you nowhere. Gross’ last piece of advice was to
embrace being wrong. It’s okay to be wrong for you can learn from your mistakes
and move on. Gross can attest to this for he claimed no one would want to see a
high school lacrosse game being aired live and now it is the content with the
highest ratings.
The day was filled with so many successful SU alum and it only
inspires us to uphold the reputation as we move into the industry. Tomorrow is
just to be just as exciting and busy day and we can’t wait to share more with
you!
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