Industry Interview with Kristy Sampson

The summer times are one of the biggest seasons for the Amateur Athletic Union organization, especially for the basketball department. There are over 21 tournaments that are held between girls and boys basketball each summer. While working at the annual AAU and NCAA boy’s basketball tournament located at the ESPN World Wide of Sports in Orlando, Florida. I had the opportunity to sit down with Kristy Sampson, one of the Sports Manager and who is also over girl’s basketball at AAU. The interview was conducted during a hectic evening and we experienced some interruption because Kristy was one of the main individuals in charge of assisting participants in the tournament office. Some of these individuals range from team’s coaches, parents, and even college coaches. According to Ian Guerin a writer for the SunNews.com, “AAU tournaments give players the exposure they may not have during the school season. This allows college coaches on tight budgets to see players from around the country at once” (2011).  Therefore, I expected there to be many interruption during our interview, which was all right with me because I wanted to conduct the interview during the time she was in the moment. I wanted to observe her tone, demeanor, and how she handles difficult situations. I believe this environment opened up the floor for many examples and allowed us to engage more regarding the sports industry.

Social Media Analysis of Amateur Athletic Union

Social media tools such as, Twitter and Facebook have taken over the world! As I continue on this wonderful journey on my summer internship at the Amateur Athletic Union known as AAU. We have also tapped into using social media to allow our participants, fans, and sponsors to keep up with the latest sports events. Therefore, here is a presentation of how I believe social media has enhance the business of AAU.

Sports Still Draws Fans Despite Recession?

If you didn't know, ever since the beginning of the year. I have been attending a wonderful university in Orlando, Florida called Full Sail University. For this month class, Sports Management and Operations. I had the pleasure of reading and article by Charles Davidson title "Sports Still Draws Fans Despite Recession." Here's a video of my personal thoughts on the article as wells as my suggestions to facilities managers on how to increase revenue in today's recession.

Enjoy!

-The Sportsnista '95

Biggest Play in Sports Biz:Tiger Woods Falls from Grace

In the Beginning…

Tiger Woods has been swinging his way on to the golf scene since the age of 2. No one would have imaged that the little boy that premiered on the Mike Douglas Show, would become one of the greatest golfers of our time at the age of 35. Through out Tiger’s career, he has won over “95 tournaments, 71 of those on the PGA Tour with the second Masters victory in 2001, becoming the first ever to hold all four professional major championships at the same time” (Tiger Woods, 2011). In 2007, Tiger’s skills had proven that he could generate huge endorsements as well as major revenue. In that particular year, he was the first athlete in history stated by Forbes.com to have banked $100 million in one year. Yes, it is fair to say that Tiger Woods was a force to be reckoning with, “when you’re on the golf course, you’re the boss,” stated Earl Woods. Tiger truly had a certain demeanor and genuine innocence about him and there was no one like him. Tiger was an athlete that brought respect and dignity to the game of golf; his fans adore him, while his competitors dreamed of being him. So how did Tiger go from being one of the top golfer’s in the country to headlining one of the biggest sports scandals of the decade?