GAE 1-5

The Graduate Assistantship assignment (1-5) was very helpful in finding places that are possibilities to apply for graduate school. I found four schools that are pretty close to my hometown and in the great state of Tennessee, then i also found one that is in south Florida. All five of the schools basically had the same requirements for admission and the same application procedures.

1) Belmont University
- An undergraduate degree with a GPA of 2.75 is required for admission. Two letters of recommendation from people that are not related to you are also required. A professional resume along with a letter of professional aspiration stating your purpose for applying must be sent in with the application. An online application is required and the  application for the program admission is the same as the graduate school application. I would love to go to Belmont because I have always wanted to pursue a career in the Nashville area. It is a highly prestigious academic institution. Nashville is only about three hours from my hometown.
2) Barry University
- A resume with a personal interview and letters of recommendation are required to apply for Barry's graduate program. The application process for both the graduate school and the program are both done online. I have always been interested in Athletic Training. Barry is located in South Florida and I love that area of the country. It would help me gain contacts from a different area to help me start my career.
3) University of Tennessee at Knoxville
- There were not as many requirements to get in to UTK's graduate program. The applicant must have a 3.0 GPA and a couple of letters of recommendation. Online applications are required for both the graduate school and the actual program. The program offers a study of sports organizations and an application of management theory and principles to a variety of sports endeavors. Graduates obtain positions in collegiate and other amateur sports settings as well as professional sports. Knoxville is only an hour from my hometown and I have always loved the city. The opportunity to work with the Volunteers athletic program sounds incredible to me. Local contacts of mine will also help me have a better chance of getting accepted.
4) Georgia State University
- There was not as many requirements for admission for GSU as the other schools. No certain GPA is required and only a resume and letter of recommendation is required. The difference with GSU is they offered an email address to acquire information about graduate assistantships. Eighteen hours of major related classes with nine hours of electives are required. GSU is close to Reinhardt University and is in downtown Atlanta. Tuition is waved if you get the graduate assistantship. It is only about three hours away from my hometown.
5) University of Georgia
- An undergraduate degree in any field is required for admission. One must fill out a complete application, send in GRE scores, transcripts, three letters of recommendation, complete a departmental questionnaire, and send in a resume. The average GPA of the class is 3.34. Online application is required to be filled out. UGA offers assistantships with Kinesiology department, recreation department, and the athletic department. UGA is a SEC school (great athletics and academics), there is always a great atmosphere in Athens, it is not ridiculously far from my hometown, and it is relatively close to Reinhardt.


Estarr10

Site Visit Summary #1 - Canton YMCA

          Our Sports Administration class visited the Canton YMCA on September 14, 2010. When we first got there we were taken to the Reinhardt College Room at their facility. Nicole Lawson, the Director of Membership Services and the Membership and Marketing Director, spoke to us about the history of the YMCA. It began as the Young Men's Christian Association and was meant to be a bible study for men to keep them off of the streets during the Industrial Revolution.
          She then proceeded to take us on a tour of the facility. She showed us the weight room, the swimming pool, the daycare center, and the gymnasium. The YMCA hosts a two season soccer program for people ranging from age 5 to 15. Soccer is their main sport, but they also have baseball, basketball, volleyball, cheerleading, and indoor soccer. They held an adult kickball league this past summer and are even exploring the idea of beginning a lacrosse program due to popular demand.
          The YMCA offers internships to students aspiring to one day work at the YMCA or in a related field; however, she did mention that they are unpaid. They are always looking for people to help out whether it be as a lifeguard, a referee, or even in the daycare. A job at the YMCA would be a fun experience. One would get to be around kids all day while also working with sports if they desire. The "Y" would be an excellent place to work, and possibly start a career in this area.

Estarr10

Becoming Invaluable

WOW! That is the first thing that comes to mind after viewing this slideshow. Reality check is an understatement! I would love to have viewed this during my freshman year, but junior year is better than never. I now realize that I have to immediately begin looking for places to do my practicum and start making contacts (even more than I already have) for my internship. I knew that sports related fields were very competitive, but never thought about how other degrees can also work for sports related jobs. Graduate school is a must! UTC is my first choice of grad. school opportunities because of the fact that it is the number one school for Physical Therapy in this area. It is ultra-competitive and will be very hard to get into; however, I feel that I have prepared myself well and will continue to do so.

Estarr10

ICE 1-5

The ICE project is very intersting. I loved the fact that I got to look at job openings for the career fields that I am interested in pursuing. I found five specific job openings for Athletic Training. They were all at the collegiate level.

The first one I found was at American International College in Springfield, Massachusetts. Massachusetts is a very long ways away from my hometown, but I have always wanted to visit there. The job opening was for an Assistant Athletic Trainer position. It would be a great starting job for me in order for me to build up my resume and start my career.

The second one I found was at the University of Cincinnati in Cincinnati, Ohio. I have family that lives about thirty minutes outside of Cincinnati and I absolutely love that area. The job opening was for the Head Athletic Training position at the university. I understand that it would be hard for me to get this job without any prior experience. I would feel very lucky and priviliged to receive this position at a Division 1 school.

The third one I found was at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Philadelphia is a place that I have always wanted to go and see. The job opening was for an Assistant Athletic Trainer position. Temple is a very highly regarded school and it would be an honor to begin my career at Temple University.

The fourth one was at the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Arkansas is not that far from my hometown compared to the others that I found. The job opening was for the Head Athletic Trainer position. This is a smaller school and would be a great place to start my career.

The fifth one was at the University of Marquette in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I personally do not like the north, but would not mind one bit to have a position at Marquette University. The job opening was for an Athletic Training position. This would be an incredible opportunity due to the fact that Marquette is consistantly a powerhouse in basketball year in and year out. It would be an honor to work with these athletes on a daily basis.

Estarr10

Speaker Summary #2 Vic Mitchell

On September 7, 2010, Vic Mitchell came to speak to our Sports Administration class. Vic Mitchell is the Sr. Associate Athletic Director and the head Women's Basketball Coach at Shorter University in Rome, Georgia. He held many other positions before finally finding a home at Shorter. In 1981 he was a manager for the University of Georgia men's basketball team and later became a Graduate Assistant. In the fall of 1984, he took the women's basketball head job at Reinhardt, which was then a Junior College. He held that position until 1990. Later that year he headed out to Rome to become the head softball coach and women's basketball coach at Shorter College. After a short stint with the softball team, he became the head guy for the Cross Country teams. When he called it quits on cross country he became the women's golf coach.While at Shorter he coached two sports for fourteen years.

Some things that stood out to me during Coach Mitchell's time with us were the following:

-He told us that it is key to know the job and/or school's philosophy before agreeing to the job.
-After agreeing, do not get frustrated. You have to buy in to the company or school's philosophy or get out.
-To be a good administrator, according to Coach Mitchell, you have to be able to delegate with the people you are dealing with on and off the court. Social skills are key when you hold a position of authority.

Coach Vic Mitchell was full of great advice for the students in our class. Most, but not all, of us are planning to pursue positions that he currently holds or has held in the past. It is important to listen to and be able to pick the brain of people that have experience in the field that you are planning to pursue.

Thanks again to Coach Mitchell for giving us time out of his busy schedule. It was greatly appreciated!

Estarr10

Speaker Summary #1 Peggy Collins Feerehy

Peggy Collins Feerehy is the Director of Career Services at Reinhardt University in Waleska, Georgia. She came to speak to our Sports Administration class on August 31, 2010. Mrs. Feerehy spoke to the class about what her job consists of and how she is there to help us. As the Director of Career Services she is there to provide students with everything they need to be successful. This ranges everywhere from practicing for interviews to personality testing. There are four job fairs that are not on campus that she personally makes sure that students have transportation to and from the event. She did mention that suits and ties are to be worn to those events. Most of us in the class are student-athletes, and she told us that the businesses at job fairs love student-athletes because of their dedication to what they do on a daily basis. Mrs. Feerehy also helps students develop a professional resume. She extended an invitation to all of us to come by and see her for help. We were promised that she would help us figure out our strengths and how to sell them. The time she spent talking to us was very informative and a lot was taken out of what she spoke about.

Estarr10