When
the
86th
Annual
NFL
Draft
came
to
Cleveland
April
29-May
1,
some
60
students
in
Baldwin
Wallace
University's
sport
management
programs,
both
undergraduate
and
graduate,
were
in
on
the
action.
This
year,
COVID-19
protocols
and
travel
restrictions
pulled
the
plug
on
BW
sport
management's
signature
involvement
in
world-class
sporting
events,
including
an
annual
trek
to
the
Super
Bowl.
Now,
as
large
events
are
resuming,
and
with
the
NFL
Draft
in
BW's
backyard,
the
experiential
learning
that
is
a
hallmark
of
the
BW
programs
powered
back
up.
"Students
seeking
bachelor's
degrees
and
those
and
in
our
new
sport
management
MBA,
have
been
gaining
experience
with
BW
athletics
and
through
virtual
internships
all
along,
but
there
is
a
lot
of
excitement
to
resume
the
hands-on,
off-campus
experiences
that
define
our
programs,"
said
Dr.
Charles
Campisi,
who
chairs
marketing
and
sport
management
for
the
BW
School
of
Business.
"Public
health
protocols
were
in
place
for
employees,
volunteers
and
guests
at
these
major
events,"
he
added.
NFL
Experience
For
the
NFL
Draft,
BW
students
worked
in
both
paid
and
volunteer
positions
at
The
NFL
Experience,
an
interactive
football
theme
park
near
First
Energy
Stadium,
and
at
the
inaugural
NFL
Alumni
Draft
Pro-Am
&
Experience
at
Firestone
Country
Club.
Brandon
Moore
'23,
who
was
part
of
the
paid
OnePass
team
helping
to
oversee
the
NFL
Experience,
signed
on
to
work
the
event
for
both
a
love
of
football
and
the
opportunity
to
learn
and
grow.
"I
believe
events
like
these
help
to
improve
my
communication,
problem-solving
and
troubleshooting
skills,"
Moore
said.
Moore,
Daniel
Rittgers
'23
and
Kamaria
Montgomery
'24
all
see
the
NFL
Draft
as
an
honor
for
Cleveland.
"This
was
a
once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity
to
see
all
the
logistics
of
running
an
outstanding
event
like
the
NFL
Draft,"
Montgomery
said.
"I
have
watched
the
Browns
with
my
family
every
year,
and
I
have
seen
how
much
football
means
to
the
people
who
live
in
the
Cleveland
area,"
Rittgers
added.
"To
have
an
event
of
this
magnitude
in
our
hometown
was
incredible."
Run
for
the
Roses
In
addition
to
the
group
working
the
NFL
Draft,
students
also
headed
to
the
Kentucky
Derby
in
Louisville
to
support
"The
Most
Exciting
Two
Minutes
in
Sports"
the
first
weekend
in
May.
Ashley
Ackerman
'21,
who
has
packed
a
lot
into
her
time
at
BW,
including
Super
Bowls,
National
Championships,
internships
and
studying
abroad,
chose
to
work
the
iconic
first
leg
of
horse
racing's
Triple
Crown
as
a
capstone
experience.
"It
was
a
new
and
exciting
opportunity
to
enhance
my
knowledge
of
the
sport
and
hospitality
industry
further,"
Ackerman
explained.
"The
Derby
is
not
only
a
global
event,
but
it
offered
me
the
opportunity
to
learn
about
an
entirely
different
side
of
the
sports
industry."
Natalie
Wilkins
'21
agrees
and
said
she's
wanted
to
work
the
"Run
for
the
Roses"
since
touring
the
historic
Churchill
Downs
track
during
a
BW
2020
College
Football
Championship
trip.
"I
already
had
experiences
in
the
more
popularized
sports,
like
baseball
and
football,
so
getting
to
experience
a
completely
different
work
environment
was
very
challenging
and
exciting."
Just
getting
re-started
BW
sport
management
is
already
mapping
out
a
full
year
of
experiences
through
the
2022
Kentucky
Derby.
Future
events
on
the
BW
experiential
learning
roster
include
the
U.S.
Grand
Prix
Formula
1
race
in
Austin,
Texas,
2022
College
Football
Playoff
National
Championship
in
Indianapolis
and,
yes,
Super
Bowl
LVI
in
Los
Angeles.
See
media
coverage
of
the
program's
NFL
Draft
and
Kentucky
Derby
experiences
on
19
News,
Crain's
Cleveland
Business
and
Fox
8
TV.
